In a twist that’s sparking a lot of chatter among gamers, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 has introduced a store bundle that lets players purchase the new Sirin 9mm submachine gun ahead of its scheduled release. This weapon was meant to be the crowning reward of the Hit List event—an opportunity for players to unite and earn rewards by racking up as many eliminations as possible. But now, fans are voicing their disappointment over developer Treyarch’s decision to sidestep the event by offering early access to the SMG for a price.
The latest Hit List event kicked off on November 21 in both Black Ops 6 and Warzone, sprucing up the gameplay with a slew of rewards. Players have up until December 5 to unlock these rewards, both personal and community-based. The big goal? To reach a staggering 50 billion community eliminations to snag the Sirin 9mm SMG. Along the journey, players can collect other goodies like a new perk and scorestreaks. As of now, players are still quite a distance from unlocking the SMG, yet Treyarch has already added it to a new store bundle.
In terms of getting their hands on the Sirin 9mm SMG, players have had some success with the Shadow Perk and Buffer Weight Stock as part of the event. However, there’s still a hefty requirement of another 30 billion eliminations needed. If waiting doesn’t appeal, the weapon can now be purchased directly from the Call of Duty store. Treyarch launched the new Cash Bandit bundle on November 26, packed with various cosmetic goodies and a weapon blueprint for the unreleased SMG. Interestingly, once players obtain a blueprint, they can permanently unlock base weapons in Black Ops 6, allowing them to access the Sirin 9mm prematurely by purchasing the bundle for 2,800 COD points.
This move hasn’t gone down well with many Black Ops 6 fans. Prominent YouTuber JGOD called it “sad” to put the weapon behind a paywall before the event wrapped up. Meanwhile, another fan, Nick, criticized Treyarch for setting the event target absurdly high and offering a shortcut at a price, labeling it as a “scummy” tactic. These sentiments are echoed by a large section of the community, with widespread agreement that the weapon should have never been included in the paid bundle.
This debacle adds to an ongoing series of controversies concerning the game’s microtransactions. Earlier this week, excitement around the Replacer bundle—a fan-favorite addition allowing players to control a popular character from Black Ops’ marketing—turned sour. Players found out that unlocking all of the bundle’s contents required purchasing the Blackcell Battle Pass for its second variant, effectively doubling the cost for completionists.
In a broader sense, Black Ops 6 maintains its reputation for thrilling gameplay and engaging storylines. Developed jointly by Treyarch and Raven, this installment of the series takes players back to the politically charged atmosphere of the early 1990s. It promises a high-octane campaign, top-notch multiplayer experiences, and the beloved Round-Based Zombies mode, providing fans with plenty to look forward to as new maps and features are rolled out post-launch. Despite its innovations, it’s clear that the handling of microtransactions could leave a lasting impression on the player community.
