14 DAY TRIAL // The development team at Treyarch and publisher Activision are ready to introduce a new and stripped down version of last year's Call of Duty: Black Ops 3, which seems to be designed to appeal to all those who are interested in trying out the multiplayer side of the first-person shooter.
The new Multiplayer Starter Pack is offered via Steam on the PC until February 29 and will give buyers access to the ranked matches as well as features connected to them, like the Gunsmith, Arena, Freerun, Pain Shop, Black Market and Theater.
The new version of the title is offered for 14.99 dollars or Euro, and at the moment it seems that this new initiative will remain confined to the PC, with no plans to offer something similar on consoles.
Neither the classic single-player campaign nor the zombie-powered cooperative experience are included in the new version of Call of Duty: Black Ops 3, but gamers can pay to upgrade if they like the core mechanics.
Treyarch and Activision also note that Prestige is not featured in the Multiplayer Starter Pack and that no mod tools will be released for it, with no plans to introduce the coming unranked server browser either.
The two companies add, "You can party up with your friends in the Starter Pack (whether they own the Starter Pack or full game), but you will only be able to play together in Public Match and Arena. You are not able to play in Custom Games, Zombies, or Campaign with the Starter Pack."
It's unclear why the new Multiplayer Starter Pack for Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 is only offered until the end of the month and whether Activision plans to re-activate it at any other point in 2016.
Treyarch is working on three new DLC packs for the shooter
Some fans have long claimed that Call of Duty releases need to be split into separate single player and multiplayer retail packages to make it easier for the community only to get access to the features they are interested in.
The Multiplayer Starter Pack is a good way to convince shooter fans to pick up Black Ops 3 and to maybe pick up the coming downloadable content packs for the experience.
Awakening is coming to the PC, as well as the Xbox One, in early March, introducing four new multiplayer maps as well as a new episode for the undead-powered cooperative mode.
Treyarch is working on another three packs, which are set to be launched during spring and summer, and the special starter pack for Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 might be brought back before each of them arrives.
Infinity Ward is the developer working on the next installment in the series, set to arrive during the fall of this year, and the studio, while unwilling to offer any information about new features or story, has promised a title that will introduce some innovative ideas to the franchise.
An official reveal will probably arrive either just before or during E3 2016.