Black Ops 2 Info Blowout: Multiplayer Map Details, Emblem Editor, and Domination Changes

Black Ops 2 is kind of a big deal. Slated for release later this year, the latest entry in the Call of Duty franchise is set to offer all sorts of innovative new content in both single and multiplayer. The singleplayer campaign happens to be a semi-dynamic campaign with varied missions beyond the usual fare of shooting people in the face.

As for the multiplayer, it's got built-in spectating and even a broadcasting system to support the competitive gaming community.

With that said, a host of new details about the game's multiplayer mode has surfaced over the past day at Gamescom, where the game was demoed to convention participants. Without further ado, we'll break down what we discovered at the event.

One of the features that's making a return from previous games and getting an overhaul is the multiplayer game's emblem editor. In previous games, the emblem editor allowed players to design their own emblems by offering layers with which to paste clip-art graphics, color them, and modify their size, placement and angle. According to David Vonderhaar, the emblem editor will be back and it will be "bigger and better than ever."

The Scavenger perk is making a return in Black Ops 2. How it works goes like this: the perk will replace both equipment and lethal greenades when you step over a dead body, so you'll be able to throw as many tomahawks as you like–assuming you manage to kill each of your targets.

Public matches in Domination will take place over two rounds. It goes without saying that where your team spawns on the map can highly influence the outcome of the game, so this time around both teams will have an equal footing by swapping spawn points between rounds. Not only will this work to prevent spawn trapping–it'll also allow players to switch their strategies around.

Last, but not least, are pictures of the maps that were played at Gamescom. These include Aftermath, Cargo, Turbine, and Yemen. As far as we can tell, they're already balanced for gameplay so we don't expect them to change upon the game's retail release.