Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 just gave us an in-depth look at the game during Gamescom 2025 – here’s everything we know about the upcoming sci-fi shooter.
Another year, another Call of Duty, and this year, we’re back with another instalment in the Black Ops series.
We’re now seven games deep into the Call of Duty: Black Ops franchise, so it’s hard to imagine what the team can do next to really “wow” us.
That’s not stopping the team from trying at least, as developer Treyarch is looking to flip the formula on its head this time around. Not only is the story campaign borrowing elements from zombies, but it’s looking to bring psychedelic sci-fi horror to the franchise.
Given that we’re seven games into the franchise, following the campaign at this point should feel as anti-beginner-friendly as possible. However, the devs promise that won’t be the case. While the campaign will be shaped by previous decisions in Black Ops 2 and Black Ops 6, Treyarch’s own Miles Leslie has shared that players won’t need to do any homework to understand what’s happening in this game.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 will release on November 14 on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S | X and Windows PC. While there won’t be a Nintendo Switch 2 version on release, the developers have said one will be released eventually.
What is Call of Duty’s Black Ops 7 campaign about?
From the story trailers we’ve seen so far, Treyarch looks to be veering the story into a more “mind-bending” direction.
The game will have you play as both David “Section” Mason (played by Milo Ventimiglia) and Mike Harper (Michael Rooker), as you embark on a globe-trotting pursuit of the series long-time antagonist Raul Menendez. Along the way, he’ll spray you with this Scarecrow-like toxin, inducing shared horrific hallucinations, which will serve as setpieces for the game’s campaign.
Jon Zuk, creative director at Raven, shared that the campaign will “blur the line between reality, memories and hallucinations” to keep fans guessing along the way.
So far, we’ve seen locations like Nicaragua, Los Angeles and Tokyo appear in trailers, in addition to the original setting of Avalon.
Actress Kiernan Shipka will also play a prominent role in the story, serving as a morally grey foil to the team throughout the story.
Black Ops Endgame
Unlike previous Call of Duty games, Black Ops 7 will have an endgame experience, which will let players replay levels with bonus features. Both Activision and Treyarch have described it as a “replayable experience that breaks the rules of what you thought a Call of Duty campaign can be.”
Details are still a bit sparse, but from what we’ve seen from trailers and interviews, the Endgame experience is looking to provide an entirely new multiplayer experience for players.
The mode has been confirmed to bring global progression to the game’s campaign in addition to multiplayer and zombies. That’s right, you can replay these story missions to level up your progression and unlock new load-outs. Which sounds pretty neat and like a fun training ground to experiment with different builds in a sweat-free environment.
Some have been comparing this feature to Bungie’s Destiny, which places players into a queue to shoot their way through a variety of story missions.
Of course, the new mode will also feature new abilities to unlock, like a mega jump which can soar you to new locations and vantage points. You can also pick up a grappling hook for some fresh traversal options, a deployable shield for extra cover, or some deployable drones for additional firepower.
The mode will have daily and weekly challenges in addition to seasonal events to add some extra incentive to join in. These will give exclusive attachments and camos, so if you’re a cosmetic-head, it seems like you won’t be able to give this mode a miss.
Multiplayer additions and changes
Multiplayer is CoD’s bread and butter, but there are still some interesting shake-ups for this year’s iteration.
Thanks to its futuristic setting, there will be a slew of new and returning sci-fi weapons to the mode. The developers have shared that at least thirty weapons will be available at launch, with 16 of these being entirely new to the franchise.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 will also introduce a new Overclock system for Scorestreaks, field upgrades, and lethal tactical equipment. This should introduce some new and useful features to combat tools. Some of these include the famous RC car that delivers explosives to enemies, a sniper rifle that can see through walls, and a remote attack robot.
Omnimovement is also back for the game. You read that right, wall runs, combat walls, and the ability to move while mounted are all back. However, there are some shake-ups for balance reasons. Tactical sprint is gone, and you won’t be able to aim down sights while sliding.
A new mode will also be introduced to the game. Skirmish is a new 20 vs. 20 mode that features objective-based gameplay, incorporating abilities from Endgame mode, such as wingsuiting, grappling hooks, and vehicles for combat.
More Zombies galore
Zombies have been a staple of the Black Ops franchise and have been the darling of every release since its inception.
In Black Ops 7, Treyarch have shared that the round-based gameplay is set to return. The developer has also told fans to expect “the biggest Black Ops Zombies map ever”, which will feature vehicles players can drive around in.
The game will also feature previous Black Ops 2 survival maps, as well as a variety of new locations. Fans who have been following the story of Zombies will also get its next chapter as the crew from Black Ops 6 will return alongside alternate versions of the series’ previous protagonists Richtofen, Nikolai, Takeo, and Dempsey.
We’ll get a better look at what’s in store for Call of Duty: Next on September 30.
For fans eager to play the game sooner rather than later, Activision has confirmed that an open beta will be available starting October 2 and will run until the end of the month. Game Pass subscribers will also be eligible for early access ahead of its November release.
You can watch a 17 minute mini-documentary about the game below.
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