Black Ops 2 is available for pre-order right now, but it’s not supposed to be “for sale,” as in shippable, until November 13th. A recent screenshot of Bazos.sk shows an active listing for Black Ops 2, however. The game has been available on that site since October 27th. The version in question seems to be the Black Ops 2 Hardened Edition for PS3. This kind of situation is pretty common with video game releases, but so far Activision hasn’t said anything or done anything about the mistake.

You don’t need to wait until November 13th to order the game (whether you’re in Slovakia or not), though you do need to wait until November 13th to receive it. The only ways you can get the game on November 13th instead of waiting on your shipment is to order it before that date. Pre-ordering ensures you get your copy on release day and not a day after, but there are other cool benefits too, like the Nuketown 2025 bonus map. If you spend a little extra, you can get the Black Ops 2 Hardened Edition, which includes even more fun bonuses including exclusive DLC. DLC is part of the full Call of Duty experience, so it’s well worth spending a little extra.

A Reddit user with the screen name OMGitsAlia recently leaked a screenshot of the Black Ops 2 zombies mode menu. While some of the settings we saw are self-explanatory and very simple, others are interesting. The first setting is for a difficulty level, and the next is for the starting round (you’re allowed to skip the easier rounds and go straight for the intense action if you want). There’s also an entry for headshots only, which you can enable or disable.

The most peculiar setting is the one which says “Magic,” and which can be turned on or off. While this entry may seem odd at first, we have a pretty strong guess as to what it’s all about. David Vonderhaar over at Treyarch has mentioned “Wonder Weapons” which can be enabled or disabled. We’re guessing the “Magic” setting in the menu is exactly where you can do that. If you turn it on, those weapons will show up on the map and you can use them against the zombies. If you turn it off, the weapons will not appear and you’ll need to use more conventional means to fight the zombies. It could refer to something else, perhaps something which is perk-related, but this explanation seems most logical given the information we already have.

Black Ops 2 will include three different zombies modes. One is a pretty straightforward mode with smaller maps, another involves two teams of players facing off against each and sending zombies against each other, and the third mode is the much anticipated TranZit, which places players in a huge open world. The “Magic” setting probably refers to TranZit mode, where Vonderhaar mentioned that the “Wonder Weapons” would appear. Black Ops 2 comes out on November 13th; that’s just two weeks away, so get those pre-orders in!

As a last-minute incentive (okay, you still have a couple of weeks left, but that’s going to fly by), Amazon has upgraded the bonuses which are included with pre-orders of Call of Duty: Black Ops 2. Along with the free Nuketown 2025 bonus map and access to Double XP Weekend, you’ll get several exclusive Amazon perks. For starters, there’s the Amazon Exclusive Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 Wallpaper. But the most exciting feature is the Amazon Exclusive Kindle backstory Rightful King, which will let you in on more information about the game’s villain, Raul Menendez. You’ll receive access to all your bonuses shortly after your order ships.

Black Ops 2 will be released for PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on November 13th. The game will come out five days later in North America for Wii U, and will come out at the end of the month for Wii U in the rest of the world. When you pre-order, you’ll receive your copy on November 13th or November 20th depending on your platform—no wait time!

The first aspect of Black Ops 2 we found out about was the single-player campaign mode. While there was a lot of really cool news about this game mode, with all the news about multiplayer and zombies in recent months, the single-player mode has been kind of swept under the rug by fans and critics. In a couple of weeks though we’re going to have the chance to experience it first hand, so it seems well worth doing a quick review of what we can expect.

Composer Jack Wall, who did the music for the game, has explained the importance of the single-player game mode. “The story surrounding the single-player campaign was of paramount importance to the developers at Treyarch. I think fans will really appreciate how deep the story is in Call of Duty: Black Ops 2.”

The storyline for Black Ops 2 will have connections to the story for the first Black Ops game, including segments which take place in the 1970s and 1980s. The majority of the story will be set in the year 2025, making this the first Call of Duty game ever to take place in the future. The near future setting allowed Treyarch to introduce us to all kinds of cool new technology including quadrotor UAVs, weapons that can fire through concrete walls (and see through them too) and the defensive Guardian tower. Since the year 2025 isn’t that far away, the “modern warfare” aspect of Call of Duty still forms the framework for the game, and combat stays realistic and familiar with a “real world” edge.

Several months ago, we all assumed that the connection between the different eras in the single-player campaign mode was going to involve playable flashbacks, but judging from recent evidence, the transitions may actually involve time travel. Together with the zombies, this would be one of the major science fiction elements in the game.

Black Ops 2 is going to feature branching storylines. This above all is the development team’s answer to charges that the single-player campaign mode is outmoded and no longer applicable to their franchise. While the multiplayer part of the game is undeniably the most important component with the most value over the long term, Treyarch has definitely come up with a great way to enliven the single-player campaign and add replay value. If you vary your decisions throughout the game (tactical decisions and otherwise), you may find that events play out completely differently the second time around than they did the first time. So while it may only be a matter of hours before you finish the campaign the first time, you can then play it again and again before you’ve experienced all the material.

The other purpose for the branching storylines is to get players more emotionally invested in the storyline. Treyarch enlisted the talents of screenwriter David S. Goyer (The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises) to bring his genius to play in Black Ops 2. Goyer helped to develop the game’s compelling villain, Raul Menendez, and the complex storyline which players can interact with during their FPS journey.

The multiplayer and zombies modes of Black Ops 2 are very exciting, but we haven’t forgotten about the single-player campaign mode—just one more aspect of Black Ops 2 that is going to make it one of the most outstanding games of the year, and probably the most compelling Call of Duty game to date. The game comes out on November 13th. That means that there’s still a little time left to pre-order, but that time is running out quickly!

If you’ve noticed that Activision’s Call of Duty servers seem to be experiencing technical difficulties, you can blame it on the weather. Like many other major businesses, Activision has severs in New York City. The server issues are having a negative effect on all the Call of Duty Games including Modern Warfare 2 and Modern Warfare 3 and World at War.

“As you are probably well aware, Hurricane Sandy is teaching the east coast a whole new definition of the phrase “disruptive change.” New York was hit very hard by the storm; flights are grounded, trains are not running, and as an ex-New Yorker myself, I find it hard to comprehend these images of subways full of water,” stated Activisoin spokesman Dan Amrich. “Activision is working on restoring full functionality as soon as possible, but I don’t know when that will be. Your patience while they deal with the storm’s effects is appreciated.”

So hang in there; hopefully the server issue will be taken care of before the November 13 release of Call of Duty: Black Ops 2. It’s been a major natural disaster, and it’s not Activision’s fault. A lot of people are without power or transportation, which is going to make it a challenge for New Yorkers to get back on their feet.

Speaking of service issues, the Favela map is back up online for Modern Warfare 2 and 3 players. The map was removed earlier this month after complaints were received from Muslim gamers who were offended by a picture frame in a bathroom which included some religious text. Activision apologized and pulled down the map, Infinity Ward changed the texture in the bathroom, and now the map is back up online.

There are going to be a ton of major changes in the way that perks and other elements of multiplayer gameplay work in Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, but one of the biggest changes recently announced concerns the Ghost perk. Previously, the Ghost perk provided pretty comprehensive concealment, but this time it will conceal you only from enemy UAVs. Not only will enemy players be able to see you, but also other enemy scorestreaks. This includes attack dogs and other AI devices and the like.

The other change in the Ghost perk will involve movement. If you’re sitting still, you won’t be invisible to the enemy UAVs. Only if you’re actually on the move will you be invisible. The moment you stop running, a red dot will register on the enemy UAV radar and the enemy players will be able to see you on their maps. The point of this change is of course to try and deter camping. There will be some exceptions, for example if you stop to plant a bomb or defuse one. Since you’re actively doing something (not just camping and waiting), the perk will still keep you off the radar. Once you’re done, if you continue to just sit there, you’ll become visible on the radar once again. If you have certain other scorestreaks active, your invisibility will remain in effect as well (these include the Lodestar, the Dragonfire, RC-XD, the AGR and the VTOL Warship).

The Ghost perk change is just one of many ways in which Treyarch is working on creating a more balanced game which is fun for everyone. Many player complaints over the years have involved camping, so hopefully this will be a less camper-friendly installment of COD. Black Ops 2 will be coming out in under a month on November 13th, so don’t forget to pre-order while there’s still time.

With Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 coming out on November 13th, Activision has just announced the Season Pass. The Season Pass is a great way you can save money enjoying new downloadable content. There will be four DLC map packs; if you buy the Season Pass instead of purchasing each one individually, you’ll be able to get $10.00 off the content. The current suggested retail price for the Season Pass is $49.99. The content should start coming out at the start of 2013. The seasonal DLC is half the fun of Black Ops 2’s multiplayer mode, so this is definitely something to budget for in the next couple of months.

Meanwhile, you can pre-order Black Ops 2 right now—there’s no reason to wait. Pre-ordering will only be available a little while longer since the game is coming out in less than a month. Pre-ordering ensures that you’ll be playing the game when it comes out and not standing around in line at your local video game store! You’ll also receive special pre-order bonuses like the Nuketown 2025 map as part of your purchase. If you buy the Hardened Edition, you’ll get even more fun bonuses. See you on the battlefield on November 13th.