Scrapped Black Ops 1 concept shows in-match gambling feature

For many reasons, Black Ops 1 will go down as one of the best Call of Duty games of all time - not quite in the same ilk as its second series instalment and that of Modern Warfare 2, but possibly in the tier just underneath.

One of the reasons Black Ops 1 was so successful was its creativity. It broke the mould that Call of Duty had set and added a range of fun and interactive elements that complimented the core shooter experience.

But it could have been very different, as early concept art shows that an in-game betting system had been created, allowing players to place wagers on events as matches unfold.

Black Ops 1 pre-alpha leak shows in-game wager feature

Players familiar with Black Ops 1 will remember the currency method, which saw players earn money to spend in the gunsmith (then "Create a class" section), unlocking weapons, attachments, perks, and equipment every prestige.

But pre-Alpha leaks shared by "Nocturnal" on X (formerly Twitter) show that Treyarch toyed with a gambling system allowing you to place in-play bets on matches to bump your currency.

The pop-up shows a "Killstreak Bet" that allows you to bet on a teammate's performance when they are on a killstreak - wagering whether they will get the final kill needed for their attack helicopter or UAV.

This system was later scrapped and turned into Contracts, which still involved wagering currency in the hope of fulfilling certain challenges but betting on your own ability rather than outcomes that you cannot control.

The leak also shows really early assets for the formation of Nuketown, as the mannequins and their lovely houses were clearly a popular playground even before the game launched. The addition of betting would clearly be a divisive concept, but it seems most in the comments quite liked the novel approach.

One supporter cheered, "That betting idea is cool, codpoints went downhill," while another joked, "The betting system got me bricked up." A third concluded, "Dawg. Betting against players killstreaks would've been a crazy idea. Bring this back." In a franchise that has always skirted controversy, it seems full-blown betting was one step too far.