Black Ops 2 Players Relish the Freedom from Microtransactions

Earlier this month, the classic titles Black Ops and Black Ops 2 made their way to PlayStation 4 and PS5. While these ports come with a hefty price tag and minimal enhancements, they’ve quickly become some of the hottest games on the platform. For many gamers, diving back into this simpler era of Call of Duty—before the days of battle passes and in-game purchases—has been a refreshing experience. A standout feature from this pre-battle-pass era is the custom emblem editor found in both Black Ops games.

In today’s Call of Duty titles, as well as most other live-service games, players often have to shell out cash for new cosmetics like emblems and skins or grind through limited-time events to unlock some content for free. Unfortunately, many items are locked behind premium battle pass tiers or other paywalls, which can be incredibly frustrating for dedicated players.

In contrast, Black Ops and Black Ops 2 allow players to create emblems using a variety of shapes and pre-made designs. This feature empowers every player to craft emblems inspired by anything from Star Wars characters to memes, all without spending a dime.

It’s fascinating to experience this throwback in 2026 through these ports. While browsing the Black Ops 2 subreddit or playing on PS5, I’ve come across countless creative, humorous, and even copyright-infringing emblems. They’re prevalent in matches, provided the game isn’t lagging or affected by hackers. Unlike modern live-service games, where cosmetics are often licensed and purchased, these emblems are unique creations made with a free editor that, despite its simplicity, offers endless design possibilities.

There’s a certain charm in seeing all these quirky, off-brand emblems in every match. When I spot a particularly well-crafted emblem, it stands out far more than a cosmetic item someone simply bought in a newer shooter.

This sense of freedom extends throughout Black Ops 2. There’s no time-limited battle pass cluttered with bizarre crossover skins or a confusing array of menus and currencies. If you want a cool skin for your weapon, you can grind through challenges at your own pace to unlock it. When others see you sporting that skin, they’ll recognize the effort you put in, which feels much more rewarding than spotting someone in a modern game and thinking, “Oh, they just spent $20 on that skin…”

One player on the Black Ops 2 subreddit expressed, “It feels exciting to unlock new attachments knowing someone else didn’t buy them to get ahead. I’m quite sad that gaming will probably never go back to how it used to be, where buying a game meant you had access to everything. But for now, I’ll enjoy this glimpse into how good we had it a decade ago.”

Of course, allowing players to create their own emblems does come with some downsides. If you spend enough time playing or browsing Reddit, you’ll inevitably encounter offensive content. That’s unfortunate and should be reported and dealt with, which likely explains why a recent update for Black Ops on PS4 and PS5 introduced an option to disable custom emblems entirely.

Still, I believe the emblem editor shouldn’t be discarded due to the actions of a few. Unfortunately, due to various factors, including corporate greed, 2018’s Black Ops 4 was the last title to feature a free custom emblem editor. It’s a real loss. At least we can still fire up Black Ops 2 in 2026 on PS5 and, assuming the servers hold up, relive a time when map packs were the primary revenue source and players could create emblems of Sonic enjoying a smoke. It’s a reminder of what we’ve lost.