Summary
The narrative for the upcomingCall of Duty: Black Ops 6already seems like a huge statement from Treyarch, with its use of real-world political figures and government agencies being very in-line with theBlack Opsfranchise’s earliest roots. The recent Direct presentation for the title finally dropped the curtain in terms of the main characters and core setting of the game’s campaign, and a lot of familiar faces are already confirmed to be making appearances.
The Direct presentation forCall of Duty: Black Ops 6of course featured new characters, like protagonist Troy Marshall and CIA insider Jane Harrow, but also made sure to focus on veterans of the franchise like Frank Woods. Long-term fans of the series will notice that the 90s setting ofBlack Ops 6is very close to the late-80s flashback sequences ofBlack Ops 2’s story, with Woods being in a wheelchair inBO6following his near-fatal encounter with Raul Menendez. As the main antagonist ofBlack Ops 2, Menendez is one of the most pivotal figures in the entire sub-franchise, andBlack Ops 6is primed to feature appearances or, at the very least, references to the character to bridge the narratives of both games even further.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Should Pay Respects to the Legacy of Raul Menendez
The narrative timeline of theBlack Opsfranchise is now quite confusing, with the series often jumping back and forward through time to tell the tales of its most important figures. Thankfully, fans can ignore the stories ofBlack Ops 3and4going into the upcomingBlack Ops 6, withBlack Ops 2andCold Warseemingly being the most relevant games to the story ofBO6. For example,Cold War’s Russell Adler will play a pivotal role in the story ofBlack Ops 6.
Treyarch has made it clear that 2012’sBlack Ops 2holds just as much narrative importance, however, with its flashback sequences telling the story of the events betweenCold WarandBlack Ops 6. It has sadly been confirmed that this means thatAlex Mason has been killed going into the story ofBlack Ops 6, with Woods also being forced out of combat due to his disabilities inflicted by Raul Menendez.
Menendez is considered by many as one of the most iconic antagonists inCall of Dutyhistory, as his fifty-year feud with the coreBlack Opscharacters culminates with the figure attempting to stoke a global revolution. While Menendez’s conflict with the likes of Woods and Alex Mason occurred mainly in the 1980s, the villain was not fully dealt with until the year 2025. Menendez essentially worked in the shadows between these two dates, but there is still clear room for the antagonist to appear in some capacity inBlack Ops 6.
Black Ops 6 Can Flesh Out Raul Menendez’s Story Even Further
Of course, it seemsunlikely that Menendez will be the main antagonist ofBlack Ops 6due to how surprised characters were to see him resurface inBlack Ops 2, but it would be a missed opportunity not to make any reference to the figure. Woods' injuries make it clear that Menendez is canon to the story ofBlack Ops 6, and the player could stumble across references to his shady networking from the shadows during the 1990s. Alternatively, showing the moment where Woods is injured in a more modern game could be worthwhile, as newer fans may be unaware of how he lost the ability to walk. If this happens, an updated version of Menendez could appear in the flesh though a flashback sequence where Woods thinks back to what happened, clearly haunted by the trauma.
Menendez could even appear in cutscenes between the main antagonists ofBlack Ops 6, maintaining the ignorance of the main characters to his involvement while showing the player how deeply the upcoming game is linked to the story ofBlack Ops 2. Exploring suchan important era of theBlack Opstimelinewould be incomplete without nods to Raul Menendez - especially with Woods' injuries being put on clear display - andBlack Ops 6finds itself with the perfect opportunity to pay respect to such an iconic character.
