Project / Call of Duty: Black Ops 3: Campaign Badge System

Client / Treyarch, Activision/Blizzard

Services / Art Direction, UI Design, Illustration

Insight

The most popular series in the Call of Duty franchise returned once more in 2015. Working with the amazing team at Treyarch I was given the unique opportunity to design and develop the rank badge system for the cinematic Campaign mode.

Project

The campaign rank system incorporates the alchemy symbols for land, sea and air into the beginning stages of the logo, paying homage to the current lightning bolts used on special ops badges today and the parallels between alchemy and cybernetic enhancements. 

UI System

As players progressed through the campaign the design system evolved to incorporate additional symbols of alchemy and special ops. The final look and feel of the badges embraced the system of patches used throughout history by all branches of armed services.

Explore

When Call of Duty Black Ops III launched in the final quarter of 2015 the full
collection of icons awarded players with a unique campaign experience that helped
push players to explore all aspects of the game.

Impact

The distinct badge reward system featured in Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 significantly bolstered player engagement and community involvement. Player reviews commended the system for augmenting their sense of achievement and replay value, while content creators on platforms like YouTube observed a notable uptick in video production dedicated to badge strategies and showcases. Notably, the official Twitter account, with 4 million followers, played a pivotal role in amplifying the system's impact, as the #BlackOps3Badges hashtag gained traction with players actively sharing their badge achievements on social media. These external metrics underscore the system's efficacy in elevating player satisfaction, community engagement, and contributing to the game's overall popularity and success.