Black Ops 2 multiplayer innovates, yet remains 'true to the core', says Treyarch

Black Ops 2 multiplayer will be innovative without venturing too far from what makes it the "lifeblood" of the Call of Duty franchise, Treyarch boss Mark Lamia has said.

Speaking with CVG, Lamia said in order to stay relevant a series has to change, but at the same time keep from alienating its core fan base.

"Multiplayer is the lifeblood of the franchise," said Lamia. "Call of Duty multiplayer is played 365 days a year, twenty-four seven, all over the world. But we can do better

"Black Ops did everything we wanted it to do. We had the customisation, the theatre, the emblem editor, great maps, great options - but one of the things that it didn't do is look at the gameplay and say: 'hey, let's significantly innovate upon some of these core systems.'"

With Black Ops 2, Treyarch stuck with the core systems and added something new, said Lamia, in order to maintain accessibility while still adding depth.

"I think that if you want to maintain a franchise, that you're going to have to innovate and keep it fresh, but also remain true to your core," he said. "It's absolutely the needle we try and thread in every game.

"I think you have to keep the game accessible but have that depth. I think it will take players awhile to peel back the layers on this one because there's a lot of stuff going on underneath, there's all kinds of different ways to play now. If you want to survive you're going to have to play the objectives and play with your team.

"I think that's a fundamental change to the way people play Call of Duty. Black Ops 2 isn't just the next CoD game; it really is a major step in how Call of Duty's gameplay is going to be perceived."

You can read the entire multiplayer preview through the link.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 is out November 13 on PC, PS3 and Xbox 360