Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is the newest release in the long-running Call of Duty saga, and like most modern titles, it comes equipped with a live service section to go along with it. This naturally includes a ton of cosmetics, many of which are free to obtain.
The newest cosmetic from the game includes a Crimson Operator, known as ‘John Black Ops’, which has caused a fair bit of confusion amongst its player base. Some would say that the confusion is even intentional.
Call of Duty Black Ops 6 introduces a new skin known as John Black Ops, a new Crimson Operator
For the uninitiated, John Black Ops is the newly released Operator for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. He belongs to the Crimson One faction and was released on April 17, 2025, as part of the Season 3 launch of Black Ops 6.
Also known as [REDACTED] | Image Credits: Activision
John is a surprisingly free, unlockable Operator and is part of the Black Ops Tribute in-game event.
To unlock him, players will have to complete all 10 tiers of the event. Once unlocked, he can be used in both Black Ops 6 and Warzone 2.0.
RelatedBlack Ops 6’s Latest Multiplayer Change Is Beneficial for Console Players but Might Leave PC Players in the Dust
Which is all delightful, except for his curious appearance, name and associated faction. Given his name of ‘Black Ops’, it does make one wonder why the character is a Crimson Operator – instead of a Black Ops one.
They 1000% did this intentionally to f*** with us lmao
This appears to be quite intentional, and players are starting to lose their minds regarding the same.
Comment byu/BootyDeputy from discussion inblackops6
If anything, though, this highlights a rather unfortunate trend in Black Ops 6, where Crimson Operators are receiving a rather disproportionate number of units as compared to others, such as the Black Ops.
Comment byu/BootyDeputy from discussion inblackops6
This makes a lot of sense when we take into consideration that John Black Ops is a meme.
John Black Ops is based on a meme | Image Credits: Activision
For those who don’t already know, the character is based on a meme known as John Darksoul – the community-mad scripted protagonist of the Dark Souls series.
Comment byu/BootyDeputy from discussion inblackops6
Players have shared multiple theories on his origins, with some of the most ludicrous ones prophesying him as the return of Captain Price.
Comment byu/BootyDeputy from discussion inblackops6
While rather hilarious, it does question Activision’s priorities at the moment. After all, one could argue that focusing on trivial memes and jokes should take a backseat when compared to fixing more critical issues, such as bugs and the like.
This wouldn’t be the first wacky skin released by Call of Duty
Call of Duty, much like Fortnite, has now grown to include some of the most bizarre skins. These additions have only gotten more bizarre over time, with some grotesque additions such as the Carver and Dragon Knight being a prime focus.
Going back to the more bizarre additions, the Top 250 Champion and Bloke Biter skins are perhaps the weirdest of the lot.
Related“You’re not welcome in this community. Get out”: The Same Problem That Plagues Black Ops 6 is Now in Marvel Rivals, Players are Finally Speaking up
While it can be argued that these skins are not in the ‘spirit’ of Call of Duty and somewhat cheapen the experience, they still are cosmetics in the end, and don’t really cause much harm.
Regardless, their popularity cannot be denied, and Call of Duty is likely to keep printing them.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
