Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 already sounds better than its predecessor thanks to this decision
It seems like the series might finally return to its roots
🙏 Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 will move away from over-the-top cosmetics and bizarre crossovers, focusing on a more grounded and authentic experience
👍 The developers aim to return to the series' roots, emphasizing immersive, intense, and visceral gameplay
👋 Operator skins and weapons from Black Ops 6 will not carry over to Black Ops 7, but XP Tokens and GobbleGums will
🔒 New anti-cheat measures, including RICOCHET tools and Secure Boot/TPM 2.0 on PC, will enhance gameplay integrity.
It's fair to say that Call of Duty has suffered an identity crisis in recent years. Following in the footsteps of Fortnite and other live service titles, the popular first-person shooter has embraced almost every crossover available, no matter how ridiculous it was.
However, after a growing wave of criticism, the developers have vowed that Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 will ditch the over-the-top cosmetics and bizarre collaborations. That means no Seth Rogan, Beavis & Butthead, or American Dad.
In a statement on the official Call of Duty blog, the dev team said:
"We know there’s been a lot of conversation recently about the identity of Call of Duty. Some of you have said we’ve drifted from what made Call of Duty unique in the first place: immersive, intense, visceral and grounded.
"That feedback hits home, and we take it seriously.
"Carry Forward Update: Operator skins and weapons from BO6 will no longer carry forward to BO7 (but still work in Warzone). XP Tokens & GobbleGums will continue carry over. Fighting Cheaters: RICOCHET is adding new detection tools + Secure Boot/TPM 2.0 on PC to stop cheaters earlier."
Under the heading "Your feedback matters", the team also said: "In Black Ops 7, bundles and items will be crafted to fit the Black Ops identity. We hear the feedback. We need to deliver a better balance toward the immersive, core Call of Duty experience."
It's pleasing that Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 won't follow the same off-kilter direction as previous games. It will hopefully deliver a more authentic experience that the series has become so renowned for and which players clearly crave.
With fresh competition from Battlefield 6 to contend with this year, Activision will want to ensure that Call of Duty remains the king of FPS games in 2025 and in the years to come.
Adam Vjestica is The Shortcut’s Senior Editor. Formerly TechRadar’s Gaming Hardware Editor, Adam has also worked at Nintendo of Europe as a Content Marketing Editor, where he helped launch the Nintendo Switch. Follow him on X @ItsMrProducts.