Black Ops Introduces Offline Multiplayer — I.e. "Combat Training"

Offline multiplayer matches against AI opponents will be a feature of Call of Duty: Black Ops, a mode the game’s studio built to include gamers who are disinclined to spend much time in the game’s notoriously challenging online multiplayer culture.

Saying there is a large segment of the Call of Duty community that never takes the game online, offline multiplayer is meant to acclimate new players to the maps and match structure of online play, while still serving as a useful practice for mid-level or veteran players.

Combat Training will be a “complete standalone experience,” said Mark Lamia, CEO of Treyarch, the studio designing the game. It will have its own progression system.