Exoskeleton

"This toolbox that the Exoskeleton brings to you as the player, redefines how you're going to play Call of Duty."

— Michael Condrey

Exoskeletons, or Exo Suits, are a gameplay mechanic introduced in Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare and play a background role in Call of Duty: Black Ops III.

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare

Featured in the campaign, multiplayer, Exo Survival and Exo Zombies, the Exoskeleton is capable of increasing many of the player's physical abilities, allowing for increased movement and speed, as well as tactical purposes. The Exoskeleton changes gameplay heavily, allowing for a wide variety of options as to how missions are completed, as well as general physical freedom within the game world.

Exoskeletons are equipped with numerous abilities, allowing for various tactical attacks as well as strategical superiority among other players. Some enemies, referred to as "Boosters", are known to use Exoskeletons in the same way that players can, such as dashing, leaping great distances, and cloaking.

At the time of Advanced Warfare, Atlas is in the midst of developing a next-generation version of the exoskeleton, the XOS-9. This model is shown to be far more physically ergonomic with an overall slimmer model, allowing for even more flexibility in combat.

As an April Fool's joke, when the player used any Exo movements, such as the Boost Jump, Boost Slide, Boost Dodge, or Boost Dash, the player would make a clown horn noise. It was later removed.

Abilities

• Stim: Allows the player to temporarily boost their health, allowing for a higher chance of survival as well as quick recovery.
• Overclock: Allows for increased sprint for a brief period.
• Shield: Deploys a wrist-mounted riot shield that momentarily blocks enemy fire.
• Cloak: Enables temporary invisibility, similar to Optical Camouflage.
• Hover: Jets stabilize the player in a single position for a brief moment, allowing for area coverage.
• Trophy System: The suit activates a type of force field, allowing for instant deflection and detonation of two enemy projectiles.
• Mute: Works like Dead Silence from previous Call of Duty games. Works for about 10 seconds, and makes the player completely silent.

Campaign

Assault exo abilities

• Boost Jump (always equipped to the assault exo type)
• Sonics (always on the assault type)
• Land Assist

Specialist exo abilities

• Shield (always on the specialist)
• Overdrive (always on the specialist)
• Cloak

Both assault and specialist

• Stim
• Mag Gloves
• Grappling Hook

Exo Zombies

In Exo Zombies, the player starts with no Exoskeleton, and must acquire it from the central part of the maps. Obtaining it allows the player to use the exoskeleton movements, and additionally obtain the Exo Upgrades. Players that die will have to recover it again from the Exo Stations. Players must obtain Exo Slam, however, in order to use the slamming ability.

Gallery

A soldier equipped with an Exosuit during combat.

Back view.

Gideon scaling a wall with the Mag Gloves.

Back view of the multiplayer Exo Suit, note the 'backpack' unseen in the campaign.

Exoskeletons lined up along a wall.

Concept art.

More concept art.

Call of Duty: Black Ops III

The exoskeleton returns in Call of Duty: Black Ops III, but is heavily changed. Instead of simple boost jumping, players can hover in the air for several seconds using their "thrusters" in multiplayer, Free Run and Combat Immersion, as well as campaign if the player has the Traversal Enhancement tactical rig upgraded. Players can also wall run in all modes, allowing players to run along certain flat walls and other surfaces. Players can also run up walls, allowing them to get up to high surfaces when the thrusters are not available (like in the campaign, for example).

Besides these new features, certain exo suits, such as those used by Warlords, increase the exo suit user's health and physical strength; for example, the exo suit allows Warlords to wield their light machine guns with one hand.