Black Ops 2 will support eSports scene, no verdict on dedicated servers

Treyarch aims to make Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 as eSports friendly as possible, but isn't ready to comment on LAN and dedicated server functionality.

Speaking to PC Gamer, Trearch boss Mark Lamia noted that as the first Black Ops supported dedicated servers, the engine is definitely capable of it.

"But we haven’t yet announced exactly what that setup is going to be with Black Ops 2," he added.

"We like the flexibility, just philosophically, of the dedicated server. We also like our game to be played the way we spent the last couple of years making it, and try to find that happy medium between the two."

Lamia seemed to be referring to the fact that dedicated servers, outside of Treyarch's control, can offer a very different experience in terms of levelling up and progressing - and also provide opportunities for cheating.

"It’s one of the considerations. Once you let those server files out, there’s a problem," he admitted when asked about cheating.

"One of the things I know that the team has been focused on for the PC is, in particular, anti-cheat mechanisms. We know it’s a huge issue in PC gaming, for online gaming. We’ve been working on proprietary schemes, we’re not just relying on the commercial schemes."

Lamia wouldn't be drawn on whether LAN support would be included, but said the developer is "paying attention to the eSports scene" and issues related to it, regardless of hardware. He even noted that Black Ops was part pf the MLG Pro Circuit on PlayStation 3, despite not having LAN or dedicated server capabilities on console.

"In your custom game configuration, you allow people to create the customizations that they need. You don’t need a dedicated server to give people the variables they need to create a custom game," he said.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 is all anybody wants to talk about right now, having been revealed just a few hours ago. It'll arrive in November on HD platforms.