If you can feel a breeze, it's probably the icy winds of Treyarch and Raven Software's Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. We're just days away from the release of the "biggest" Call of Duty game ever - which is quite a feat considering the franchise has delivered game after game since 2003.

We've come a long way from the muddy trenches of World War II, but as we head into a new era of next-gen consoles, Activision is dishing up a slice of retro pie and a return to the fan-favourite Black Ops series with the long-awaited sequel to 2010's Call of Duty: Black Ops. 

• Read More: Call Of Duty's 17-Year Anniversary: A Look At The Best Moments Yet

Alongside an ambitious Multiplayer that hopes to continue our current obsession with competitive play, there's the return of Zombies, a tie-in with the ongoing Call of Duty: Warzone, and the return of some familiar faces. Activision's marketing might has gone into overdrive ahead of the game's release on November 13. Although there's plenty of hype for the title's multiplayer capabilities, let's remember a lot of us are here for the main campaign - take note Black Ops 4. 

Now, Activision has detailed who are the movers and shakers of the campaign in a lengthy Twitter thread. Don't worry, we've listed everything you need to know here. If you're ready to find out who's who, sit back and open up the classified files for Call of Duty: Black Ops: Cold War. 

Alex Mason

Born: June 3, 1933

Role: Marine, CIA Operative, and Survivor

Nationality: American

Black Ops history: 

On April 17th, 1961, a team of CIA operatives that included Alex Mason, Joseph Bowman, and Frank Woods, landed in Cuba and attempted to carry out Operation Zapata. The unfolding Bay of Pigs Invasion proved to be the perfect distraction as the Operation 40 team infiltrated Fidel Castro's compound where it's thought the leader was assassinated by Mason. 

This was the start of Mason's misfortune after he was captured by the Cuban military and handed over to Soviet General Nikita Dragovich by the "real" Castro. When thrown into the Vorkuta labour camp, Mason was brainwashed by Dragovich in an attempt to turn him into a sleeper agent. 

On October 6th, 1963 - with the help of his new friend Viktor Reznov - Mason's elaborate prison break was put into play, where he worked with Reznof to escape Vorkuta. Only a month after landing back on US soil, Mason was recruited by President John F. Kennedy to be part of Operation Flashpoint and sabotage the Soviet Space Program while also taking out Dragovich.

On November 17th, Mason, Woods, Brooks, and Bowman managed to gain access to Kazakhstan's Soviet Cosmodrome in Baikonur to rescue Special Agent Grigori Weaver and gather vital intel on Dragovich. Despite Weaver losing an eye, he was safely extracted and the group sabotaged the launch site.

Jump forward to 1968 and Mason joined the Studies and Observations Group (SOG) with hopes of uncovering covert Soviet activity taking place in Laos and Cambodia. What they found was a deadly chemical weapon called Nova 6. - created by Doctor Friedrich Steiner. Mason and Woods evaded capture, headed to Rebirth Island to take out Steiner, and were later detained by CIA Special Agent Jason Hudson.

After Mason tried to explain the harrowing experiences that led to his questioning, he and Woods raced against time to the Soviet ship Rusalka to stop the release of Nova 6 and hopefully finish Dragovich once and for all. Unfortunately, this was just the start of their journey. 

What's next in BOCW?

Mason receives an unexpected call from Hudson on January 8, 1981, who is getting the old gang back together thanks to a rendezvous with Woods in Amsterdam. The pair meet with the mysterious Russell Adler, with a reveal that a covert mission to end the Iran Hostage Crisis had exposed an even bigger threat. This new team will form the crux of Black Ops Cold War's main storyline as they face new threats and old enemies alike. 

Eleazar “Lazar” Azoulay

Born: 1948

Role: CIA Operative, formerly of Mossad

Nationality: American/Israeli

History: 

Eleazar Azoulay was born to two professors of political science at the American University in Washington, D.C. His father later took a position at the Tel Aviv School of Law and Economics, deciding to move his family to Israel. Azoulay was known for his brain and brawn as a teenager, which has also carried him through to adulthood. Natalie Pohorski, Narrative Producer, Raven Software has described him as "a protector. He might seem like a brick wall, but there’s a softer side hidden back there". 

Earning the nickname "Lazar", Azoulay returned from studying in London and joined the Israel Defense Forces. Lazar was later recruited into Israel's Mossad, where he became a dynamite force with "explosive power" and "unflappability".

Azoulay's time at Mossad was cut short when he decided to make the most of his dual citizenship and became part of the CIA as a Middle East specialist. Now (in 1981), Lazar's talents will be "pushed to their limits" when he joins Russell Adler's team. 

Frank Woods

Born: March 20, 1930

Role: US Marine, CIA Operative. Reliable, Fearless & Hard To Kill

Nationality: American

Black Ops history: 

On April 17th, 1961, Woods led the team's assassination of Castro, only to later discover the main target was a body double. Although Woods and Bowman escaped, Mason was captured by Soviet General Nikita Dragovich.

With Mason’s eventual return in October of 1963, the team got back together to execute Operation Flashpoint. Woods then led President Kennedy's order for Operation Flashpoint and successfully rescued Grigori Weaver. The team also took out several members of the Ascension Group while continuing their hunt for Dragovich. 

Woods and Mason would then meet five years later in Vietnam and teamed up with CIA Special Agent Jason Hudson on the trail of a Soviet defector who apparently knew all about Dragovich’s master plan. Woods and the rest of the Studies and Observations Group (SOG) unit ended up in Laos, but were captured before they could report back on the discovery of Nova 6 in a downed Soviet cargo plane. 

Woods, Mason, and Bowman took part in a deadly game of Russian Roulette where Bowman lost his life. With a bold escape, Woods and Mason stole a helicopter and made a last-ditch assault on Col. Lev Kravchenko’s compound. When Woods and Mason confronted Kravchenko, the Colonel and Woods fell out of a window and were presumed dead following a fiery explosion. Of course, this wasn't the end. 

What's next in BOCW?

It was over a decade later (in Turkey) that Woods learned a legendary Soviet operative known as Perseus. The character - and main antagonist of BOCW - is a literal ghost who even those within the deepest ranks of the CIA continue to deny exists. Woods finds himself on Adler's latest team and will do anything to track down Perseus. We've all heard Sgt. Frank Woods can't be killed, but is this really the case? 

Helen Park

Born: 1952

Role: MI6 Agent, Methodical and loyal — to the crown.

Nationality: British

History:

Helen Park was fast-tracked into Oxford at the age of just 16, and while working on her doctorate, had to drop out when her older brother was severely injured during an IRA car bombing in London. Park became obsessed with studying para-military organizations and decided to join MI6, where she spent several years on international assignments.

While Park was protecting two British scientists, she collaborated with the CIA on an "officially sponsored project" and first met Russell Adler. The pair have something of a frosty working relationship, and although Park is Adler's right-hand woman, she makes it clear the interests of the Crown will always come first.

Murray Kraft, Lead Writer at Raven Software said, "Park and Adler respect each other, but their partnership isn’t always pretty. She’s methodical by nature, and at times believes Adler is making snap decisions". 

• Read More: Black Ops Cold War Users Will Need Up To 250GB Of Storage

Jason Hudson

Born: March 26, 1932

Role: CIA Handler and master tactician.

Nationality: American

History with Black Ops:

On November 10th, 1963, Hudson escorted Mason to the Pentagon, where U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara briefed him ahead of a meeting with President John F. Kennedy. The orders were simple - kill Soviet General Nikita Dragovich.

It was in 1968 that Hudson joined Mason and Woods in Vietnam amid an investigation into Soviet activity nearby. In early February, Hudson was sent to Hong Kong and was asked to interrogate Dr. Daniel Clarke about his part in creating Nova 6. After "extracting" intel on Nova 6 and Nazi scientist Doctor Friedrich Steiner, Hudson's team headed to Mount Yamantau's Soviet facility on a mission to seize evidence of Nova 6. 

Hudson, CIA operatives Grigori Weaver, Terrance Brookes, and Bruce Harris infiltrated the Yamantau base, where Steiner offered up intel on Dragovich to spare his own life. On February 23th, 1968, Hudson and Weaver launched a mission to extract Steiner from Rebirth Island with Alpha Squad. Elsewhere, Mason and Viktor Reznov also arrived at the labs. Mason got there before Alpha Squad and thought Reznov killed Steiner, however, Hudson and Weaver saw a very different version of events. 

Hudson extensively grilled Mason, which eventually revealed his brainwashing at the hands of Dragovich. Hudson saw Mason as the key to tracking down Dragovich and worked with him to locate the villainous leader.

What's next in BOCW?

Hudson called former colleague Russell Adler on January 17, 1981. They have formed an "elite team of operatives" who are after Perseus. Hudson is rightly wary of Adler and his methods, but knowing he has nowhere else to turn, they must form an uneasy alliance. Hudson knows if anyone can get the job done, it's Adler. 

Lawrence Sims

Born: February 4, 1942

Role: CIA Operative. The pragmatic and sarcastic problem solver.

Nationality: American

History:

Lawrence Sims is something of an army brat considering he was born at Fort Bragg. Following the death of his father, Sims immersed himself in tech - be it military or consumer - and hoped to follow in his father's footsteps. 

He received a scholarship from the Rochester Institute of Technology and entered the Army after graduation. Serving just two years, Sims joined the ranks of the CIA and earned an impressive reputation for his "keen intelligence, pragmatism, and ability to solve intractable problems". 

Sims' first big assignment saw him play a crucial role in Adler's MACV-SOG team in Vietnam, where he had the honour of quickly becoming one of Adler's favorite recruits. As a cornerstone of Adler's teams since, he's brought up to speed and now finds himself face-to-face with Mason and Woods.

Russell Adler

Born: 1937

Role: The man you call for the most difficult assignment

Nationality: Unknown

History:

To say Adler is an enigma would be putting it lightly. Even those who've worked with him for years know little about his life between 1937 and 1966 - when he joined the CIA. In 1967, Adler was assigned to Vietnam's MACV-SOG unit and went to expose supposedly covert Soviet activity. Following the Vietnam mission, Adler vanished from official records but was associated with several clandestine operations. 

For anyone who's gotten close to Adler, they'll know he rarely smiles but keeps his "biting, dry wit". He's also known for the ability to flip between his "disarming charisma and emotionless brutality" in the blink of an eye. It seems Adler likes to intimidate those around him, however, his in-depth knowledge of covert tactics and fluency in languages including Russian and German makes him an invaluable asset. Like it or not, Adler is one of the few CIA Operatives you can constantly rely on. 

Discussing Adler and his motives, Murray Kraft, Lead Writer at Raven Software said, "Adler is a mysterious CIA operative called in for some of the most difficult assignments. He’s a black box, even to some of his closest associates". Will Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War finally lift the veil of secrecy? 

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