Call of Duty: Black Ops for PC will ship with dedicated server support this November, but there's a catch if you want to run your own server.
Activision and Treyarch studios announced GameServers.com will be the exclusive dedicated server provider when the game launches.
"We are extremely excited about this unprecedented relationship with Activision to offer dedicated servers exclusively for Black Ops", said GameServers CEO David Aninowsky. "We are placing a great amount of pressure on ourselves to ensure that we exceed any and all expectations."
According to GameServers' pre-order page, ranked servers will cost $14.95 a month for an 18 max player limit. Discounts are offered for monthly prepays. Unranked servers will cost $0.99 a month per player up to maximum of 24. Teamspeak support will have an additional fee. Discounts will be offered for a 3, 6, and 12 month prepay.
Treyarch Community Manager Josh Olin said this partnership will provide high-quality private servers at an affordable rate for the game and re-emphasized Treyarch-hosted dedicated servers will remain free.
"If players want to run a dedicated Ranked or Unranked server on the PC, they will have to rent one through GameServers," Olin told IGN. "Treyarch will be providing a fleet of 'Day-1 Servers' (through GameServers) which will be up and operational on November 9th.
"Nobody will have to rent a dedicated server through GameServers in order to play the game," says Olin. "But for anybody who wants to run their own server, it will be run from GameServers.com."
Olin added that this partnership adds the advantage of much more effective anti-cheating and hacking moderation.
"If you rent a server, you will still have the ability to Kick, Ban, and Configure it the way you see fit," Olin added. "Of course Ranked servers will have some set configurations that can't be messed with; but you will still have the power to administrate your servers as a customer of GameServers."
Call of Duty: Black Ops ships for PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3 on November 9.
