Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is officially coming out this fall, just a year after Black Ops 6 hit shelves. This has been a yearly game for a very long time, so it’s not surprising that there’s another one so soon after. What is surprising is that it’s also a Black Ops game.
The Black Ops series began in 2010. Since then, there has not been an instance of back-to-back Call of Duty titles being in the series. Every single one has been broken up by a Modern Warfare game or something else. This marks a first for the decades-old franchise.
Black Ops 6 was seen as a welcome return to form for the Call of Duty franchise after a run of poorly-received titles. Activision went a very long time between games that fans and critics could all agree was solid.
However, the interest quickly faded. Black Ops 6‘s momentum is all but done now, and the player base has taken a dive despite it being available for free on Game Pass. If Call of Duty wants to avoid that fate again, here’s what it needs to do with Black Ops 7.
Bring Back Classic Zombies
While multiplayer servers come and go, and campaigns are limited, Zombies mode has been a throughline for Call of Duty players. It’s the one thing they can go back to no matter how old the game is. Players in 2025 are still revisiting Black Ops II and Black Ops III for the Zombies.
It’s unlikely that Black Ops 6 is going to get that same treatment because the developers overhauled the game mode. They did make it a little bit easier, but there’s just too much going on. Citadelle des Morts is one of the best maps the franchise has had, but it’s bogged down by the gameplay. Bringing back round-based was huge, but they need to take it (back in time) a step further.
There’s no reason that there needs to be augments for perks. Players don’t need to have armor, either. Starting with a weapon with attachments on takes away part of the fun. Put Zombies back like it was in the prime Black Ops through Black Ops III days, maybe even with new movement and some other slight tweaks, and the players won’t abandon the game as quickly.
Stay Consistent with the Campaign
One thing that Black Ops 6 did have going for it was its campaign. It was brilliant, a really welcome return to form for a game franchise that had been lacking in storytelling for years, lest we forget the infamous Modern Warfare III campaign. Having a good story to play through was crucial.
Of course, the campaign is only for a short amount of time, and it’s not as replayable as other game modes. But if the campaign suffers this time around, it’s going to seem like Black Ops 6 was a fluke, and players will begin losing even more steam with the overall franchise.
Furthermore, the developers are playing with fire by connecting back to the Black Ops II storyline. By bringing back characters from that and theoretically continuing where it left off, Call of Duty is taking a risk. The BO2 campaign is one of the best in the series, and Activision cannot afford to tarnish that legacy.
Get More Original in Multiplayer
Multiplayer is the moneymaker for Call of Duty every year. If the multiplayer is good, the game tends to perform better than when it’s not. The other modes matter, but they’re just not quite as popular. That’s why the multiplayer in Black Ops 7 has to be good. It’s the lifeblood of the entire franchise and really always has been.
Black Ops 6‘s multiplayer was good, though it wasn’t great. It was a step in the right direction, reaffirming that the series was still capable of providing that level of fun. They obviously need to continue with the sequel, but they also need to be a little more original.
Several of the Black Ops 6 maps felt heavily inspired by previous maps in the franchise. That nostalgia and callback method might work once, but it will get repetitive quickly. Make new maps that stand on their own this time, and players should reward the developers. Of course, the maps have to be good, but they also need to be original and unique.
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