COD: Black Ops 6's pause timer leaves many players furious

The latest installment in the Call of Duty franchise, Black Ops 6, is facing backlash from players over its controversial 15-minute pause timer. Fans of the popular Zombies mode, particularly solo players, have taken to Reddit to express their frustrations, arguing that the timer is an unnecessary restriction. Some even dubbed it as “dumb”.

A post by Reddit user SangerD on r/CODZombies summed up the frustration, stating, “If I want to pause the game for 10 hours straight, I should be able to.” The user went on to criticize Activision for requiring an internet connection even in solo play, which forces players to rely on servers that impose the timer. The post quickly gained traction, receiving over 2,000 upvotes and hundreds of comments, with many players agreeing that solo sessions should not be limited by server restrictions.

Some players feel that the pause timer reflects a backward step for the series. Fans pointed out that earlier titles like Cold War allowed indefinite pausing, and even Black Ops 4 offered smoother solo gameplay. As one commenter put it: “It’s not just that it’s missing … they’re actively removing features.”

Adding to the frustration is the fact that the timer saves and quits the game when it runs out, which can be inconvenient mid-session. Players are also upset about the lack of proper pausing in co-op, with one player venting: “I still have to ask a friend to hold a zombie if I need to let the dog out or take a piss.”

While some players believe that a longer pause timer, like 30 minutes, could be a reasonable compromise, others insist the feature should be scrapped entirely. A few have tried to understand Activision’s stance, suggesting that the switch to dedicated servers, rather than the old peer-to-peer system, is driving the timer. “They don’t want people taking up server resources by leaving their game paused forever,” explained one user.

However, this technical reasoning has not pacified fans. Many argue that forcing online-only gameplay for solo players is both unnecessary and frustrating. Another commenter exclaimed: “Always online just prevents you from playing offline locally without the timer, which should be allowed.”

Apart from this, players are also miffed with the small maps and the game’s SBMM. Since the devs haven’t responded to the public outcry yet, we’ll just have to wait and see if they’ll consider tweaking or removing the inactivity timer in the game. Feel free to share your thoughts on the decision to add a pause timer in the comments below.

Featured image credits: BellOwn1386 / Reddit