I figured that we wouldn't see Microsoft and Xbox announce the next Call of Duty game until the big upcoming Xbox Games Showcase on June 7, but it and developer Infinity Ward decided to go ahead and reveal it a week and a half before the presentation. Indeed, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 has officially been unveiled, and is headed to Xbox, Windows PC, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch 2 on October 23 later this year.

Ahead of its announcement, we knew the game wasn't going to be released on PS4 from an official confirmation of that on social media, and most guessed that Modern Warfare 4 wouldn't be on Xbox One either since it's a last-gen system too — a prediction that turned out to be true.

Something a bit more surprising, though, is the news that Call of Duty: Warzone — the standalone free-to-play battle royale experience that's been a mainstay of the shooter franchise since 2020 — is being sunset from Xbox One and PS4 consoles with the arrival of Modern Warfare 4.

The Call of Duty team announced this near the end of its Modern Warfare 4 reveal blog, noting that Warzone will be gradually phased out on last-gen platforms until the new game's release and the start of Season 1, at which point Modern Warfare 4's content and progression will be integrated into Warzone and the battle royale will be fully taken off Xbox One and PS4.

Something important to note is that while existing Warzone players will have access to the experience until Modern Warfare 4 comes out on October 23, the ability to download and install Warzone on Xbox One and PS4 is going away next week on June 4.

That means you only have a few days to pick Warzone up before it's delisted from storefronts if you're using one of these systems and want to be able to enjoy it for the last few months it's playable on last-gen consoles. If that's you, I recommend doing this right away so you don't forget.

Once Warzone is no longer playable on Xbox One and PS4, you won't be able to purchase the Call of Duty Points microtransaction currency on those platforms. Additionally, from June 25 onwards, Warzone's in-game store will be removed from last-gen versions of the game. You'll still be able to progress through free Battle Pass tiers, though.

Ultimately, this is disappointing news if you're still playing on one of these consoles, but they're now 13 years old now, and I have no doubt that their limited capabilities were holding back the scope of Call of Duty content. Therefore, I'm glad to see that the series is finally moving past them, though I do sympathize with folks that haven't been able to afford or find Xbox Series X|S or PS5 systems.

Frankly, it's never been easy to do, and has only gotten more difficult with the ongoing RAM crisis. Here's hoping that mess ends as soon as it can, even if current projections suggest we'll be dealing with it for another year or two.

Are you still using a last-gen console to play Call of Duty: Warzone? I'm curious to hear from you, so let me know in the comments and vote in our poll.

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We're at that time again, almost. The mid-season refresh for Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 and Warzone is upon us, and it's wheeling in another ridiculous pile of content for us to play.

Releasing on April 30, Season 03 Reloaded will deliver new events, new weapons, and new maps, with something for everyone to enjoy, be it in Endgame, Multiplayer, Zombies, or Warzone.

Better yet, Endgame's free to play time has been extended, so if you've been taking advantage of that, you can carry on for a while longer. Here are the highlights of what we can expect.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Endgame content in Season 03 Reloaded

Endgame is one of the surprise hits of Black Ops 7, and probably the mode I've enjoyed playing the most. So I'm very pleased to see the content continue to flow.

Here's an overview of what to expect with Season 03 Reloaded:

• Operation Broken Mirror: Operations deepen with the introduction of Act II: Operation Broken Mirror, introducing new challenges, rewards, and the Virus Injection Glitch.
• Complete the Operation with Vermaak, Zaveri, or Jurado to earn a new Weapon Camo, and with all three to access a new Animated Weapon Camo. Other rewards include Charms, Loading Screens, XP Tokens, Emblems, Decals, and Weapon Blueprints.
• New Major Ability: Set enemies aflame with the new Thermal Spike Major Ability, punishing foes caught in the path of fire.
• New Activity: Face a new boss, the Mega Abomination, that spawns in Nightmare Zones once the Guild Strike has been eliminated. It guarantees an Exotic Weapon drop upon completion.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Multiplayer content in Season 03 Reloaded

As the core experience for many Black Ops 7 players, Multiplayer is naturally getting plenty of new things to play.

Here are the highlights:

• Maps: New 6v6 and 2v2 map, Onsen, the return of Hacienda, and the remastered map, Summit.
• Freerun mode: Freerun: Put your movement skills to the ultimate test as The Guild recruits volunteers for a new training program. Compete against fellow Operators through 10 different zones of dexterity and marksmanship to see who can get the best time and earn rewards for completing objectives.
• Additional new modes: Heat Wave Havoc and Freeze Tag.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Zombies content in Season 03 Reloaded

The big news for Black Ops 7 Zombies players is the release of another big map, with Totenreich making its debut in Season 03 Reloaded.

As with the previous map releases, there will be a new easter egg, Cursed Mode available upon its completion, a new type of enemy, and a new Wonder Weapon, the Jotunn Star.

Additionally, there is the new Flammenfalle Trap, four new major and minor augements, and a new Field Upgrade, the Wild Fire.

Call of Duty: Warzone content in Season 03 Reloaded

The free-to-play Warzone is also getting its own batch of fresh content to play with Season 03 Reloaded.

• Black Ops Royale New LTM: Engage in a high-speed chase of Police vs. Thieves in Hot Pursuit, a new limited-time mode testing your driving skills throughout Avalon.
• Prop Hunt Royale: The party mode arrives as 24v24 on Rebirth Island, featuring over a dozen prop types to help players blend in with the environment.
• Spikes: Available from Buy Stations, Spikes will give players improved combat capabilities, including Armor Salvaging, Prone Firing, and Handicraft.
• Cluster Grenades: Added to Battle Royale and Resurgence modes.

On top of all of this, there will be a new Special class weapon, the Siren, and a new Melee class weapon, the Katana.

A mid-season refresh wouldn't be complete without an event, either, and this time around it's a collaboration with the RoboCop franchise.

"Part man. Part machine. All Operator. RoboCop doles out justice with the RoboCop Event Pass arriving in Season 03’s Mid-Season. Unlock limited-time rewards by earning XP in any mode. Serve the public trust with the new Siren Special Weapon plus additional Operator Skins, Weapon Blueprints, and more items inspired by the RoboCop film franchise."

As with other collaboration events, there will be a free rewards track and a premium rewards track, so, you know, if you love RoboCop, there will be plenty to get your hands on.

This is but a brief highlight of everything on offer in Season 03 Reloaded, so for the complete rundown, be sure to check out the full Call of Duty blog post.

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Let me start by saying I play a lot of Call of Duty. I've been here since the beginning, and since the release of Black Ops 6 (according to the Xbox app), I've spent over 54 days of my life on it.

I also like Black Ops 7, even if I'm taking a little burnout-induced break right now. But following the news that future Call of Duty games won't be added to Xbox Game Pass, I feel like a lingering opinion of mine is being solidified.

Microsoft doesn't know what to do with Call of Duty. I'm not sure that taking it out of Game Pass in a year when we're still expecting to see GTA 6 is the smart play, either.

Xbox Game Pass helped Black Ops 6 to the biggest launch in Call of Duty history

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 was the first new game in the franchise to launch day one in Xbox Game Pass following Microsoft's acquisition.

It was an immediate success. Well, that doesn't really describe it properly. Black Ops 6 was the most successful launch in Call of Duty history. Number one for total players, hours played, and total matches.

Game Pass, of course, wasn't the only reason for all of this. After a couple of frustrating years of Modern Warfare releases, going back to Black Ops definitely helped get players more interested again.

Black Ops 7 didn't fare so well but hardly terrible in the grand scheme of things. It also launched day one, before the round of Game Pass changes that both increased the price and restricted Call of Duty to the most expensive tiers.

Microsoft obviously wants to make a ton of money from Call of Duty, and putting up the price to play on Game Pass was obviously a step to try and recoup that not made from people paying full price for the game. It was reported that the company 'lost' $300 million in revenue.

Yes, it's a business. But Microsoft seems to be hell-bent on continuing to extract the most revenue without actually doing anything about the game. Surely attracting more players should be the priority?

Call of Duty should be a DRAW to Xbox Game Pass

There's still much negativity overall around Call of Duty. Warzone is still pretty painful (Black Ops Royale aside), the constant battle with cheaters never truly goes away, players are fatigued, and above all, I don't think it's a franchise set up for player enjoyment as the primary goal.

Call of Duty feels like it's built to extract every last dollar from its players. The Game Pass experiment has failed in that regard, and so we're back to paying full price.

But for players, we've now lost the easy way to even try the new Call of Duty. Let's face it, with all the negativity out there online, there's got to be a sizeable chunk of players who won't want to part with $80 in the hope that it's fun to play. Call of Duty should be a flagship for Game Pass, something to draw people in.

The Game Pass price cut is a win, sure, but it's also a cut to the quality of the service. People who don't play Call of Duty win, hands down; those of us who do, well, we win a little less.

Now, we'll only get Call of Duty when nobody cares about it. When a new game drops, nobody's going to invest in the old one, are they? And that includes the developers, because new content stops when a new game drops.

Is Modern Warfare 4 going to be good enough to drop out of Game Pass and take on GTA 6?

Here's another thing that looks concerning to me: the timing. This year has a Godzilla-sized monster looming large: GTA 6.

Without Game Pass, Microsoft is now willing to take on Rockstar's goliath head-on in pursuit of both your money and your attention with (the rumored) Modern Warfare 4.

Yeah. Doesn't sound great when you say it. They're different types of game, but GTA 6 isn't just any old game. Rockstar's track record for dropping epics speaks for itself.

By contrast, is Modern Warfare 4 even going to be a good Call of Duty? The trouble is that the franchise looks like remaining on the same path under Microsoft ownership. It's treated like a free-to-play game (yes, Warzone is free-to-play.)

Different players will have different opinions on how they think it should be improved, and I've written in the past about how I think Call of Duty needs to stop being a yearly release.

While I've enjoyed Black Ops 7 myself, I'm a realist, and I appreciate the frustrations of the community. The live service model requires your constant attention, but in many cases, those games aren't $80 plus the additional purchases.

Playing Call of Duty is expensive, and unless something happens in the future, I don't think Game Pass is going to be why revenue continues to drop. Microsoft really does need to figure out what it wants to do with one of gaming's biggest hitters.

Ultimately the Game Pass price cut isn't really a price cut, because Microsoft has made the service worse in the process. There's a bigger discussion to be had about it, like do players really want Fortnite Crew, or other add-ons, in place of big-name day-one releases?

But specifically to Call of Duty, what exactly does the future look like? I don't think Microsoft knows, and I'm not sure the leadership is taking enough of an active role in its development to actually figure it out.

What we need is some clear direction. Messaging from the top that's going to get players excited again and engagement with the people that will truly help get it back to its glory days.

My biggest worry is that it's going to keep going down the road of "how do we make more money" rather than "how do we make it a better game." Microsoft needs to figure it out and make that call.

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The cat is officially out of the bag. After Fanta-inspired Halo bottles had already been spotted around the world, Xbox Wire has now officially unveiled the partnership, featuring rewards for the following games:

• Halo: Campaign Evolved
• World of Warcraft
• Call of Duty: Warzone
• Call of Duty: Black Ops 7
• Diablo 4
• Forza Horizon 6

There are also prizes up for grabs, so let’s go over everything included in this partnership, what can be won, and what can be redeemed for each game.

What’s included in the Xbox x Fanta collaboration

Forgive me for prioritizing Halo here, it is my favorite franchise, so I’ll start there. First off, we have a redeemable skin for Halo: Campaign Evolved, giving Master Chief’s Mark V armor a Fanta-inspired color scheme.

Next up is World of Warcraft, which features “Fantastical Goblin Waveshredder Mount and more WoW rewards.” Then there’s Call of Duty: Warzone and Black Ops 7, which will include a Fanta-inspired calling card alongside double XP tokens.

For Diablo 4, players can redeem a “Citron Whirl Town Portal,” while Forza Horizon 6 players can get a “1966 Toyota Sports 800 Fanta Edition.”

We're playing co-op with Fanta! Get your hands on the most delicious rewards starting April 6 💥

— @xbox.com (@xbox.com.bsky.social) 2026-03-31T16:21:21.234Z

That’s not all, either. Xbox Wire also outlines a broader partnership, including an immersive Diablo 4 experience in Los Angeles from May 22 to May 25, 2026, in the AMC at The Grove.

Those attending will have the chance to win tickets to BlizzCon, an Xbox Series S, Xbox wireless controllers, an Xbox Ally, and downloadable game codes.

The promotion starts April 6, 2026, where fans can scan QR codes provided on Fanta bottles and cans to unlock rewards for games.

Rewards for certain games are only redeemable once the game has released.

What do you think of Xbox's partnership with Fanta?

It’s great to see Xbox dip its toes into marketing for a change. That said, I do hope this isn’t all it has planned for its 25th anniversary, and that we see something a bit more tangible.

Give me a crashed UNSC Pelican in Times Square or something that really grabs attention.

At least, that’s my hope. But over to you, is this a step in the right direction, or does Xbox need to ramp things up even more?

Let me know in the comments and be sure to take part in the poll below:

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Call of Duty: Black Ops 7's Endgame mode is being shifted to Warzone and going free-to-play for a limited time starting April 2 with the launch of Call of Duty's Season 3 content.

Call of Duty: Warzone's newest big map, Avalon, originally got its start as the setting for the campaign's 4-player PvE Endgame mode. Despite being available at launch, Endgame was originally locked away behind a requirement to finish Black Ops 7's 4-player coop campaign and was only accessible via the campaign chapter select menu.

Unfortunately, campaigns in Call of Duty are often the least played and completed aspect of the game. The Xbox app shows that only 0.84% of players who have launched Call of Duty have unlocked the achievement for completing the Black Ops 7 campaign with at least one coop partner at the time of writing.

Treyarch eventually decided to remove that barrier to entry for Endgame, allowing any Call of Duty player to jump into Avalon and the PvE experience without having first to complete the campaign. However, players still needed to own Black Ops 7 or have an active Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription to play Endgame.

With Season 2 Reloaded, the Endgame map — Avalon — joined the Call of Duty: Warzone map rotation in the newest Black Ops Royale mode. Player response to the map was overwhelmingly positive. Treyarch has now announced that Endgame access will be added to the free-to-play Call of Duty: Warzone menu for a limited time, allowing more players to experience the mode for the first time.

Season 3 changes to combat rating and loadouts coming April 2

Along with the launch of Endgame as a limited-time free-to-play mode, Season 3 brings fresh new content to Avalon for players to experience. Endgame's PvE experience gives players the opportunity to build up an operator of their choosing while pushing through combat spaces, fighting both The Guild and nightmare scenarios across Avalon with a squad of up to four players.

Each session has up to 32 players divided across eight squads who can team up to work together to take down enemies and unlock exotic weapons, nightmare skills, and more. Completing activities in Endgame earns the player a Combat Rating, which — up until Season 3 — has been reset to zero if the player fails to extract from Avalon before the timer runs out.

With Season 3, Treyarch is capping lost Combat Rating to 15 per squad wipe, giving players a chance to hang on to their progression even if a run goes bad. However, Exotic skills, Nightmare skills, and the player's loadout are all still lost if a squad wipes while in Avalon. Players will also have the choice to manually reset their operator's combat rating if they so choose.

Loadouts are also changing in Endgame, and will be individually assigned to operators with the launch of Season 3. This gives players the chance to build out new operators with different skills and playstyles, as each separate Endgame operator will have their own loadout, including weapons, field acquisitions, and equipment. Players who exfil with a scorestreak or self-revive will see that equipment stays with the operator who extracted it.

New Endgame content coming in Season 3

It's not a new season without new content, and Season 3 brings with it Operation Poison Pill, which will introduce new player Operations — a series of strict objectives designed to be cleared across multiple matches in Endgame. Completing Operation Poison Pill directives will allow players to discover the location of the Link Forger Glitch Fracture, a Nightmare difficulty arena filled with waves of enemies that will keep even Endgame veterans on their toes.

Completing Operation Poison Pill will unlock the "Override" Operator skins for Grimm, Mason, or Anderson (provided you complete the operation with one of those designated operators.) Earning 1 Override skin also unlocks the "Blighted" weapon camo, and earning all 3 skins is the only way to unlock the "Virulent" animated weapon camo.

Additional Operation Poison Pill rewards include:

• "Poison Pill” Weapon Charm and 1,000 XP
• Restore Token and 1,000 XP
• 1 Hour Double Player XP Token and 1,000 XP
• “Node Husk” Emblem and 2,500 XP
• 1 Hour Double Battle Pass XP Token and 2,500 XP
• “Toxic Entry” Large Decal and 2,500 XP
• 1 Hour Double Weapon XP Token and 5,000 XP
• “Thorned Muzzle” Loading Screen and 5,000 XP
• “Looking Good!” Emote and 5,000 XP
• “Venomous Override” AAROW 109 Launcher Weapon Blueprint, “Fractal Death” Animated Calling Card, and 7,500 XP

To unlock those rewards, players can try their hand with the new Warband skill track designed for players who like to control the battlefield with the help of summoned allies. The skill track features 5 abilities — Plague, Wirehand, Smuggler, Bloodrunner, and Healthhounds — and the Steelhand special skill.

A new minor ability, Aether Blade, will allow players to throw an Aether-infused knife that hunts down targets.

💬What do you think about Endgame?

Have you tried Call of Duty: Black Ops 7's Endgame mode? If not, will you take advantage of the free-to-play time period?

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Call of Duty: Warzone's Season 2 Reloaded update ushered in Black Ops Royale, a brand-new battle royale experience inspired by the original Blackout mode originally released during the Black Ops 4 era. Player feedback on Black Ops Royale has been mostly positive, but one segment of the community was dissatisfied with the launch: solo queues.

As of today, solo queues have returned to Call of Duty: Warzone and are available for the first time in the Black Ops Royale mode. Additionally, the update also brought Verdansk back online for players who prefer the standard battle royale experience over the Blackout-inspired mode. Battle Royale Casual Quads — a mode that introduces bots into the player mix on Verdansk — has also returned.

Call of Duty development teams at Treyarch and Raven Software made the call to launch the Black Ops Royale mode with 4-player teams, requiring everybody to drop into the new mode at launch with a quad squad. Those unable to group together enough friends had the option to either drop into their matches at a disadvantage due to a smaller squad size or allow squad fill to pair them up with random players to finish out the team.

The Call of Duty team had also made the decision to remove other modes from Call of Duty: Warzone during the initial launch period, including the Standard Battle Royale experience on Verdansk, casual battle royale modes, and Resurgence on Rebirth Island and Haven's Hollow.

The development team remained steadfast that the decision to limit available modes and squad sizes for Black Ops Royale was necessary for valuable gameplay and player behavior information to be collected. The data from the initial launch will be used alongside player feedback to further adjust and shape the Black Ops Royale experience moving forward.

Raven Software has also warned solo players that because Black Ops Royale was designed with quads in mind, there may be some fine tuning need for the mode to make it more compatible with solo gameplay.

Along with the introduction of Solo queues for Black Ops Royale, the Standard Battle Royale mode set on Verdansk has returned to Warzone after being disabled during Black Ops Royale's launch window.

Warzone is traditionally limited to just one active "big map" at a time to avoid fracturing the player base and keep healthy player counts for faster matchmaking. Players can now drop in on Verdansk in Standard Battle Royale or Avalon on Black Ops Royale.

Players also have a large variety of gameplay modes and maps to choose from with this latest update. The Resurgence playlist will rotate on a timer between Rebirth Island and Haven's Hollow with queues for solos, duos, and quads.

Resurgence Casual Quads is also live on a timer between Rebirth and Haven's Hollow. A limited-time Extreme Resurgence mode is also active with 100 players on a small map for quick 11-minute matches, but it is quads-only on Haven's Hollow.

Battle Royale playlists are limited to Casual Quads or standard Quads on Verdansk. 3-person squads who don't want to pick up a random only have Ranked Resurgence as an option for this week.

Raven Software has also published a blog post with patch notes for bug fixes across Call of Duty: Warzone. Among those fixes are:

• Increased audio radius for redeploy towers in Black Ops Royale.
• Point turret health reduced from 60-45.
• Stim shot movement bonus reduced from 8-6%, duration increased from 3 seconds to 4.
• Concussion grenade stun duration increased from 1.15 seconds to 1.2 seconds.
• Reactive armor EMP effect removed in Resurgence due to the removal of the Cold-Blooded perk.
• Death Machine adjusted to deal 2-5% vehicle health damage per bullet, depending on vehicle class.
• Smoke Screen adjusted in Resurgence so that it now deploys in a line parallel to player direction, initial impact now occurs at targeted location, and then continues forward for 5 impacts. Deployment delay reduced from 5.25 to 2.5 seconds.
• Trauma kit overhealth is now visible to teammates in Black Ops Royale.
• Armor Damage rarity color has been adjusted in BOR.
• An indicator is now displayed for players who fire at an enemy vehicle occupied by a player using Engineer.
• Event rewards are now properly displayed in the menu.
• Operator challenges now track properly.
• Map geometry has been fixed to stop player exploits.
• Deadeye Drone now displays enemy markers on the HUD.
• Black Ops Royale matches now count toward the Ranked Play unlock requirement.

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Call of Duty: Warzone Black Ops Royale has landed and the new Avalon experience brings with it a number of fresh challenges with mode-exclusive rewards.

There are nine Operator Orders to complete, all challenges with cryptic descriptions that are merely there to point you towards the right locations on the map.

One of the more straightforward Operator Orders is New Orders, which rewards one of the three total weapon Camos available from Black Ops Royale. It doesn't require you to fight (if you're lucky) and you don't have to finish a full match. Here's what you need to do.

How to complete the New Orders Operator Order in Black Ops Royale

There are two locations where you can get this Operator Order done, either at Golf Club or Chop Shop. I did Chop Shop, as documented in the video above, and I'd recommend this because it's a smaller POI and easier to get done quickly.

Drop into Chop Shop and head for the roof of the largest building. Run along and drop onto the yellow gantry at the end, and you'll find the phone.

Interact with the phone to start the New Orders Operator Order, and the next step will trigger.

As with the Lost Tags Operator Order, you have to collect 10 paint cans from within the POI, and the search area will be highlighted on your minimap with a red circle.

Just run around and check all the buildings, on top of world items such as tables, on the floor, inside, and outside; there are plenty of locations they can spawn. Chop Shop isn't very big, so if you have a squad or you're at least without any enemies nearby, you'll be able to find them all in just a couple of minutes.

Once you collect all 10, the Bogey Camo unlocked message will pop up on the screen, and it's yours (and your squadmates') to keep forever. You do need to collect all 10 in a single match, though. If you fail, you'll have to start over from the first step.

And as an added bonus, you'll get 5,000 XP as well as the Camo upon completion. I think the Spotted Camo from the Lost Tags Operator Order looks better than this one, but it's still not a bad looker on its own.

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Call of Duty: Warzone Black Ops Royale is finally here, bringing with it a host of new challenges and rewards to unlock.

Some of these are the Operator Orders, nine challenges with cryptic descriptions that give you a little hint but largely leave you to figure them out for yourself.

One of the Operator Orders is called Memories and unlocks the Landfall Operator skin for Black Ops 7's central character, Mason. Unlike, say, the Lost Tags Operator Order, which involves collecting some items, this one takes a little more effort. Here's how to get it done.

How to complete the Memories Operator Order in Black Ops Royale

The initial clue for Memories simply points you in the direction of the Stadium and that you need to find a shirt. Stadium is pretty big, but there's one location you should usually be able to find the shirt if you can get there quick enough.

Drop in, and you need to land inside, specifically on the North Stand, above the bottom couple of rows of seats. Go into the concourse area and locate a blue container on wheels. The shirt will be on top of it, so pick it up to trigger the next step.

This will take you over to Heliport, which is a long way from Stadium. You're told to look for a photo, but the harder part is getting there. Sometimes a helicopter will spawn on the pitch, so this is your best bet. If there isn't one, get there as fast as you can by any means necessary.

Once you get to the Heliport, head inside the main building, and in front of you will be the "D'Avalon Heliport" desk. Directly behind it on the wall is a photo in a frame of four fighter jets.

Interact with it to read the note (no spoilers, but it's from a familiar Black Ops character), and this will trigger the final step.

Now you have to finish in the top five to complete the Operator Order and unlock the reward. How you do this is entirely up to you. Personally, I took the snake approach, staying as close to the edge of the circle as possible and avoiding trouble until safely inside the top five.

Once the match ends, you'll see a message on screen saying "+750 Operator Order Complete" and in the after-action lobby, you'll see your new Landfall Operator skin and a cool 10,000 XP for your troubles.

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Call of Duty: Warzone Black Ops Royale is finally here, and with it are some new rewards to unlock for completing challenges.

Of these are the Operator Orders, a series of challenges with somewhat cryptic descriptions that are merely there to point you vaguely in the right direction.

One of the 'easier' ones to complete is the Lost Tags Operator Order, which unlocks the new Spotted weapon Camo. I say 'easier' because it's one of the challenges that doesn't require fighting other players. All you know is that it's in the Old Arsenal area of the map. Here's how to get it done.

How to complete the Lost Tags Operator Order in Black Ops Royale

The Operator Order simply tells you to find lost dog tags in the Old Arsenal area; from there, you're on your own. To get it done, follow the steps below and highlighted in the video clip above.

To find the dog tags and begin the Operator Order, first drop into the Old Arsenal POI. Specifically, you want the tall red construction in the middle.

Head inside it and go to the top floor and locate the desk. On it you'll find the dog tags, so interact to pick them up and you'll unlock the ability to complete the rest of the challenge.

The rest of the challenge is to pick up paint cans from within the Old Arsenal area. They have to be from here; paint cans from any other Operator Order elsewhere on the map won't count towards it. You also need to collect all 10 in a single match; otherwise you'll need to start over again.

I wish I had a specific guide to where to find them all, but it does appear to vary. You simply need to explore. Get inside buildings and look on top of items outside such as barrels; you just have to scour the entire area.

Once you've collected 10 paint cans, the Operator Order is complete, and you'll have yourself the smart-looking Spotted Camo!

This is just one of nine Operator Orders you can complete in the new mode, with another Camo to unlock, Operator skins and more. See you in Avalon!

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Xbox and Activision's massively popular free-to-play battle royale shooter Call of Duty: Warzone is about to get one of its most highly anticipated additions with Black Ops Royale, a no-loadout mode heavily inspired by the Blackout mode from Black Ops 4. It's the biggest piece of content in Season 2: Reloaded, and it's only hours away from its global release.

What should be a time of feverish excitement and anticipation, however, has quickly become mired in controversy after the Call of Duty team announced that next week, it plans to test having bots play alongside players in Black Ops Royale lobbies in Europe and the Middle East.

This is similar to the Casual mode currently available for the standard Call of Duty: Warzone battle royale experience, which makes the majority of a match's occupants AI-controlled bots and only features a small amount of actual players.

"Over the past year, we’ve learned a lot from introducing bots through Casual experiences across Battle Royale and Resurgence. Those modes helped us better understand how to deliver the best gameplay experience in Call of Duty: Warzone across the player population," wrote the developers. "With the launch of Black Ops Royale in Season 02 Reloaded, we’re continuing to build on those learnings with a regional matchmaking test in the new mode."

The devs say "We will, as always, gauge success based on player data and player feedback" as and after the tests run, and also noted that the current Casual playlist for Warzone won't be available while bots are being tested in Black Ops Royale.

Since the option to play the Casual versions of Warzone attracts those who may not be very skilled at PvP or simply want a less stressful gameplay experience, the Call of Duty team likely wants to offer something similar with the new Black Ops Royale mode. However, the fact that bots are being tested in regular matches instead of in a separate playlist has angered many in the community.

At the time of writing, the post in which the developers announced their testing plans has been "ratioed" with a higher number of comments than likes, and the vast majority of them are harshly criticizing the upcoming test.

"PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD TAKE BOTS OUT THANK YOU," wrote TimTheTatman, one of the biggest streamers on Twitch. "The Warzone scene is cooked if/when this gets pushed to the entire game in all regions," said another content creator worried that this will be a slippery slope.

"Being forced to play against bots in a (previously) pure PvP environment takes so much away from the experience. Opting in to play with bots (casuals mode) is fine but forcing it is a big L," he continued.

Lots of competitive-minded players have rallied behind all of Warzone's big content creators complaining about the bot testing, and some even argue that the presence of any Casual-like offerings at all dilutes the experience and problematically splits up the player base. Others, though, assert that a Casual experience with bots is good for the game, and ensures everyone has a version of the game they'll enjoy.

Ultimately, I think making a Casual version of Black Ops Royale and keeping bots out of regular matches as the devs did with normal Warzone would be the best idea, so hopefully that's what Activision does after these tests run. Still, not testing bots in a separate playlist is a bold choice, and has stirred up quite a storm ahead of Black Ops Royale's launch.

🗨️ Do bots have a place in Black Ops Royale?

With many different Call of Duty fans weighing in, I'm curious to hear from you. Do bots have a place in Warzone's new Black Ops Royale mode, either in a separate Casual playlist or as part of the core experience?

Share your thoughts in the comments below, and make sure to vote in our poll:

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Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is now in its second mid-season content rotation with the launch of Season 02 Reloaded.

While a new Zombies map, Paradox Junction, and the new Black Ops Royale mode are the headline stealers, there's plenty of other goodies to enjoy.

The first event of Season 02 Reloaded, Altitude Tactics, is here, and the mastery reward for completing it is the new Voyak KT-3 assault rifle. As it's an XP event, the good news is you can make it really fast and relatively painless to complete and get the rewards.

How to finish the Black Ops 7 Altitude Tactics event as fast as possible

As Altitude Tactics is an XP event, to complete it and gain all the rewards, all you need to do is gain XP, with 250,000 required in total. All rewards are available to all players; there's no premium track you can buy.

To get the Voyak KT-3 you need to get enough XP to first get all six of the regular rewards. These include a new Universal Camo, Calling Card, Weapon Charm, and more.

There's no right and wrong way to get XP fast, but there are some things you can do to speed it up.

The first thing I recommend is to avoid Multiplayer. Even with 2XP enabled, XP gains in Multiplayer are going to be slower for most of us. My personal preference is to use Endgame, as it's a really easy way to rack up a lot of XP in a short space of time when 2XP events are on as they are now.

The image above shows how much XP I gained from a single match in Endgame, almost enough to unlock the first three rewards. Just drop in, do activities, get as many eliminations as you can, and get out. Rinse and repeat.

The other mode I always turn to when trying to get events like this done fast is Warzone Casual. Since it's mostly bots, it's not that hard to get lots of XP from a single match. With the added bonus that you get an XP boost if you also own Black Ops 7.

The other tip is to do as many things as you can that reward XP while you're playing your matches. If you've still got Camos to unlock, do some of those, likewise Calling Card or Dark Ops challenges. It's also good to work on the daily and weekly challenges at the same time, since those are essentially free XP on top.

Stack as many XP-gaining things as you can in the mode you're most comfortable in, and take advantage of the 2XP weekend (or tokens if it's expired when you're reading this), and you'll have the event finished in absolutely no time at all.

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Put down that Kar98. Toss aside your M4A1. Call of Duty: Warzone's next big update introduces the Blackout-inspired mode, Black Ops Royale, and it's bringing some big changes to weapon loadouts.

Call of Duty: Warzone's meta loadouts are a thing of the past. Rather than rapidly completing contracts to earn cash to buy your favorite gear, Black Ops Royale will require players to earn their victories with nothing more than what they can scavenge from Avalon.

As with standard Warzone, Black Ops Royale will feature supply boxes — regular and Guild-branded — that will spit out weapons, armor plates, tacticals, killstreaks, and consumable perks.

Weapon rarity will return, but the newly introduced Build Archetype will change the way you can upgrade and build out your weapons while on the ground in Avalon.

Weapon rarity in Black Ops Royale

Weapon rarity doesn't change much from standard Call of Duty: Warzone gameplay to Black Ops Royale, but one notable difference is that all weapons will have five predetermined attachments.

While all five attachments are visible in the upgrade path for every weapon, only the number of attachments currently active for that rarity is highlighted. The remaining attachments remain grayed out until the weapon is upgraded to that rarity. This provides players a chance to get visual intel on potential upgrades for a weapon at a quick glance.

Weapon rarity and attachment count are:

• Common (Gray): One attachment
• Uncommon (Green): Two attachments
• Rare (Blue): Three attachments
• Epic (Purple): Four attachments
• Legendary (Orange): Five attachments (maximum for normally secured weapons)

The available attachments can be viewed by inspecting the weapon, checking the Tac Map > Upgrade Path menu, or when you upgrade the weapon. Attachments that are highlighted are visually fixed to the weapon and active upon pickup, while grayed-out attachments are automatically added to the weapon as its rarity is increased.

Attachment kits can be found and used to upgrade a weapon's rarity, with the end goal of unlocking all predetermined attachments for your weapon. There's no swapping out for meta loadouts or planning your own gun builds. Black Ops Royale is all about the scavenger experience. Attachment kits are easy to spot thanks to their signature purple glow.

Weapon archetypes and building for playstyles in Black Ops Royale

The weapons you loot in Black Ops Royale are play tested and built to cater to distinct playstyles, creating Weapon Archetypes. Archetype themes are named according to the playstyles they cater to, with the Call of Duty team having shared builds named "CQB", "Raider", "Covert", "Viper", "Heavy Metal", "Stalker" ahead of launch.

The team also shared an example of the "Covert" archetype, describing it as the AK-27 with a silencer and extended magazine size.

Weapon archetypes aren't locked into specific locations, and any archetype can be looted from any supply box in Avalon. However, the available looted weapons are exclusively from the Black Ops 7 armory. Weapons from Modern Warfare and Black Ops 6 will not be a part of the loot pool for Black Ops Royale.

The following weapon archetype themes are to be expected in Black Ops Royale; however, weapon archetype availability and stats may be adjusted throughout the season:

• Assault rifle archetype: CQB
  • Front line and aggressive loadout that bridges the gap between an AR and SMG. Available on the M15 MOD 0, DS20 Mirage, Peacekeeper Mk1, and EGRT-17.
  • Potential upgrades include increased ADS speed, sprint-to-fire speed, sprint speed, aim-walking speed, horizontal recoil control, 45-round mag, red dot optic.
• Assault rifle archetype: Recon
  • Veteran long-range player, built for holding positions and challenging at range. Available on the M15 MOD 0, AK-27, MXR-17, Maddox RFB, EGRT-17.
  • Potential upgrades include increased vertical recoil control, horizontal recoil control, bullet velocity, all damage ranges, flinch resistance, 3x scope, 60-round mag.
• Assault rifle archetype: Covert
  • Under the radar gameplay, maintaining accuracy and stealth. Available on the AK-27, MXR-17, DS20 Mirage, Peacekeeper Mk1, Maddox RFB.
  • Potential upgrades include a suppressor, increased mid-damage range, aiming movement speed, vertical recoil control, non-sprint speed, ADS speed, 45-round mag, 2x scope, and a laser.

• SMG archetype: Burner
  • Built for close-quarters combat with fast movement and improved reaction times. Available on the Ryden 45K, Razor 9mm, Kogot-7, REV-46.
  • Potential upgrades include ADS speed, sprint-to-fire speed, rate of fire, sprint movement speed, hipfire spread, iron sights, and a 40-round mag.
• SMG archetype: Stalker
  • For the flankers who want to stay under the radar. Available on the Ryden 45K, Razor 9mm, Dravec 45, Carbon 57, Sturmwolf, Kogot-7, REV-46.
  • Potential upgrades include suppressed fire, aiming movement speed, horizontal recoil control, non-sprint speed, damage range, hybrid scope (1x vs 2x) or MM optic, 40-round mag.
• SMG archetype: Mantis
  • Bridging the gap between SMG and Assault Rifles by improving effectiveness at SMG's max ranges. Available on the Dravec 45, Carbon 57, and Sturmwolf.
  • Increased stats include damage range, bullet velocity, vertical recoil control, horizontal recoil control, flinch resistance, 2x scope, 50-round mag.

• Shotgun archetype: Raider
  • Designed for aggressive rushers running the M10 Breacher or Echo 12.
  • Increased stats include sprint speed, sprint to fire speed, aimed walking speed, hipfire spread, ADS speed, and fire rate.
• Shotgun archetype: Bug Out
  • Built for steady aim and combat readiness on the M10 Breacher.
  • Increased stats include damage range, ADS pellet spread, vertical recoil, aiming movement speed, magazine size.
• Shotgun archetype: Striker
  • Good damage up close, but better and more effective damage at mid-range. Available on the M10 Breacher.
  • Improved aiming movement speed, ADS pellet spread, damage range, and ADS speed.

• LMG Archetype: Lockdown
  • Intended for those who want to hold down a position, at the cost of mobility. Available on the Sokol 545.
  • Attachment improvements include suppressed fire, aiming movement speed, ADS speed, horizontal recoil, movement speed, rate of fire.
• LMG archetype: Patrol
  • For the more mobile LMG-fans, available on the MK.72 and XM325.
  • Increased stats include sprint speed, sprint-to-fire speed, aimed movement speed, vertical recoil control, hipfire spread, red dot optic.
• LMG archetype: Heavy Metal
  • Long-range engagements with heavy firepower on the MK.76, Sokol 545, and XM325.
  • Increased stats via attachments include vertical and horizontal recoil, damage range, flinch resistance, ADS speed, and bullet velocity.

• Marksman rifle archetype: Scout
  • Mobile, with quick target identification and engagement. This one's for the would-be quickscopers using the M34 Novaline.
  • Increased stats via attachment kits include damage range, magazine size, aiming idle sway, and flinch resistance.
• Marskman rifle archetype: Widow
  • For the stealthy, this M34 Novaline archetype is for those who want to stay under the radar without sacrificing mobility.
  • Increased stats include suppressed fire, aiming movement speed, ADS speed, vertical recoil control, and fire rate.
• Sniper rifle archetype: Viper
  • If you want a heavy-hitting rifle that can take out foes in one shot, this VS Recon archetype is what you're looking for in Avalon.
  • Attachment increases include bullet velocity, flinch resistance, aiming idle sway, vertical recoil control, and rechamber speed.
• Sniper rifle archetype: Redacted
  • It's not Black Ops without a little redaction. This Hawker HX archetype favors shooting and movement with stealth.
  • Increased stats include suppressed fire, bullet velocity, damage range, rechamber speed, ADS, and flinch resistance.

• Pistol archetype: CQB
  • Similar to the assault rifle archetype of the same name, CQB is built for close-range engagements with a quickdraw Jäger 45.
  • Increased stats include ADS speed, sprint to fire speed, sprint speed, fire rate, and magazine size.
• Pistol archetype: Akimbo
  • Two is better than one, so dual-wield CODA 9 pistols for rapid engagements.
  • Upgrades include dual wield, hipfire spread, sprint-to-fire speed, sprint speed, damage range, and magazine size.
• Pistol archetype: Sentinel
  • Pistol fans can enjoy stealthy gameplay too with the Velox 5.7.
  • Kit upgrades include suppressed fire, damage range, vertical recoil, aiming movement speed, magazine size, 1x optic.

Launchers, specials, and melee weaponry can also be looted in Black Ops Royale. However, these weapons will not feature archetype themes.

Exotic weapons offer an exception to the rules of archetypes

It's not Call of Duty: Warzone without a little chaos thrown in for good measure. Exotic weapons offer a deviation from normal weapon rarity and archetype rules. These weapons might feature unique abilities that can turn the tide of battle, but you're going to have to struggle a little more to get your hands on them.

Exotic weapons can have up to eight attachments and feature the Ultra (gold) rarity level. There's no need for weapon kits; they're already maxed out immediately. There could be as few as one per match, so good luck getting your hands on one.

An example of an exotic weapon players can find in Black Ops Royale is the "Backdrive", a Dravec 45 SMG variant featuring eight attachments and some additional abilities just to make things spicy.

• "Backdrive" Dravec 45 exotic SMG
  • 45% Improved Damage Range
  • 40% Faster Reload Speed
  • 30% Faster Jog, Sprint & ADS Move Speed
  • 80 Round Mag
  • 50% Faster ADS Speed
  • 70% Faster Sprint to Fire Speed
  • Reflex Optic
  • 10% Faster Fire Rate
  • 40% Reduced Recoil

Equipment and scorestreaks, new and returning

Customized loadouts are out for Black Ops Royale, but there is still plenty of equipment and score streaks that can be found in supply boxes as loot. The following gear is confirmed for Black Ops Royale:

• Tacticals
  • EMP Grenade (Uncommon)
  • Flashbang (Common)
  • Grappling Hook (Uncommon)
  • Psych Grenade (Common)
  • Sensor Dart (Rare)
  • Smoke Grenade (Common)
  • Stim Shot (Common)
  • Stun Grenade (Common)

• Lethals
  • Cluster Grenade (Uncommon)
  • Combat Axe (Uncommon)
  • Cymbal Monkey (Rare, only from Cradle Breaches)
  • Frag Grenade (Common)
  • Needle Drone (Rare)
  • Point Turret (Rare)
  • Sticky Grenade (Common)

• Field Upgrades
  • Armor Box (Common)
  • Bubble Shield (Rare)
  • Deployable Cover (Common)
  • Echo Unit (Common)
  • Munitions Box (Uncommon)
  • Trauma Kit (Uncommon)
  • Trophy System (Common)

• Scorestreaks
  • D.A.W.G.
  • Deadeye Drone
  • Death Machine
  • Hand Cannon
  • HKDs
  • Psych Bomb
  • RC-XD
  • War Machine

In addition to confirmed equipment, the Call of Duty team has also confirmed the return of inventory equipment items like the armor satchel and tiered armor vests, redeploy tokens, and a new safecracker drive, which grants access to Guild Safes across Avalon.

Despite Black Ops Royale sitting alongside standard Warzone Battle Royale modes in Call of Duty: Warzone, it is expected to make significant changes to how players experience the game.

The changes to loadouts will force players to adapt in real time, even when the stakes are high, and utilize weapons and equipment as they are available rather than rushing for the safety of their personal custom loadouts.

The change should also shake up the reliance on weapon metas, instead encouraging players to pick up and use weapons that best suit their playstyles. Will you run and gun or wait for an ambush?

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Earlier this week, Treyarch and Raven Software unveiled the next major change coming to Call of Duty: Warzone with the launch of Season 2 Reloaded, scheduled for March 12. The massive reveal of the new battle royale mode, Black Ops Royale — inspired by the Black Ops 4-era mode known as Blackout — could certainly have stood on its own as the next update for the massively popular series, but the development team wasn't ready to stop there.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Season 2 Reloaded is set to kick off on March 11, and the mid-season update is ready to throw some new content into the mix to keep things fresh while everybody works on finishing off those Season 2 battle passes. Here's what you can look forward to for each Black Ops 7 mode when Season 2 Reloaded goes live:

Endgame gets new Nightmare Skills and Glitch Fracture

Black Ops 7's Endgame mode is a massive PvE experience set on the Avalon world map, offering a variety of activities for players to level up, camo grind, and explore the world of Black Ops. Endgame has provided an outlet for continuing the Black Ops 7 storyline and gives players the chance to battle it out against the game's big bad, The Guild, with the occasional dip into some Zombies play via Nightmare Zones

Endgame is reminiscent of the DMZ mode and Modern Warzone Zombies experiences from previous Call of Duty titles, but with some distinctly unique Black Ops twists. Following the game's original launch, the Call of Duty development team has used Endgame as a playground for Black Ops' more outrageous ideas, and that continues with Season 2 Reloaded.

That creative take on the world of Avalon continues as Season 2 Reloaded will introduce a new Glitch Fracture to Endgame wherein players are teleported off-map to a brand new arena where they face waves of enemies and — eventually — the Glitch Boss itself.

Those who defeat a strike boss to reveal a Glitch Fracture to battle the Glitch Boss and come out victorious will be rewarded with a new, upgradable Nightmare Skill. The Nightmare Skills and their upgrades are as follows:

• Nova Strike: Powerful melee strike that generates an electrical field to damage enemies.
  • First upgrade: The struck enemy is also shocked by the electrical field.
  • Final upgrade: The electrical area persists and shocks enemies who pass through it. This persistent effect will only last briefly and will have a cooldown period between uses.
• Phoenix Burst: When health is low, trigger an explosion and fully restore health (with a cooldown between use.)
  • First upgrade: Gain full ammo and temporary infinite ammo from the magazine after the explosion.
  • Final upgrade: Gain temporary immunity after the explosion.
• Hellwing: Wingsuiting over enemies has a napalm effect, dropping an incendiary trail.
  • First upgrade: Increases how long the incendiary trail remains on the ground.
  • Final upgrade: Flashbangs normal and special enemies within the incendiary area.
• Chaos Rounds: Weapon attacks have a chance to trigger secondary effects including Photon, Incendiary, Frost, or Shock.
  • First upgrade: More variety for effect pool, includes Graviton, Mortar, Shrapnel, and Neuro-Disruption effects.
  • Final upgrade: Enemies hit with Chaos Rounds have a chance to trigger a second, random chaos round on a nearby enemy.
• Frost Vortex: Bullets have a chance to create a snowstorm that pulls enemies in.
  • First upgrade: Applies Frost to normal enemies in the snowstorm.
  • Final upgrade: Applies Frost to Special and Elite enemies in the snowstorm.

Taking out the Glitch Boss to unlock and upgrade your Nightmare Skills is going to require some heavy firepower. Previously, Exotic Weapons were hard to come by, only dropping on extremely rare occasions or as rewards for major boss fights.

Season 2 Reloaded will introduce the Exotic Fabricator, a reward for defeating a strike boss within a Nightmare Zone, that will allow players to upgrade any loadout or field acquired weapon into a full exotic.

There are three upgrades available, with the first upgrading weapon rarity while the second provides an additional utility bonus and the third introduces a random exotic effect. Players who have a fully upgraded weapon or a named Exotic weapon can still benefit from the exotic fabricator which will reroll either the bonus or exotic effect. This is a one-time-use reward, however.

Five new maps to drop for Multiplayer

Treyarch continues stacking the cards in favor of Black Ops 7, dropping an unprecedented number of maps for the second midseason refresh. Five maps will join the playlist rotation, including the small-sized Torque, medium sized Cliff Town, Skirmish map Mission: Peak, and the returning Grind and Firing Range.

Torque is the only brand-new map from the lineup, and it draws on some nostalgia as it is based on The Battle of Los Angeles mission from Black Ops 2 (which is also referenced in Black Ops 7's campaign.) Torque is heavy on wall jump opportunities, littered with explosive vehicles and is destined to become a fan-favorite of everybody with a grenade launcher in their loadout. (Me. I'm the problem, it's me.)

Cliff Town also draws on nostalgia as it is a reimagining of the cliff-side town originally seen in Black Ops 2's popular "Yemen" map. Grind is also a Black Ops 2-era map that was previously reintroduced with Black Ops 6 during the TMNT crossover. While crossovers have taken a backseat for Black Ops 7, the popular skate park will be returning for 6v6 playlists.

Firing Range is a fan-favorite map from Black Ops of yesteryear that has cropped back up in recent modern entries, including last year's Black Ops 6 multiplayer.

Joining the impressive list of multiplayer maps, Black Ops 7's 20v20 Skirmish mode will also receive one new map, titled Mission: Peak. Players will battle it out for high value sectors that are scattered through medieval streets, where massive rooftop towers provide valuable lookout posts for would-be snipers.

New multiplayer modes for Black Ops 7 Season 2.5

An array of new playlists will be on tap for Season 2 Reloaded, including new and returning modes:

• Gauntlet: 6v6 playlist where teams go against one another in a round of five different game modes played one after the other, including Domination, Kill COnfirmed, Hardpoint, Team Deathmatch, and Roulette. Each mode lasts for two minutes before switching off to the next, with players earning points after each mode ends based on team performance.
• Infected: The popular party game returns to pit players against an infected horde — or become one of them! The stakes are higher than ever as the infected team has additional undead enemies to aid them in their quest to take out the survivors. Infected can also earn one of two mutant injection scorestreaks to become a Mangler or a Disciple and wreak some extra havoc.

Paradox Junction, new enemies, and a new Wonder Weapon for Zombies

The Warden is continuing his antics in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7's zombies mode, dropping the team off for what Treyarch calls a "purgatorial pitstop" at Paradox Junction. The new Zombies mode map is a twist on the beloved multiplayer map, Nuketown.

Paradox Junction also comes with a new enemy, irradiated dogs that are explosive and relentless. These radhounds are foul minions of The Warden that explode upon death and really make a mess out of your day.

But hey, at least there's new wonder weapons — the Bundergat and Sundergat — to help you mow down the undead. The Sundergat is the upgraded form of the Blundergat, and it's powerful enough to blast the "souls" right out of the enemies you aim it at.

Paradox Junction will feature a new main quest, complete with rewards and challenges, as well as its own Cursed mode challenge.

Blackout-inspired mode Black Ops Royale comes to Warzone

Call of Duty's development teams at Raven Software and Treyarch previously unveiled plans to release Black Ops Royale, a new mode for Call of Duty: Warzone inspired by the Black Ops 4-era mode called Blackout, on March 12.

The mode is set to take place on the big map of Avalon, which — up until this point — has only been playable on the PvE mode, Endgame. Black Ops Royale will make significant changes to Warzone's perk system, weapon loadouts, and more.

💬Will you check out the new content for BO7 Season 2 Reloaded?

Season 2 Reloaded is one of the largest mid-season updates we've seen for a modern Call of Duty title, and it sets a precedent for what players will come to expect from future updates. Which modes and maps are you planning to check out when the update drops on March 11? Let us know in the comments.

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The long-awaited reveal of the Blackout-inspired mode for Call of Duty has finally happened, and it's coming on March 12 (or March 13, depending on which part of the world you're in.)

Its name could trick folks into thinking they need Black Ops 7 in order to play; after all, the original Blackout was part of Black Ops 4. To play battle royale, you had to buy the whole game.

That's not the case now, as Black Ops Royale will be part of the Warzone package. It's being tagged on as another mode, similar to how Battle Royale and Resurgence currently are.

The difference being it's on Avalon, it has a different ruleset (no loadouts or buy stations, for example), and it uses the Black Ops 7 weapon and equipment catalog. So anything you use on the other modes from previous Call of Duty games won't be part of the loot pool here.

But as Warzone is integrated with Black Ops 7 anyway, you'll be able to enjoy the same leveling progress across both. If you want to get a heads-up on the map layout, though, and you do own Black Ops 7, jump into Endgame and explore!

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Since the launch of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 in November, players have been able to soar by wingsuit over the map of Avalon in the campaign's Endgame, where they fought back against the Guild in a strictly PvE mode. With the next big update coming to Call of Duty: Warzone on March 12 at 9 AM PT/12 PM ET, that changes as players can grab their wingsuits and swoop into Avalon for a PvP Blackout-inspired battle royale experience that will be named Black Ops Royale.

Activision released a very dense deep dive of the new mode on the official Call of Duty blog, breaking down the changes players can expect when Black Ops Royale joins the Warzone roster as a playable mode.

Black Ops Royale is inspired by the original Blackout battle royale experience that originally launched for Call of Duty: Black Ops 4. Unlike current Call of Duty: Warzone gameplay, Blackout did not allow players to purchase their preferred loadouts; there were no buy stations on the map, and players used a wingsuit to drop in as opposed to the parachutes we have seen since Warzone took over in 2020.

Those features will return along with additional changes to perks, the introduction of weapon archetypes, and the integration of Black Ops' C-Link HUD. For the first time since Black Ops 7's launch, the advanced tech available in modes like Endgame and Skirmish is also coming to Warzone — including the grapple hook, sensor dart, and trauma kit. These tools were previously left out of Black Ops 7's integration into standard Warzone with Season 1.

What is Black Ops Royale?

In addition to battling 100 other players to be the surviving squad, players will encounter multiple activities on Avalon that are optional for players to interact with. Players can hunt bounties, crack strongboxes, capture relays, and fight through Guild defenses for high-risk, high-reward squad play. Completing these tasks unlocks UAV sweeps, squadmate redeploys, and useful equipment to help with your survival.

Cradle Breaches will also be introduced to Black Ops Royale. Similar to the spread of the noxious red gas in Avalon on Endgame, some areas of the map in Black Ops Royale will also be shrouded in the Cradle's fumes, spawning hallucinated zombie hordes. As with activities, engaging with these breaches can put your squad at risk, but it also pays off with top-tier rewards should you be able to take down the Mangler boss.

Black Ops Royale is set to come to Call of Duty: Warzone alongside the launch of Season 2 Reloaded, which will also add new maps and modes to Multiplayer, new events like the Counter Skies Event starting March 17, new weapons and operator skins, and more.

Mid-season Reloaded updates do not introduce new battle passes, though there are premium pass tracks for event rewards if you're already done grinding through Season 2's battle pass. Season 2 Reloaded and Black Ops Royale will cap off the end of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7's second season in April, when Season 3 will usher in the second half of Black Ops 7's post-launch lifespan.

🗨️ Will you dive into Black Ops Royale?

Call of Duty fans have been begging for a return to Blackout, but Warzone players have a death grip on Verdansk.

Are the changes going to be too much for Warzone, or will Black Ops Royale and Avalon flourish?

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Having been teased since the launch of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, we now finally know more about the new Blackout-inspired battle royale mode we've been waiting on.

Black Ops Royale brings the spirit of the original Call of Duty battle royale experience into Warzone with Season 02 Reloaded.

As it's in Warzone (and unlike the original Blackout) you don't need to own Black Ops 7 in order to play. It's free for all to enjoy, though it does things a little differently, and it's only for Black Ops 7 weapons and equipment.

Exactly when you can play Black Ops Royale in Call of Duty: Warzone

While Black Ops Royale will launch with Season 02 Reloaded, it won't be live at the same time as the rest of the content drops.

Black Ops Royale goes live on Thursday, March 12, at 9pm PT, which is midnight Friday, March 13, on the East Coast, and a more sleep-defying 4am GMT and 5am in mainland Europe.

Black Ops Royale brings the spirit of Blackout to the modern Warzone audience and completely changes up the gameplay. Gone are the loadouts and buy stations; instead, you have to scavenge all of your gear in order to survive and, ultimately, win.

It's set on the new Avalon map that, until now, has only been part of the campaign and the Endgame modes.

The Wingsuit will be a vital tool for traversing the large Avalon map quickly. The original Call of Duty battle royale Perks system is back, albeit with a twist. None of the five slots are fixed, they can be swapped and consumed as needed to give yourself the ultimate edge.

This is one of the biggest changes to Warzone in recent memory, and whether it truly does recapture the glorious old days, time will tell. At least we don't have to wait too much longer.

I'm just wondering if there will be any easter eggs to unlock...

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Activision is on a roll with Call of Duty: Warzone since the launch of Season 02, and following the first batch of Secret Challenges, there are now more to complete.

The most recent weekly reset on February 19 added Drop Zones, characterized by red fractures in the sky. Linked to these Drop Zones are the rewards, and it'd be easy to assume they won't be around forever.

The good news is that these secret challenges aren't difficult to complete, and they can be done in Warzone Casual, too. But there is an element of luck involved, so it might take a little time to get everything done.

How to complete the Call of Duty: Warzone Drop Zone secret challenges

There are currently three known challenges and associated rewards relating to the Drop Zones, and they can be completed cumulatively across any of the Warzone maps.

The red fractures in the sky have a chance of appearing starting from the second zone, but they don't spawn in every game.

For sheer quantity, Verdansk seems to be the best play, with my own personal best managing to hit 12 items in a single match. But I'm still short of the final reward, so it gives you a little idea of what to expect!

The red fractures will drop crates up to orange rarity, as well as vehicles. You'll know they're the right items because if you're quick enough, you'll still see the red haze around them. If not, just look for things that seem out of place, like a crate in the middle of a road or at an angle.

Redstorm parachute Secret Challenge

This Secret Challenge isn't difficult, but it does need at least five matches to be played, and that's if you're lucky with the fractures spawning.

Visit a drop zone in five different matches, and you'll get the Redstorm parachute. It doesn't say anything about interacting with the items dropped in the zones, but the chances are you're going to be doing that, anyway.

Shattered Vision weapon sticker

The Shattered Vision weapon sticker is the reward for interacting with three dropped items in a single match.

Head to one of the Drop Zones and simply open three crates or get inside any vehicles that have dropped, and you'll complete the challenge.

Shattered Echo weapon blueprint

This is the most time-consuming to complete, but still no more difficult than the others.

You simply need to interact with 30 items that come from the Drop Zones across any number of matches, and you'll be rewarded with the very slick-looking Shattered Echo blueprint for the Razor SMG.

There's no way of tracking how many items you've interacted with in-game, so you'll have to count manually to track your progress.

Sure, we can do these Secret Challenges the easy way by using Warzone Casual, but if there's one thing that will get me to play more Warzone, it's stuff to unlock.

I've lost count of how many easter eggs we're up to now since the launch of Season 02, but I wouldn't bet against there being some more still to come. And I'm here for it.

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The content flow for Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 has been more like a torrent, with each week bringing something new for players to grind across all its modes and Warzone.

It's not always easy to know exactly what's going on and how long you have to complete challenges and events, play limited time modes (LTM), and decide which modes to focus on.

So, to help, this is your handy weekly bite-sized guide to what's happening in Call of Duty right now. Feel free to bookmark it, as it'll be continuously updated with all the latest content.

Weekly Challenges

As every week there are a new set of weekly challenges across all four game modes. The usual applies; complete any six and get the reward.

This week the reward is an attachment for the Razor 9mm SMG, the Wildfire Conversion Kit.

It improves firing rate and bullet velocity while also applying an 85-round magazine, at the cost of reduced movement speed while aiming and applying spread when ADS.

As every week, six challenges across all four modes are all you need, and even if you don't want the attachment, it's another tick towards the season-exclusive reward Camos.

The first of those has also been unlocked this week as we're five weeks into the season. Complete the challenges, and assuming you've done weeks 1 - 4, you'll unlock the animated Sword of Swords Camo. It actually looks really nice, definitely one of the better free Camos we've got so far.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 content this week

Throwback Moshpit in Multiplayer

In Multiplayer there is a new playlist called Throwback Moshpit, and it's exactly as it sounds.

It uses open matchmaking and consists entirely of the remastered old Black Ops maps, such as Fringe, Standoff, and Meltdown.

Since there's actually a healthy selection of classic maps brought back for Black Ops 7, it's not a bad rotation.

Hunt or be Hunted Multiplayer Exclusive event

Hey look, another leaderboard event! And this one is going to be sweaty. That's because it's a Multiplayer exclusive, and it's based around getting as many eliminations as you can.

As with previous events, there will be varying rewards based on your placement in a 30-player ladder, as well as cumulative ones for your total number of eliminations. It'll only be on over the weekend, starting Friday March 6 at 10am Pacific, and will end on Monday March 9.

Additionally, Ranked Play continues, with the same requirement of winning three placement matches to join the ladder.

Call of Duty: Warzone content this week

Iron Gauntlet beta

Iron Gauntlet is having a beta run until Monday, March 9, though it will no longer be in place of Ranked Play.

The initial reaction has been mixed, so Raven is turning Ranked Play back on to give players a choice.

Iron Gauntlet is a 150-player mode, duos only, with increased health, increased TTK, increased prices at Buy Stations, and reduced health regeneration.

It also adds the Wall Jump mechanic and the Grappling Hook from Black Ops 7 that will also be present in the new Black Ops Royale mode launching next week.

It's a quieter week than some in Call of Duty, but Season 02 Reloaded drops at the next weekly refresh, and that will be packing a lot of content.

We're just a week out from a new Zombies big map, Black Ops Royale, and the start of the roadmap for the second half of the season.

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Ah, here we go again. A viral social media post is getting attention because it's dumping on Call of Duty.

I'll call out Black Ops 7 where it needs calling out, and have done, but this type of thing is just silly. It's ragebait, it's engagement farming, and if it weren't for X's community notes feature, hundreds of thousands of people, maybe more, might believe it as truth.

The post in question — and I hate giving it more attention –—claimed nothing more than to show off a "$40 weapon skin" for Call of Duty. Except it wasn't. It was part of a bundle that cost $20, and it's also from 2024's Black Ops 6 (you can see it in the video above.) And yet, people follow these types of slop accounts for "news and leaks."

Anyone who's played Black Ops 6 and Black Ops 7 knows immediately which game this is from. Yes, it's absurd, but it came out last year, and most of us ridiculed it then, too.

But it was never $40.

This type of junk is one of the biggest problems with gaming as a whole right now. I often say social media was a mistake, and as each day passes, I'm more convinced.

These 'creators' — if you can even call them that — know that nothing gets better engagement than ragebait, and so they play off it. Even with the community note and the comments from people debunking it, it's clear many are happy to just get suckered in.

Activision is big enough that it probably won't be affected, but what if it were a smaller developer? This type of nonsense, no, fake news, could be seriously detrimental.

Black Ops 7 has done a lot better with its cosmetics

Does Call of Duty have a problem with idiotic skins? Sure. Black Ops 6 was a particularly dark time for that, and the sooner we can forget about American Dad, the better.

Black Ops 7 is hardly grounded in realism, but the premium cosmetics this year have been a significant improvement on the whole. But you also don't have to buy any of them. There are enough blueprints given away in the Battle Pass, and more weapon Camos than ever before to earn completely free.

Social media is determined to do everything it can to rip the game apart; we can't change that. In general, it's a place that thrives on negativity, because that's what gets engagement and, in turn, makes more money for the guilty parties.

Black Ops 7 (campaign aside, because yeah, it's, well, it's a thing) isn't a bad game. There are plenty of reasons not to play that are valid, and that's fine. Just don't get dragged into this type of idiocy. Don't blindly believe everything you see on social media.

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One thing we can say for sure about Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is that there hasn't been a shortage of post-launch content. While some of its competitors are experiencing delays and community pushback, Call of Duty players are literally swimming in stuff to do.

As much as I liked Black Ops 6 overall, I got fairly bored by about March, because every week started feeling like the one before it. I just noticed, in fact, that by mid-February, I've already leveled up beyond the point I got to in last year's game overall.

That's because the content is good. The latest content, the Escalation Directive Camo event, especially, I think, is the best post-launch content Call of Duty has seen in some time. Better still, it's completely free with absolutely no upsell.

To clarify, I'm excluding things like new game modes and maps from what I'm defining as post-launch content. That stuff is expected, but in a live-service game like Black Ops 7, I don't think it's enough on its own to keep players engaged.

Instead I'm looking at the weekly grind. The stuff that keeps players coming back. Escalation Directive on its own is an event that everyone should play. No premium track means everyone has the same chance to get the same rewards, and since a lot of the game is built around unlocking Camos, it's absolutely perfect.

It also encourages players to jump into every mode. Previous events can usually be done across all modes, but there's usually a way to cheese it in a single one. Lest we forget the recent Fallout leaderboard event that turned into a brain rot simulator running around opening crates in Warzone Casual.

The only way to complete Escalation Directive and unlock the Incandescence Mastery Camo is to complete nine challenges in Endgame, Multiplayer, Warzone, and Zombies. Getting folks out of their comfort zone and trying everything the game has to offer.

I don't see anything bad in this at all. Not only are the rewards pretty good, but it's an event that rewards some form of skill. The challenges aren't super difficult, but you have to play the game a certain way to unlock each of them.

I really do think Black Ops 7 and Warzone have been on a roll in recent weeks with the content. I just hope it continues. The Zombies event that launched with Season 02 may have been plagued by bugs, but the premise was spot on. Rewarding players for their ability in-game, not simply their ability to run around collecting items.

That's on top of the win streak Camos in Warzone, which will forever be some of the rarest in the game due to the difficulty in acquiring them. All of this is the type of content I want to see in Call of Duty.

Give us more content that rewards players for playing the game and having to use their ability. Sure, Escalation Directive can be completed by anyone, just as the regular Mastery Camos can, but there's still an actual challenge behind it.

Escalation Directive is, essentially, a shrunken-down version of the regular Mastery Camo grind, covering all modes, with unique rewards for each, and an 'Ultra Mastery' for doing them all. It's substantial, without being too 'grindy.'

Folks have loved to dump on Black Ops 7 since it came out, but I maintain that Activision really isn't doing bad with it. If you try it and don't like it, that's fine. But I look at some other live service games, and the sheer volume of content we're getting puts many of them in the shade.

Whatever type of mode you prefer and whatever skill level you're at, there is always something to do. Not everything is for everyone, and that's fine. But I'm here for it, and I'm just saying, if you folks want to do another Camo event like this before the next game comes out, I'll take it.

I'm sure I'm not alone on that one.

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As we've already seen with the new Call of Duty: Warzone easter egg on the reworked Rebirth Island, there's a lot more happening than just a bit of snow.

Besides said easter egg and its Nova 7 blueprint reward, there are also a couple of others hiding out in plain sight on the map that anyone can grab.

The caveat is that you don't get to keep these. Once your match completes, they're gone, and you won't find them in your inventory. Nevertheless, in every match on Rebirth Island, you can grab The Paintstorm and the Illusive Phantom right off the rip. Here's where to get them.

Where to find the Illusive Phantom on Winter Rebirth Island in Call of Duty: Warzone

The Illusive Phantom is a Kar 98 Marksman Rifle from the Modern Warfare 3 days, and it still packs a punch even compared to the latest Black Ops 7 weapons.

The blueprint has a shimmering appearance, adorned with skulls, and has a decent long-range scope.

To get it, you need to drop onto the top of the lighthouse just south of the Prison POI, and you'll find it waiting. It's first come, first served, though, so if someone else gets there first, you'll need to eliminate them if you want to get your hands on it.

Where to find The Paintstorm on Winter Rebirth Island in Call of Duty: Warzone

The Paintstorm is a C9 blueprint from Black Ops 6, with a vivid paintjob and a tracer effect that makes it look like you're shooting — you guessed it —paint.

As with the Illusive Phantom, it's first come, first served. To ensure you're the first to get your hands on it, drop into the map and go straight to the new Turbine POI.

You need to go in the uppermost door, the one closest to the Buy Station, and you'll find it on a bench on the right just inside. Just pick it up, and it's yours for the match.

That's all there is to it. It'd be more worth chasing them down if you got to keep them forever, but both are still pretty strong starting weapons to get.

These are the only two that seem to have been found so far, or as far as I know. But if you come across something else, drop into the comments below and share with us!

Update Feb 10: I asked Activision if the easter egg is a permanent addition to the map throughout Black Ops 7 or whether it will depart when the Winter does. An Activision spokesperson told me: "We're happy players have discovered the easter egg on Rebirth Island. Players who want to get their hands on the blueprint shouldn't wait to hunt it down for themselves." Vague, but reading between the lines, that makes me think that it'll be time limited. So best not to wait too long!

Alongside the Season 02 update, Call of Duty: Warzone has seen a fairly extensive update to the Rebirth Island Resurgence map.

It's actually better than we were expecting, and besides the makeover, there's a new easter egg with a secret blueprint reward.

It can be done solo or in a group, and if in a group, once completed, every member should get the rewards. Besides the blueprint, there's also an emblem to be unlocked a little earlier in the process. Here's what you need to do.

Here's a quick breakdown of the steps you need to follow to complete the Secret Challenge, unlock the Nova 7 Blueprint for the Dravec, and get the Past Secrets Emblem.

How to complete the Rebirth Island Secret Challenge

1. Drop in at the new bunker to the right of Stronghold and south of Living Quarters in the lower portion of the map.
2. Grab the Molotov which is available to loot nearby.
3. Throw the Molotov at the iced over button next to the door.
4. Go inside the bunker and grab the Computer SSD from a box at the back.
5. Next, go to the new Turbine POI, and locate a second door at the very bottom.
6. You need to do the same to the button. If you need another Molotov there's an Ammo Cache at the top of the POI.
7. Once melted, open the bunker and go inside. Whoever has the SSD has to interact with the computer and note the binary sequence shown.

8. Now go to the tunnel that leads under Prison and go to the very back. This is the door to the secret Gulag.
9. Interact with the keypad to activate the sequence.
10. The five lights need to match the binary sequence from the earlier step. For zero, do nothing, and the light will stop blinking. For one, toggle to make the light turn green.
11. When the correct sequence is inputted, the doors will unlock and you'll unlock the Past Secrets Emblem.
12. Inside the Gulag are seven panels with notes next to them that say whether the panel needs to be engaged or disengaged.
13. Next to the storage unit containing the blueprint and some Specialist packs, activate the switch to begin the sequence.
14. In order from one to seven, engage the screens that need to be engaged, and leave the ones that don't.

The final step is the hardest, because you don't have long from activating the sequence to go and complete all of the screens. This part is definitely easier in a group.

The best advice is to scope it out first (or use the video above for guidance) and note down which screens need to be engaged and where they are. That way you can more quickly get them done in the limited time you have.

Don't worry if you miss it the first time; after a few seconds the system will reset, and you can try again, starting with the switch to engage the sequence.

When you complete it correctly and in time, the storage unit doors will open, and you'll have yourself the brand-new Nova 7 Blueprint for the Dravec SMG. It also drops four specialist packs, enough for everyone on your team.

Both bunkers and the Gulag are also jam-packed with loot, with orange chests in the former and red chests on hand when you make it to the final step. Particularly useful if you didn't manage to get your loadout in the process of completing the Secret Challenge.

Best of all, you can do this in Resurgence Casual, too, to make it a little easier on you and your team. But that's all there is to it. The steps aren't incredibly hard, but you'll need to be as fast as possible because the zone is always moving in. Now I have to start all over again!

Though online multiplayer games that get updated with new content and important adjustments have been around for over 20 years, it wasn't until we got titles like Destiny and Fortnite that we arguably saw the true birth of the "live service" genre, and its subsequent rise to dominance. Games like these aren't finished products that get occasional patches; they're constantly evolving projects, frequently updated with a steady stream of improvements and additions.

Today, live-service games are some of the biggest in the industry, and it seems like just about everyone is trying to make one. That's led to a very oversaturated market, and a lot of flops like Anthem or the infamous Concord. With so many options available for players, developers have to fiercely compete for their time with rapid content updates and lightning-fast fixes for gameplay and technical issues.

One of the largest, most-successful franchises in the space — and in all of gaming in general — is Call of Duty, Activision's juggernaut FPS series that's now under Microsoft's Xbox banner. Call of Duty routinely brings in huge revenue and drives tons of player engagement on consoles, and as I write this, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 and the free-to-play battle royale experience Call of Duty: Warzone is kicking off a gigantic Season 2 update, complete with a stacked roadmap and tons of Battle Pass content.

Ahead of its arrival, I had the opportunity to sit down with developer Treyarch's senior director of production Yale Miller and design director Matt Scronce to discuss the development of Black Ops 7 and Warzone, and how the Call of Duty team adapts to the challenges of keeping players satisfied with regular live-service updates.

A balance of early planning and flexibility is key

"For us, it all starts with planning. The volume of content we deliver takes far longer than the window between launch and when players actually see it. A lot of this work begins six to eight months earlier, sometimes more," Miller told me. "Live seasons aren’t an afterthought. You can’t finish the game and then start thinking about post-launch. Players don’t want to wait three or four weeks for something new, and many of them focus on just one mode. Whether it’s Multiplayer, Zombies, or something else, you have to keep delivering."

"Our goal is to have at least Seasons 1 and 2 largely built and playable early [before launch], even if they’re not final. That way we can make meaningful changes," he continued. "It’s about getting content 80 to 90 percent of the way there, then using that last stretch for polish and iteration."

But while the team strives to put together the bulk of upcoming seasons far in advance, it also has to stay "flexible," and be ready to make adjustments based on player feedback given in the current season. That might mean reevaluating plans for different types of post-launch content, for example.

"We see feedback quickly. We do early balance passes, tuning weapons and attachments within the first few weeks. That new meta then feeds directly back into how we approach the post-launch weapons we already had planned," Scronce explained. "It’s layered ... I’d say flexible more than reactive. We build flexibility into the process."

"We’re constantly looking at feedback, whether that’s social media, community reports, or what our PR teams surface. And honestly, a lot of us are just playing the game. You’ll have someone stop by your desk and say, 'Hey, these Akita Akimbos are overpowered in Face Off,'" he added. "That kind of feedback matters. This is a living game, and we treat it that way."

Player critique and criticism is very important for the developers' creative process, as it gives them critical guidance on the types of changes or additions it needs to implement. By constantly gathering it, the team can make sure its content updates — and future titles — aren't just coming at a steady cadence, but are delivering what fans want as well.

"Nothing is ever really done. Even when content ships, that’s just step one. Some teams see launch as the finish line. For us, it’s the starting gun," Miller chimed in. "That’s when players jump in, feedback starts rolling in, and everything accelerates. You’re running the race while adjusting your stride. What are players loving? What’s not landing? What can we improve?"

"Some things landed immediately, some were more mixed, and that helps guide what we double down on next season. We also carry those learnings forward, not just season to season, but into how we think about future games."

How does Endgame shake things up?

Another topic of our chat was Endgame — Black Ops 7's brand new open-world co-op PvE experience that supports lobbies of up to 32 players and tasks them with completing missions and boss fights to earn loot before extracting. Endgame is a huge new addition that Treyarch and co-developer Raven Software have made a core pillar of the game alongside campaign, multiplayer, and Zombies mode, so I was curious to learn if it's shaken up the development process.

"When we committed to Endgame, we knew it would be a long-term live experience. We knew we couldn’t just put it out and that’s that," Scronce said. "We had experience from modes like Outbreak and MWZ [previous PvE offerings], so we understood what we were signing up for."

"It does require dedicated teams and resources ... A lot of the folks who worked on the co-op campaign transitioned onto Endgame, so there’s continuity there. That familiarity and excitement carries forward," he continued.

"One of the cool things about Endgame is the variety. Some content is more open-ended and systemic, like exploring Avalon. Other pieces, like Glitches or quest-style content, are more structured and almost campaign-like," Miller added.

"We match work to teams based on strengths. Some groups are great at systemic gameplay. Others excel at more scripted experiences. That flexibility lets people stretch creatively while playing to what they’re best at," he noted. "For developers who traditionally worked on campaign, it’s exciting to work on something that keeps evolving. It’s not a finished movie. It’s a story that keeps going."

I asked how we might see Endgame evolve over time, and if the devs plan to use it as a vehicle for further storytelling and exploration of Black Ops' lore post-campaign. Ultimately, though, it's been designed as a mode that facilitates players telling their own story through memorable gameplay experiences.

"With Endgame, the focus is gameplay first. There are narrative anchors, callbacks, and moments of nostalgia ... But a lot of the story is about player experience. Building your Operator, tackling difficult content with a crew, progressing through new systems," explained Miller.

"There may be smaller story payoffs along the way, but the heart of it is players creating their own stories together."

Devs "stagger time off" to keep up the pace

Overall, the team is very proud of how it's managed to stay on top of the never-ending demands of live-service development, and of the depth of content it's been able to deliver to many different types of players.

"One thing I’ll add is how many different player types we’re designing for. Even within Multiplayer, you have players who only play Face Off Moshpit and hit Prestige Master there. Others live in core 6v6, or the new 20v20 Skirmish mode," said Scronce.

"Then you’ve got Ranked Play coming, which brings a completely different mindset. Zombies players, Endgame players, Warzone players. It’s a huge web of experiences. Coordinating all of that across teams is something we’re really proud of, and honestly, we probably don’t stop to acknowledge it enough," he admitted.

But with all the talk of how the Call of Duty team is constantly hard at work creating new content and improving existing offerings, I couldn't help but conclude our interview asking how it maintains that pace without "crunch" and burnout.

"People sometimes ask if we get a break after launch. We view launch as course one. There are half-seasons, updates, events. The work really ramps up," Miller said.

"We stagger time off so people can rest without the studio ever fully stopping. Everyone gets breaks, but the studio keeps moving," he added. "We got a little bit of an extended break over Christmas, but you still need people to push playlist updates, there are launch rooms as we release new playlists, events, all of those types of things."

"If you invest in a Call of Duty game, you should feel like you’re getting a full year of meaningful new content. And we plan to keep delivering on that."

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is available across Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC, PS5, and PS4 for $69.99 ($45.49 on Steam thanks to a deal), while Call of Duty: Warzone is free-to-play on these platforms. On Xbox, PC, and Xbox Cloud Gaming, it's also available to play through PC Game Pass or Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.

What are your thoughts on Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 and Warzone, and the live-service cadence their developers are maintaining? Do you like live-service games in general? Let me know in the comments.

The Call of Duty FPS series stands tall as one of the largest gaming franchises in the entire world, so it's rather fitting that it also tends to be very content dense, complete with tons of different maps, modes, weapons, skins, and more. Indeed, that deep variety is one of the major reasons it's so popular to begin with — and Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, released last November across Xbox, Windows PC, and PlayStation, had the biggest launch of any title in the series in terms of what it offered to players.

Now, three months later, developers Treyarch and Raven Software are eager to keep the content rolling in with the imminent arrival of Season 2, a colossal update for both Black Ops 7 and the free-to-play battle royale experience Call of Duty: Warzone.

Season 2 has a release date of February 5, so it's now only a few days away — and ahead of its launch next week, the Call of Duty team has released its roadmap, along with plenty of details about what players can expect to see in both Black Ops 7 and Warzone.

You can view the full roadmap below, or check it out in the official blog post it was included in that covers everything coming to both games in the coming weeks and months in detail.

Though the blog post is absolutely gigantic and covers many of Season 2's new and refreshed maps, game modes, weapons and attachments, events, cosmetic bundles, and various other additions in extensive detail, one of its most notable reveals is about a game mode we know extremely little about thus far.

In the mid-season update for Season 2, Treyarch and Raven Software plan to launch a completely new battle royale mode in Call of Duty: Warzone that takes place on the Avalon map coming to the game. This mode has been "built from the ground up," and draws significant inspiration from Call of Duty: Black Ops 4's Blackout.

Longtime Call of Duty fans will no doubt recognize that name; Blackout, launched within Black Ops 4 in 2018, was the series' first battle royale experience, and laid the foundations that Warzone would later build upon. Compared to Warzone's emphasis on curating a loadout and then calling it in by completing missions in matches, though, Blackout had a more traditional battle royale structure.

It involved simply dropping into the map and gearing up with whatever you could scavenge across its various points of interest before engaging other players, which added some extra unpredictability to every game that many players enjoyed. Those fans will no doubt be incredibly happy to hear we're getting a Blackout-like mode in Warzone that will likely serve those who enjoy a classic battle royale formula.

Sadly, we don't know what this mode is called yet, and specific gameplay details about it are unknown, too. More information will surely come in the coming weeks as the mid-season update approaches, however.

Note that the Xbox and PC version of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is included in Xbox Game Pass; specifically, you'll need Xbox Game Pass Ultimate to access it, or PC Game Pass if you're a PC-only player. The game also fully supports Xbox Play Anywhere cross-progression.

Are you looking forward to checking out everything Season 2 has to offer in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 and Warzone? Are you excited about a Blackout-like mode coming to Warzone? Let me know in the comments.

For a game that the internet would have you believe everyone hates, Call of Duty still seems to be doing pretty well for itself in the U.S. At least that's according to the latest Circana data.

There are some takeaways we can gather from the data, which you can see in the post below from Circana's Mat Piscatella.

The first is that on console, Call of Duty is, still, doing really well, trailing only to Fortnite. The second is that, currently, Battlefield 6, which outsold Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, is not doing so well. Sales are one thing, but on console, right now, the players are not playing it.

Circana Player Engagement Tracker - US Top 10 Titles by Total Weekly Active Users (Not Concurrent) - W/E Jan 17, 2026- The Marvel Rivals Season 6: Night at the Museum content drop on Jan 16th helped lift the title to 6th in US weekly active users on PlayStation and to 8th on Xbox.

— @matpiscatella.bsky.social (@matpiscatella.bsky.social.bsky.social) 2026-01-27T15:16:40.780Z

The Steam information is much rosier for Battlefield 6, though we know that it's also the least played platform for Call of Duty right now.

I don't play Battlefield 6 myself, I've never really enjoyed the franchise, and aside from a little time in the beta and on REDSEC, I haven't touched it. But I'm also not going to wish its downfall, because competition should make everything better for all of us.

But given the discourse online, you would be forgiven for thinking Call of Duty is struggling. Is it doing as well as previous years? Doesn't look like it. But it's always been a console heavy hitter, and it's still doing well. Take Twitch viewership, also, as another metric of interest. Call of Duty is signficantly outperforming Battlefield 6 here, right now.

And sure, Call of Duty is three titles. But you could say the same about Fortnite with all the different game experiences under its total umbrella.

EA needs to swing for the fences with its next season in Battlefield 6, though, that much seems clear. It's already been delayed, and without content for people to play, they won't keep playing.

Criticize Call of Duty all you want, but Season 01 has been stacked with limited time game modes, events, and challenges across Black Ops 7 and Warzone. Circana also notes the recent Marvel Rivals content drop helped it gain some spots, so, you know, make it and they will play.

Let's also shout out the old warhorse, GTA V, which is STILL one of the most played games on console more than 12 years after it launched. Maybe I'll play through it one more time before GTA 6 (hopefully) arrives.

Since Season 01 Reloaded dropped for Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 and Warzone, players have been attempting challenges harder than anything we've seen in some time.

For playing Warzone and building a big enough win streak, the rewards are some weapon camos, which we already knew would be the rarest in the game.

But following a post on X from Raven Software, the Activision studio responsible primarily for Warzone, we know just how rare. One of them has only been obtained by 17 players.

As expected, the success rate on the Resurgence rewards for 30 and 50 win streaks is higher. Matches are shorter, and there are regular respawns. But the ultimate chase — a 25 win streak on Battle Royale — that has so far only been claimed by 17 players.

That also means that 17 or less can claim to have completed the full set. That's a tiny, tiny amount, considering the many tens of thousands of players who jump into Warzone every day.

And no, these can't be done in Casual. Only by putting on your grown up pants and playing the proper modes. Credit to everyone who's done it, I won't even attempt it. I've watched some of the best known players go for these streaks, and it's a slog. One loss, and you're back to zero.

However, reaction to the numbers has been mixed on social media, and shows a wider lack of trust with the players that still needs to be fixed. Cheating.

To Activision's credit, Ricochet does seem to be doing a much better job since Black Ops 7 launched. Whether it's the new TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot requirement on PC, or a combination of factors, it does work significantly better even just from my own experience.

But since the win streak Camos were revealed, and still to this day, there's a sentiment of "rewarding cheaters." Many of the replies prove this.

I will say that I'm firmly of the opinion that in many cases, it's 'sour grapes' and other players weren't actually cheating, they're just better. But I have also seen evidence watching streamers play that there are still blatant cheaters in the game.

This is probably an unwinnable battle, at least in the short term. Because the cheating problem was so bad for so long, players have become jaded, and it's almost a default response from many.

17 people is not a lot, even if they were cheaters. So something must be working. The true test will be when Ranked Play drops in Season 02.

Raven has also confirmed that these win streak Camos will be gone at the end of the season, with new ones to chase in Season 02. So you've only got a couple of weeks left to get them done.

I've been generally positive about Call of Duty: Black Ops 7. Despite what the internet seems to think I should believe, I think it's a pretty good game, and I'm enjoying it a lot.

But I'm also more than happy to shout up when I see something stupid. And the Baron of the Wasteland event, that's in its final day as I write this — is stupid.

Everyone who plays can, and does take part. But a leaderboard based on collecting items in the game does nothing more than reward people who play the game more, or find the best cheese. It feels like the video game equivalent of those blue tick bot accounts on X farming engagement for revenue.

A leaderboard that rewards no kind of skill

I'll be the first to admit, I'm more of a challenge completion kind of player than a fully competitive player. But this leaderboard event makes no sense.

Last time out it was based on how much score you accrued, which at least rewarded good play. This time round it's how many of the Fallout-themed bottle caps you can pick up.

Whether you like the rewards or not, they're limited. There are a couple of special camos to get, and the 'winner' gets a Calling Card calling them the champion.

The champion of what? The most bottle caps does not equal the best player on the leaderboard. Merely the one who has played the most. Whether you use Endgame, Zombies, or the Warzone Casual cheese where you just run around farming crates, it's literally just rewarding someone for playing more of the game than other people.

There's that element of FOMO, because once these rewards have gone, they're gone for good. But it's FOMO simply being turned into collecting hours played metrics for Treyarch. It'll look great on their internal numbers, but it doesn't make it any less ridiculous.

I've tried the Warzone method to see how many I can get, and by the time my brain could take no more I'm still 1,000 behind whoever is top of my leaderboard. If I wasn't simultaneously working on some Prestige Master Titles and the Reticle mastery at the same time, I doubt I'd have lasted even that long.

I want leaderboard events, but for rewarding the best players

As the type of gamer who traditionally plays a lot of looter shooters, I'm well versed in the art of doing the same thing over and over again to farm resources or have a chance at some killer loot.

But this event isn't like that. It's rewarding brain rot. What I want to see Treyarch do is set these events up to reward the best players out there while they're happening. I watched a streamer get their 25 win streak on Verdansk and be only 10th on their leaderboard.

It doesn't make sense. The other collection event, Quantum Exchange, is fine. Everyone gets all the rewards for, honestly, not a lot of work over its lifespan.

The recently added Warzone win streak rewards are on the right track, and the approach I want to see applied to future events. I'm never getting that Camo, because I don't deserve it. Those who have it — assuming they're not cheaters — earned it.

I'm crying out for events that reward people trying to win in Multiplayer, not just pad their own stats and grind the Mastery Camo. That shouldn't just apply to Ranked Play, which isn't even here yet and not everyone wants to try.

That's what I want to see from these leaderboard events. No collection simulators, incentives to actually play the game properly. High rounds in Zombies, boss/world event clears in Endgame, winning matches in Multiplayer, winning matches in Warzone.

Make the "champion" someone who had to work for it by playing the game the best. Not the person who found the best cheese. Let's get some proper competition back in Call of Duty.

With the second week of the Fallout crossover in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 now upon us, some new events have gone live.

One of them, Quantum Exchange, brings the reward of the brand-new Hawker HX sniper rifle, the stand-out reward for sure.

It's easy enough to get, but if you're here, it's because you're impatient and want to know the fastest route to unlocking it. Fortunately, I've tried every mode, and I've got the easiest, least stressful method locked down. Here's what to do.

How to unlock the Hawker HX sniper rifle in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7

Besides speed, when I'm looking for methods to complete events or unlock new items in Black Ops 7, I go for the least stressful approach. There's enough sweatiness in the game, so let's relax when we can, right?

To get the Hawker HX both quickly and as easily as possible, use the Endgame mode. Zombies is a decent runner-up, but for most people who want this fast, I'd definitely recommend avoiding Warzone and Multiplayer. I'll break down the numbers I've been getting after the method.

You need to collect 100 bottle caps to cash in for the Hawker HX, and you get those from eliminations in Endgame. To get those in a hurry, drop into Zone III and head to the grassy areas in the top left corner of the map.

These areas have become a staple for those working towards the Genesis Mastery Camo, and they're just as good here. You'll get a large quantity of zombie-type enemies spawning here at regular intervals.

Just keep moving up and down the very outskirts of the map in Zone III, find a group, eliminate the group, grab any bottle caps, and move along to find another. Rinse and repeat, that's all you have to do. It doesn't seem to preference Special or Elite enemies over regular ones, so just mow down everything in sight.

Based on what I've been experiencing, you could get the 100 bottle caps you need in four matches, five at most, so it should only take you a couple of hours of in-game time.

Why Black Ops 7 Endgame is the play to unlock the Hawker HX

It's a simple numbers game. From trying every mode, the rewards compared to the time spent in-game, with an added bonus of being significantly easier to play than the other three modes, Endgame comes out on top.

I've not seen less than 20 bottle caps per match, and when I've stuck it out longer, until the 15-minute warning pops up, I've seen 29.

Compared to Zombies on Survival, even with the Rampage Inducer on, it's a better return. Here I've only been able to get 10 bottle caps in just under 20 minutes. If you go to higher rounds with more zombies, you'll get more, but it's more of a time suck.

Warzone is third, and a distant one, at that. Like previous collection events, you only need to open crates. But in a full match (using Casual mode, because you can) I only got six bottle caps.

Multiplayer is dead last because the drop rates are so low for the amount of time you'll end up playing. But also because if a bottle cap drops, and it's not right in front of you, there's a decent chance you get eliminated before you collect it.

So, Endgame is the strategy. It's pretty reliable, delivering between 20 and 30 bottle caps per run, targeting mostly the areas detailed above. If you don't have a Zone III ready operator, then drop in for some Zombies as your back-up plan. It might take a little longer, but both are superior to Warzone or Multiplayer for efficiency.

Squid Game, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, American Dad, Beavis and Butthead, and that god awful Seth Rogen weed event. The collaborations in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 that pushed most of us over the edge.

The first collaboration of Black Ops 7 is here now, and, at least in my opinion, it's clear of last year's shenanigans by some margin. One, because it's Fallout, a much loved and highly respected game/TV show franchise (and one of my own favorite shows, I might add).

But secondly, because it's actually really well done. Even if you don't want to cough up for the premium items, this is how these type of crossovers in Call of Duty should be.

Fallout is a different type of futuristic to Black Ops 7, but I think it works

So, why is this event any different to last year's? Fallout's post-apocalyptic setting doesn't exactly match up with Black Ops 7's near-future, does it?

I don't think it feels jarring. Nuketown, obviously, is absolutely made for its Vault-Tec makeover. It's already, in its traditional form, every bit as retro as Fallout. It all works.

But outside of this, The Ghoul, Maximus, and (when the bundle drops in the Store) Lucy are no more out of place than some of the operator skins already in the game. They're certainly an improvement on some of those in the Store.

The same can be said of the weapon blueprints. I love the animated Vault-Tec weapon Camo, and the special blueprints on the premium track are a significant step forward from last year's pooping Unicorn. They're a different type of futuristic to everything else, but they're so well done they don't feel out of place.

The detail is exceptional. The special weapons and finishing move you can get even have the Fallout green numbers death effect. Deathclaws look terrifying.

Plenty of actual Fallout-themed content to play

The Fallout crossover isn't just a cash grab, and I get it if there are folks out there that might think it is. Yes, there's an event pass, and yes, it has a paid tier. If you want it, you can buy it and get the extra goodies.

But each of the four modes in this year's Call of Duty — Endgame, Multiplayer, Zombies, and Warzone — have dedicated LTMs (limited time modes) with a Fallout twist to them.

Zombies fans, especially, are eating well. The playlist has rewards on both big maps, including a Calling Card for defeating the Deathclaw after going on a Vault-Boy Bobblehead hunt. Other rewards trigger for reaching Round 10 and Round 50.

Both maps have been tweaked to fit the Fallout theme, too, with some alterations to the gameplay mechanics over the regular modes.

Endgame has a new World Event, wherein a Nuke drops on the map, creates an irradiated zone, and spawns a bunch of nasty Deathclaws you have to deal with. Completing it can also give you the final Endgame Dark Ops Calling Card, as well the Brotherhood of Steel's Power Armor to use as a Scorestreak.

The arrival of a third World Event to Endgame has also, finally, unlocked access to the final Dark Ops Challenge. If you already did the first two to completion, doing the Atomic Impact event will net you the Titan Hunter Dark Ops.

Multiplayer has a few things going on. Nuketown has been rebranded as Vault Town, there's a mode similar to the recent Holiday Havoc, but Fallout, and Infected has returned with Ghouls and constant Rads damage.

Warzone gets Power Armor Royale, which mixes PvP and PvE on a reduced version of the Verdansk map. It's like a more casual battle royale, but with Power Armor. Everything is better with Power Armor.

Will everyone enjoy these modes? No, of course not. Zombies and Endgame's aren't necessarily that replayable once you've got what you wanted from them. But the point is that there's a sizable chunk of actual content to play. Content is king.

Black Ops 7 Season 01 has been better than the whole of Black Ops 6

The problem last year with Black Ops 6 was a lack of meaningful content. Sure we had new maps in Multiplayer, Warzone got Verdansk back, Zombies had its fair share and there were events.

But after a strong start, it tailed off pretty quickly. Speaking personally, I played Black Ops 6 hard for the first half of its life, but then pretty much gave up. Repetitive, is how I can best sum it up.

Black Ops 7 has already started with a bang, regardless of what the Internet may have you believing, if you're not a player. There's a ridiculous spread of stuff to do across all four modes, especially if, like myself, you like the challenge of, well, challenges.

Season 01 already feels like it's delivered more in just over a month than we had all of last year. The Fallout event is excellent, the content over the holidays has been pretty solid, and I've been having a blast.

Hell, I've just finished the Warzone Mastery Camo and 100% Calling Card challenge. I don't even know why, since I don't particularly enjoy Warzone. But here we are.

Fallout has now set a standard, though. It means nothing in the wider picture if future events and collaborations don't stack up like this one. Here's hoping.

The much hyped Fallout crossover event is now live in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 and Warzone with the start of Season 01 Reloaded.

Besides the paid bundle in the store and the limited time modes available to play, there's also an event pass with a bunch of rewards.

The Fallout event pass has both a free and paid track, with the end reward being the new weapon, the Sturmwolf 45 (free track) and The Ghoul operator (paid track.) So how do you get the chase items as fast as possible? Follow these tips.

How to complete the Call of Duty x Fallout event pass as fast as possible

Completing the Fallout event pass isn't particularly difficult, and there's three weeks in which to get it all done.

But, if you're impatient, and you want the new stuff right now, how can you get it done quickly? Essentially, you just need to get as much XP as you can, and there are ways to increase your odds.

You can do this in any mode, and my recommendation is to do it in the one you feel most confident in. Personally, I'll be avoiding Multiplayer, because from my levelling so far, I know I can get better XP returns even from Warzone for the time I'm spending playing.

The key, though, isn't so much the mode, it's stacking as much bonus XP as you can. The obvious one is to run 2XP tokens if you have them, because that automatically doubles up whatever you earn.

Otherwise, pay attention to your available challenges. The Fallout event launches at the same time as another round of weekly challenges, so do as many of those as you can for some additional gains. Weekly challenges are worth up to 5,000 XP each. Daily challenges also count.

But there are challenges galore throughout Black Ops 7 and Warzone. Camo unlocks reward XP, Calling Card unlocks reward XP, and if you're at Prestige Master, the Title Challenges are worth 25,000 XP a piece.

Basically, stack up as many challenges that deliver XP as you can at any one time. The more you can get per match, the quicker you'll finish the event.

Or, and I don't necessarily recommend this, if you're really impatient, you can buy tiers. But where's the fun in that?

FAQs

Okey dokey! We already knew that Season 01 Reloaded in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 and Warzone was bringing a Fallout crossover, and now, we know exactly what it looks like.

On the eve of the big update, Activision has released the teaser trailer you see above, and naturally, it's not just some operator skins. Of course, there are skins, and typically, they're not all going to be free.

The crossover is coming in the form of a full on event, with its own event pass, as well as special limited time modes across both Black Ops 7 and Warzone to enjoy.

So, what are we getting. Obviously, Lucy, The Ghoul, and Maximus operator skins, and a Fallout Tracer Pack which means customized weapons, too.

From the trailer, we get our first look at the themed Nuketown map with a healthy splash of Vault-Tec. Was there ever a more perfect combination?

Limited time modes (LTM) will be coming to Multiplayer, Zombies, and Warzone, as well. In the latter, it looks like we're going to have some Brotherhood of Steel Power Armor to play with on Verdansk.

In Zombies, the LTM is going to feature a Deathclaw fight it seems, so that'll be fun. Or not fun at all, depending on your outlook. Multiplayer's LTM looks like a Ghoul-themed take on the Infected mode we've seen before.

Better still, it's dated for January 8, aka, tomorrow, the launch of Season 01 Reloaded. So right out of the gate, we're hitting the ground hard with new content to play. More so, content that looks like it'll be fun to play.

Last year's Black Ops 6 crossover events and event passes were average at best, but at least the first for Black Ops 7 looks to have some meat on its bones. We're coming straight out of the holiday events and into something else new, which will certainly help pass the time until Season 02 drops in February.

I know this, though. The Ghoul is probably my operator skin for the rest of the year.

2025 is behind us and as always, we played a lot of video games. It was an interesting year, to say the least, sometimes good, sometimes less so.

This isn't about price rises or controversy, though, it's an early look at what Xbox and PlayStation owners were actually playing the most last year.

The numbers, per Mat Piscatella of Circana, have no real surprises. In fact, the top five games on each platform are exactly the same as 2024, albeit, in a different ranking.

2025's top 5 most played games on US Xbox ranked by % of active panel that played:1 - Fortnite2 - Call of Duty3 - GTAV4 - Minecraft5 - RobloxSame list for 2024:1 - Call of Duty2 - Fortnite3 - Minecraft4 - GTAV5 - RobloxSource: Circana Player Engagement Tracker

— @matpiscatella.bsky.social (@matpiscatella.bsky.social.bsky.social) 2026-01-07T16:38:38.894Z

Specifically to Xbox, Fortnite rose, as did GTA V, while Minecraft and Call of Duty dropped. PlayStation was even more predictable, with the same exact games occupying the same spots.

On PlayStation, Fortnite retained its top rank, followed by Call of Duty, GTA V, Roblox, and Minecraft.

In any case, two of Microsoft's biggest hitters remain among PlayStation's most played games. That's on top of the success seen by previously first-party exclusives such as Forza Horizon 5 making the jump to Sony's console.

Caveats, of course, to add a little perspective. Fortnite includes every single mode under the banner, not just the battle royale most of us think of. And they're all free-to-play.

Likewise, Call of Duty encompasses everything accessed through the game's launcher. That means Black Ops 6, Black Ops 7, Warzone, and up until the middle of the year, Modern Warfare 3.

These numbers also serve as a timely reminder that, while useful (and sometimes fun), tracking Steam player numbers doesn't always tell the wider story.

Three of the games mentioned in the lists above aren't available on Steam, for example. Steam might be the biggest player in PC gaming as a whole, and its data is definitely useful, but it's also not the absolute metric that can paint a complete picture.

Call of Duty, for example, isn't doing that great on Steam. Plenty of internet people have taken great delight in this (though the same people are quiet about Battlefield 6's significantly declined player count.)

But Call of Duty is also available on the Xbox app and Battle.net, and objectively, Steam is the worst of the three to play the game on. Many have reported it just doesn't perform as well as on Battle.net, and the Tuesday Steam maintenance kicking players from live matches has turned players away.

In any case, the wider landscape seems to be more business as usual. I think the only game that might kick any of those out in 2026 will be GTA 6, assuming it actually releases this year. Even in the limited time it'll have, the number of people that will be playing should surely propel it into the top five.

Activision has confirmed the release date of Season 01 Reloaded for Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, delivering a teaser for the maps to be added to the Multiplayer mode.

Also being delivered, at least on Battle.net, it seems, is a preload for the big update. Notice how the word big there is in bold?

That's because, like the writer of this post that has spent the Christmas period eating far too much, said preload is very hefty. Popular Call of Duty content creator, MrDalekJD, gave us a look at his own preload.

The caveat, of course, is that yours may not be so chonky. If you don't have every game mode installed, for example, then you probably won't be seeing the same gargantuan download trying to come down your internet pipe.

But that preload is essentially redownloading the entire game again. On my PC (via the Xbox app), with everything installed, plus Warzone, the installation size is just shy of 170GB.

Anywho, aside from the fact it looks like we're downloading the whole game again this week, what can we expect? Well there's the three Multiplayer maps shown off above. Yakei is new, Meltdown is an old favorite being remastered, and Fringe is coming back from Black Ops 7.

We also know that there's a crossover event coming focused on the Fallout TV show, bringing two giant Microsoft-owned properties together. Perhaps worse, because it's the Fallout TV show, which I adore, it'll make me break my rule for this year on buying operator skins.

We're also expecting a couple of additional weapons being added to the pool, as well as the arrival of Directed Mode for the second Zombies map, Astra Malorum.

A full blog post and patch notes are promised for January 7, so we'll soon have the full picture.

Folks who love a good grind in Call of Duty games have an absolute smorgasbord on offer in Black Ops 7.

At every turn there's something to work towards, be it Calling Cards, Dark Ops, Mastery Camos, Battle Pass, cosmetics, blueprints, there's a challenge in every single corner of the game.

Prestige Master is not the end, but the beginning of a whole new journey. From there you begin the road to Prestige Legend, a road most of us will never complete. Here's what happens, what you unlock, and what you can work towards.

Black Ops 7 Prestige Master unlocks

You hit Prestige Master when you reach Level 56 at Prestige 10. From there, you don't reset to Level 1 as with every other Prestige tier, you carry on from Level 56.

Hitting Prestige Master unlocks some rewards immediately, including an operator skin. From there, as with other regular Prestige tiers, there are further unlocks at regular intervals up to Level 90, where the Sigil Fire AK-27 Blueprint is waiting.

As with Black Ops 6, the end of the grind comes at Level 1,000. From Level 100 and every further 100 after, you'll have access to legacy Prestige icons from past titles to use in place of the regular one.

Also unlocked at Prestige Master 100 are the first Title Challenges and Level Colors.

It's also worth a reminder that once you hit Prestige Master, all weapons and Scorestreaks remain permanently unlocked. Weapon Attachments are subject to the individual Weapon Prestige tiers, so if you're progressing those, that's independent of the XP Level climb.

Prestige Master Title Challenges and Level Colors

New for Black Ops 7 compared to Black Ops 6 are Prestige Master Title Challenges and Level Colors. The latter is exactly as it sounds, your Level in the game will be displayed in the color you choose, and there's a whole range to get hold of all the way up to the old favorite, Dark Matter, at Level 1,000.

Level Colors are automatically unlocked as soon as you reach their respective tier, but Prestige Master Titles have challenges behind them.

For example, the image above shows me unlocking the Professional Title, for completing 100 Contracts in Warzone. Each of the four modes has their own Title Challenges, and become available to complete from Level 100, and every 100 Levels thereafter.

Each Title Challenge also rewards 25,000 XP, so if you stack it with a double XP event or token, you can essentially clear a whole level each time you complete one.

They go all the way up to Prestige Legend, aka, Level 1,000, where you'll unlock the Title of the same name. Additionally, if you're a completionist and achieve the 100% completion on each of the four modes, you'll get a similarly labelled Title to go with it.

The only downside is that progress doesn't track until you unlock the Title Challenges. So, for example, one of the first you can unlock in Multiplayer is for getting 5,000 Eliminations. But it won't take into account all the Eliminations you made up to that point. You start from zero.

Some are pretty easy, some are absolutely not. Fancy slaying 666,666 Zombies? Obviously they're designed to be challenging, but if you're trying to complete them all, you've got a long, long road ahead of you.

From Helldivers 2 x Halo to Microsoft Flight Simulator x Stranger Things, there's been no shortage of big-name crossovers in video games lately. Now, two of Xbox's biggest franchises — Call of Duty and Fallout — are colliding, too.

Specifically, content inspired by Season 2 of the Fallout TV show is headed to Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 and Call of Duty: Warzone, with the official Call of Duty account on X (Twitter) posting a short teaser video for the crossover.

"Okie dokie — stay focused, stay alive," reads the post's caption. The content coming in the collaboration hasn't been specified, though the video does show clear silhouettes of the TV series' protagonist Lucy MacLean, as well as main characters The Ghoul and Brotherhood of Steel member Maximus in a suit of Fallout's iconic power armor.

This all-but-confirms that, at the very least, there will be Operator skins that allow you to play as these three characters in Black Ops 7 and Warzone, though there may be other types of cosmetics like weapon charms, decals, emblems, and more on offer, too.

As for when the crossover is coming, Call of Duty says it will be included as part of the Season 1 Reloaded update that's expected to come to Black Ops 7 and Warzone in early-to-mid January. We don't have a specific date for that patch yet, but we'll likely get one from developers Treyarch and Raven Software soon.

The contents of the Fallout crossover will likely be delivered in a premium event pass (these are usually 1,100 COD Points, or $10) or an Operator skin pack (typically 2,800 COD Points, or $25 worth). We won't know for sure until more official details are given, though.

Notably, this IP collision is coming at an opportune time, as Season 2 of the Fallout show just premiered on Amazon Prime Video and is now set to air new episodes weekly on Wednesdays. If the Reloaded update comes out when it's expected to, we'll be about halfway through the eight-episode season.

The debut season of the Fallout show passed a whopping 100 million viewers last year, and kicked off a massive resurgence for the RPG games it's an adaptation of. It's safe to say that Fallout as a series has never been more popular than it has been in recent months, in fact (take our Fallout quiz and test your knowledge).

Thus, a crossover with Call of Duty — one of the biggest and most profitable franchises in gaming history — makes plenty of sense, with Microsoft and Xbox no doubt hoping that its huge user base eagerly spends money on these cosmetics.

Note that Call of Duty vowed to avoid wacky skins in Black Ops 7, though later admitted they wouldn't be entirely "grounded"; I do think a Fallout crossover is less anachronistic than one with American Dad or Beavis and Butt-Head, but if I had a say, I'd fully return the series to its grounded, military-themed roots. But, y'know, that kind of game would probably make less money. Then again, Battlefield 6 is the best-selling game of 2025...

Anyway, Black Ops 7 was the best-selling game in November in the US, though it's performed worse than last year's Black Ops 6 and previous Call of Duty entries.

Part of the reason why is because Black Ops 7 — and all of the Fallout games too, by the way — is on Xbox Game Pass (you'll need Xbox Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass specifically). Alternatively, you can pick it up for just $45 at GameStop right now.

"Call of Duty is dead." "Nobody's playing that game." That's what they're saying on the internet, right?

And yet, here we are, with one of the least surprising pieces of news since scientists confirmed that night does indeed follow day.

Call of Duty was not only the number one on Xbox Game Pass for November, but Call of Duty is the number one game on Game Pass for 2025. I'm shocked, shocked! Well, not that shocked. This is the first full year of Call of Duty on Game Pass, and the result is what we'd expected.

Caveats, of course. Call of Duty refers to the Call of Duty HQ app which launches the three games which have contributed to the numbers. For most of 2025 the figures will consist of Warzone and Black Ops 6, with the latter, we know, having had a seriously impressive launch in late 2024.

November's success, you have to say will have been down to Black Ops 7 in large part. You know, that game nobody's playing?

So yeah, there we have it. The most hours played and the most number of players, even if it is technically across three titles. Still impressive, and you'd wager that some of those lost sales are down to folks subscribing to Game Pass and not buying the game outright.

Of course, none of this is to say Black Ops 7 has had the launch that anyone at Activision or Microsoft had hoped for. The recent messaging that they're no longer going to do back-to-back releases of Black Ops or Modern Warfare titles is at least an acknowledgment of what most of the community has been saying all along.

Out of the last ten Call of Duty games to launch up to this year, four have been Black Ops and three have been Modern Warfare. 2026 is expected to be Modern Warfare 4, which, on an updated rolling "last 10" will give us eight out of ten games from the two brands. Of course, we're getting a little fatigued on them.

They're obviously the biggest fish, but many of us are looking towards 2027 and the rumored all-new Sledgehammer-developed title with the most anticipation.

Nevertheless, Call of Duty is very much not dead, and honestly, Black Ops 7 is getting unnecessarily dumped on. It's better than Black Ops 6 in almost every aspect (though last year's campaign was definitely better), there's a ridiculous amount of content to play, stuff to unlock, and I know I'm enjoying it.

Now it's time to follow through on all the promises and keep the behemoth at the top. Only time will tell, though.

The new Resurgence map in Call of Duty: Warzone, Haven's Hollow, has, like its predecessors, some Easter Eggs to complete.

It's a fun little side quest to have in what's otherwise a sweatfest of battling other players, but the Jackalope Easter Egg, in particular, is well worth your time.

Completing it nets you Specialist, the pack that gives your operator every single perk in the game all at once. Not only for you, either. You and one other squad mate can pick up Specialist from this Easter Egg, and it takes maybe 30 seconds to complete.

At least, unless other players are also going after it. Then you might have to work a bit harder.

How to complete the Jackalope Hunt Easter Egg on Haven's Hollow in Call of Duty: Warzone

The main draw of the Jackalope Hunt is the Specialist Pack. Two of them drop, meaning you and a squad mate can both perk up and dominate.

When you drop into Haven's Hollow, head over to Pond. You're looking for basically a magic rabbit running around on the paths around the water. There's no set location, but you'll know it's the right one if it's being followed by a sparkly trail.

Shoot it, and you'll see a burst of loot explode from it. One of these is the Jackalope, so make sure you pick it up.

With the Jackalope in possession, you now want to head to the Hunting Lodge which can be found on the northern side of Pond.

Once inside, head to the fireplace, and look at the empty trophy mount above it. You'll see a prompt on screen to "mount Jackalope."

Mount it, and you'll see two Specialist Packs come out of the fireplace below. If it's your first time doing the Easter Egg, you'll also see an on-screen reward message, you'll get 4,000 XP, and the Beast Keepsake weapon decal.

But that's all there is to it. This is something that you can repeat in subsequent matches, and having Specialist really gives you an advantage over the competition.

When Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 launched in November, one of the big changes for PC players was an upgraded Ricochet anti-cheat. One of its requirements was TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot enabled to be able to play the game.

Fast-forward to Season 01 which launches at 9am Pacific today, December 4, and Call of Duty's free to play battle royale, Warzone, is catching up.

Season 01 sees Warzone's integration with Black Ops 7 and with it, the mandatory requirement to have TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot enabled on your PC.

"For Season 01, we’re rolling out stronger detection tools and upgraded protections built to support fair play across both Black Ops 7 and Warzone. This includes improved boosting detections designed to catch unfair progression, the expansion of TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot requirements to Warzone, and a new tool coming later in the season to help players quickly verify that their PC meets our security requirements."

Credit to Activision for the planned tool to help its players more easily verify they can play. But equally, since it was advertised ahead of Black Ops 7 this was going to be a thing, I can't help but feel it should have been ready by now?

In any case, the overall result should be positive. Right from the Black Ops 7 beta, the number of cheaters getting through was minimal. It's a constant cat and mouse game, but the early days of Black Ops 7 have been pretty good.

Of course, Warzone as a free-to-play title, is always going to be a significant target for these people who seem to think that cheating to fake being good at a video game somehow gives their lives meaning. More so than Black Ops 7, I feel like we'll get a feel quite quickly for how good Ricochet is now when the new version is in Warzone.

If you need to check up on your PC's status in regard to TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot, we have a full guide that will make sure you're ready to drop in when Season 01 launches.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 launched only on November 14, and while the "pre-season" content we've been enjoying has been pretty good, the seasonal content is upon us, and Warzone is being integrated.

As with Black Ops 6 last year, Warzone didn't get immediately integrated with the new game. That's going to happen with the Season 01 launch happening on December 4, and with it comes the first new map, Haven's Hollow.

Activision has confirmed that the new Resurgence map will be available at Season 01 launch, alongside Warzone's integration with progress and weapons from Black Ops 7.

Call of Duty: Warzone Season 01 and Black Ops 7 integration highlights

Here's an overview of exactly what is going to happen in Warzone from Season 01:

• Player Level reset, allowing you to level up and optionally Prestige across Co-Op Campaign, Multiplayer, Zombies, and Call of Duty: Warzone.
• Access to all 30 Black Ops 7 launch weapons, plus the additional armaments coming to Season 01, each with specific Call of Duty: Warzone Camos to unlock.
• All Weapons with access to Weapon Prestige and Prestige Attachments.
• Weapon Build Sharing enabled for Black Ops 7 weapons.
• Season 01 Operators.
• Daily and Weekly Challenges.
• Battle Pass and BlackCell progress.

This will replace the current Warzone model, which has still been based on Black Ops 6 until now. As is traditional, in Warzone only, you will still be able to use any weapons you have unlocked from Black Ops 6 (and presumably before) but they won't be included in the Black Ops 7 Weapon Prestige and Camo system.

Haven's Hollow will feature familiar locations from Black Ops 6 Zombies, with POIs built from the Liberty Falls map, and the Mansion from Shattered Veil.

One thing that won't be part of Warzone with Black Ops 7 is the new Wall Jump mechanic. This will continue to be only in main Black Ops 7 modes, at least for the foreseeable future.

Verdansk is also getting some love with two new POIs, Signal Station and Factory. Both are themed around The Guild, the enemy faction from Black Ops 7.

The only confirmed modes for Warzone in Season 01 so far are Battle Royale and Resurgence, both with respective casual modes. Interestingly, there's no mention of Plunder, so Camo grinders will no doubts be hitting the Casual modes pretty hard if it is indeed absent.

It should also be highlighted that with Season 01 and the integration with Black Ops 7, Warzone will be receiving the upgraded Ricochet anti-cheat system. With it comes the requirement to have TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot enabled on your PC. If you don't, you can't play.

Check out the full patch notes for all the details on Season 01 for Warzone and get ready for launch.

I'm just going to come out and say it. Microsoft needs to step in and stop there being a new Call of Duty game every single year.

Of course, having spent an exorbitant sum of money on acquiring it alongside the rest of the Activision Blizzard King portfolio, it's going to want to reap the financial rewards as fast, but also as long as it can.

I get that. But Microsoft doesn't exactly have a good record in keeping average consumers happy of late, does it? Black Ops 7 coming a year after Black Ops 6 isn't necessarily a problem, but it's also not helping it stand out, either.

It needs to stop. I love Call of Duty, but I don't want Modern Warfare 4 next year. I want there to be a break, a proper reset, a chance for the franchise to get back on its feet.

The money may keep rolling in, but Microsoft is the custodian of one of the biggest selling video game series in history. If something doesn't change, I fear we'll reach a breaking point and irreparable damage will have been done.

Call of Duty fatigue is real

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, like its predecessor and several games before it, is going to play hard on the live service model. Game publishers love live service, because it's a constant stream of revenue. So long as people keep playing and keep buying things.

Call of Duty is also exhausting. I, like many others, relish a challenge, and embrace the grind, but it's overwhelming. In a few weeks, Season 01 will begin, a Battle Pass will appear, and the in-game events will start rolling around.

There's always something to do, which is great. But it's a lot. It can feel like a full-time job. I already have a full-time job.

There's also the fact that by the middle of this year, Black Ops 7 was getting talked about. It'll be the same next year when (we presume anyway) Modern Warfare 4 will start being teased. It's like a conveyor belt.

There's been a new Call of Duty every year now for as long as I can remember, but it's only more recently the games have leaned hard into live service. And this is what's adding to the exhaustion.

Warzone has been the apparent influence on everything, and it's starting to feel tiring. It's hard to really love any of these games anymore when it feels like you have no time with them before the next one is being pushed.

It's time for a break. Time for a reset. We don't NEED a new Call of Duty every year. We just don't. But at least the next two years it looks like we won't get one.

Live service means a game can live for longer

I'm looking at EA with the F1 series as an example, here. Sports titles are known for the yearly cycle, but instead of an F1 26, they're going to sell DLC with the new season's content, and return at a later date with a whole fresh new game.

The point is that Call of Duty is now firmly in the live service arena. Surely making one good game and supporting it for multiple years will keep bringing in the revenue?

The Black Ops 7 content is good, the maps are a significant improvement on last year, but honestly, did we really need it this year? It's not that different to Black Ops 6.

Maybe with more time between games, players wouldn't get so burned out, and the negativity might not be so widespread. Right now, I feel like Black Ops 7 is being panned unfairly because a lot of people are just tired of the franchise.

Live service doesn't have to mean a new game every 12 months.

Microsoft needs to stop counting coins and listen to the players

My colleague, Jez Corden, has previously written on the topic that Microsoft's CFO, Amy Hood, is mandating a 30% margin on the company's gaming divisions. While that might please shareholders and boost executive bonuses, it's out of touch with the rest of the industry.

Call of Duty is no doubts a major cash cow, but the problem is, it's going to end up causing harm that could be impossible to overturn. We already feel it. How many of us complained last year about the "Fortniteification" of Call of Duty with ludicrous skins and brand collaborations?

The difference is that Fortnite is a free to play game. Call of Duty is — Warzone aside — a premium, full-priced game that never stops trying to sell you more stuff.

Microsoft is atop all of this. Activision might be doing mostly its own thing, but the buck stops with the parent company. It's time to stop taking the players, the customers, for granted. I think that means stopping with the yearly cycle, among other things.

Have we seen any official numbers from Activision for how many people have played Black Ops 7? No. Endgame is, after a solitary week, being opened to everyone, no campaign clear required. None of the signs point to this having been the sort of launch Black Ops 6 had.

Heed the warning signs. The competition this year is hotter than ever with Battlefield 6, and players have real alternatives. What makes them come back?

Another year, another Call of Duty game, another Camo grind. Black Ops 7 has more Mastery Camos to get compared to recent games, with the addition this year of the campaign endgame, which gets its own set.

That makes 16 in total, four from Campaign, Zombies, Multiplayer, and Warzone, respectively.

Will they be easy to get? Maybe for some, but it's going to be a grind, as it is every year. But, enough talk, here's what we're looking at for the Black Ops 7 Mastery Camos.

• Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 full review

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Mastery Camos — at a glance

Before attempting the Mastery Camo challenges, you first must complete the 9 Military Camos and 3 Special Camos on each weapon.

The Special Camo challenges will vary, but for the Military Camos in Multiplayer we're back to hitting headshots as in Black Ops 6. The good news is that this year you only need to hit 80 headshots, not 100.

After that, you'll enter the Special Camos, and these will vary. Using Multiplayer as the example, sometimes you'll have to get kills while moving, sometimes you'll have to get kills with an underbarrel launcher, sometimes use a specific Specialty or Wildcard.

The Mastery Camos this year are a little different. When you reach the final Mastery Camo, once you meet the requirements to get it, you get it for every weapon at once.

The challenges to get there are similar to Black Ops 6, but thankfully, there's no requirement to get a series of Triple Kills with any of them. The headshots are the longest part of the process, once you've got them done, the rest isn't so bad.

How to unlock Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Campaign Mastery Camos

The campaign's first Mastery Camo is Molten Gold, which I think is the best of the gold camos in Black Ops 7. From there we move up to the gemtastic and sparkly Moonstone.

The final two are the swirly Chroma Flux, and the absolutely gorgeous emerald colored Genesis camo.

How to unlock Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Multiplayer Mastery Camos

Of course, multiplayer has a set of Mastery Camos to grab, and they'll be some of the first that folks chase. As is traditional, there is Shattered Gold to start things off, but from there it deviates from a more standard diamond, but keeping the gem theme with the crystal-like Arclight.

The stormy Tempest and the space-inspired Singularity round off the collection. Purple fans are eating well again this year.

How to unlock Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Zombies Mastery Camos

The Zombies Mastery Camos are very definitely themed to the mode, and there are some bangers. Starting out with Golden Dragon, which covers your weapon in, what you assume, are gold dragon scales. Bloodstone is the gem-inspired camo, with a red/pink shimmer to it.

The top two tiers for Zombies are the industrial-themed Doomsteel, and the color changing Infestation which is, as the name implies, infested.

How to unlock Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Warzone Mastery Camos

The big caveat here is that the Warzone Mastery Camos aren't available to unlock at the launch of Black Ops 7. They'll become available when the battle royale gets properly integrated with the launch of Season 01.

The gold camo, Golden Damascus, is, I think, the weakest of the four gold camos in this year's game. It feels a little too yellow for my liking. From there we move to Starglass.

Then the top tiers and the ultimate Warzone camo grind, the ice-cold Absolute Zero, and the dark, twisted, Apocalypse.

The Nexus Horizon Ultra Mastery Camo

In Black Ops 7 there is an added bonus Mastery Camo that only the most dedicated will ever unlock.

Nexus Horizon is the brand new Ultra Mastery Camo, first unlocked by Reidboyy in the video embedded above.

To get it for yourself, simply complete each mode's individual Mastery Camo. When you unlock the last one, you'll also unlock Nexus Horizon.

I'm not sure I like how it looks myself, but for the Camo grinders out there, this one is the ultimate flex.

Weapon Prestige Camos

Additionally, individual weapons in Black Ops 7 will have yet more camos to unlock through the Weapon Prestige system. The first two prestige tiers will unlock a new Universal Camo each, with the final coming when you hit Weapon Prestige Master 250.

These camos can be used on other weapons, though, but can only be unlocked by completing the relevant Weapon Prestige requirements on their specific weapon.

In between the Universal Camos, there are three weapon-specific Prestige Camos unlocked at Prestige Master 100, 150, and 200 respectively.

Given the amount of weapons in Black Ops 7, completing the entire camo collection is one heck of a grind. Upon hitting Prestige Master Max Level on 30 weapons, you unlock the "Touch Grass" Dark Ops Calling Card.

After playing the entirety of the Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 beta on my Xbox Series X, it was then time to go back to my gaming PC to resume normal service.

Except, normal service was a game that crashed every single time I tried to play a match on Black Ops 6 or Warzone. The old favorite, the DirectX bug, showed its face again, but it was joined by a nondescript error that just kept telling me to verify and repair the files.

Enter a week of trying just about everything that could have been saved if I'd had the wherewithal to just do a web search for the specific error. Because it turns out the issue was related to my RAM, and the fix not something I'd have ever thought to try by myself.

The Call of Duty error 0xc0000005 and the XMP fix for it

I take absolutely no credit for this, instead that goes to this year-old Reddit thread which detailed a couple of things to try that I hadn't thought of.

The first was disabling virus and threat detection, which I didn't really want to do. The other was to disable XMP in my BIOS.

Lo and behold, after rebooting into BIOS, turning off the XMP profile, booting back into Windows 11, and then loading Call of Duty, the crashing was gone.

I've given it a few days and about 15 hours of game time to see if it had actually worked, and it seems to have done the trick. I should say prior to this I've reinstalled Windows 11 entirely, tried old graphics drivers, new graphics drivers, updated my BIOS, chipset drivers, basically everything.

None of those stopped the specific 0xc0000005 crash, but the DirectX crash did at least seem to have been vanquished. I don't really understand why, so if you have some technical knowledge, do please drop it into the comments below.

I've never before come across an issue where I had to disable XMP to get a game to stop crashing. Wouldn't think that Microsoft owns Call of Duty now, would you.

PC gaming can be such a minefield

I'm crossing all of my fingers and toes that spending a week doing open-heart surgery on my PC means it's in good stead ahead of the Black Ops 7 launch on November 14.

But there are bound to be issues, and we'll make sure to track all the biggest ones when the game lands.

But once again it's left me with a sour taste, and a reminder of why console gaming can be so good. Sure, there are compromises, but Call of Duty hasn't crashed once on my Xbox Series X. While on my PC I've been fighting issues — as many others have — for what feels like eternity.

Not having to worry about drivers, or now, it seems, how my hardware is set up, is such a blessing. Just turn the console on, fire up a game, and more often than not, it works. How about that?

PC gaming should be the superior experience, but there are too many times it's nothing but headaches. And it's probably not going to get easier, is it?

FAQ

It's no secret that Battlefield 6 has reached success beyond anything the franchise has ever seen. Crossing 7 million sales last week, DICE isn't done looking to dominate the battlefield of FPS shooters. Now, it's coming for the battle royale crown.

While it's no secret that DICE is working on a Battlefield Battle Royale experience, it's now rumored that the mode will be released on October 28, 2025. That's only a day away if the rumor is to be believed. Initially reported by ModernWarzone on X (which, by the way, I think is hilarious), they said the following:

"EXCLUSIVE: The F2P Battlefield 6 battle royale is officially named "Battlefield: RedSec". Releasing October 28th as previously reported, however, it looks like there won't be any trailers or official announcements until the 28th itself, instead of a day before. Full on shadowdrop"

During the last patch for Battlefield 6, DICE also announced that a few changes were coming to the Battle Royale mode:

• Close-range TTK: We've adjusted time-to-kill at close range for all weapons to reward clean positioning and tracking while giving players more time to counter attacks. We'll keep monitoring this once it's live.
• Armor Changes: Everyone will now have the capacity for 2 armor plates at the start of the game. All players will spawn with 1 plate, so you will have the chance to upgrade as soon as you start looting, giving everyone an equal chance at upgrading their armor fully.
• World Improvements: We've been fixing pesky world bugs and optimizing areas to improve the environment. With these improvements, we made adjustments to the lighting as well as enhancing the visibility across the map.
• Vehicle Balance: We've adjusted the balance for helicopters and combat vehicles to keep them as powerful tools showing off Battlefield's core DNA, without making them necessary to survive or win the late game. This includes significant adjustments to the heli countermeasures and ammo economy.
• We have also been working on providing smoother performance overall. We have identified and addressed a range of issues that affected performance that we simply couldn't have done without our players' involvement in the tests.

Outside official news, quite a few other details have leaked, even piquing my BR-retired gaming sense. I repeat, the following are all rumors. Squad sizes are supposedly locked to duos and quads for now. With no option for solo or trio play, at least so far.

As for loadouts, players will be able to call in custom loadouts, similar to Warzone, by completing missions during the match, such as bounties, demolitions, and more. Players will also earn a free drop mid-match, available to all at a certain point.

You'll also be able to call your teammates back into the action through the use of revive stations. So far, nothing has been leaked detailing anything similar to the Gulag from Warzone.

The firestorm will make a return in a similar form to the last Battlefield release, which was all but fun to play. Hopefully, it's nothing like the gas in Warzone or the storm in Fortnite. I want a zone that straight-up kills players.

Since this is a Battlefield Battle Royale, this rumor seems the safest of all, but vehicles will be available for players to obtain. These include regular autos, tanks, and other ammo-driven tools of destruction. These are supposedly limited in terms of ammo to prevent long-term abuse of tanks, etc.

If all this ends up being true, it looks like I might be pretty damn busy playing RedSec just two days before ARC Raiders drops. Which is usually much more my pace, but who knows, maybe Battlefield will be the one to bring me back into Battle Royale.

What do you think? Are you excited to get your hands on Battlefield RedSec? Let us know below or on social media!

While fans are eagerly awaiting the November 14 drop of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, it's fair to say that excitement for its battle royale compatriot, Warzone, has tempered in recent times.

There was a definite spike when the OG map, Verdansk, came back to Warzone, but on the whole, players are starting to feel burned out, the content is lacking, and the cheaters have been exhausting.

Ahead of a new year, the studio responsible for Warzone, Raven Software, has released an overview of the plans currently in the works. It sounds like a lot, but with the much rumored Battlefield 6 battle royale now arriving on October 28, will it matter?

Sweeping changes to the entire game

You can read the full article over on X, but I'll attempt to break out the more interesting parts.

First up, it appears no stone will be left unturned. Both Battle Royale and Resurgence will be given attention, with the former receiving a map rotation feature from early 2026. Raven states:

"While it wasn’t previously realistic for us to host multiple large maps, we’ve since taken the steps necessary to support it. This won’t be a launch feature with Black Ops 7, but it’s a key addition slated for early next year."

That doesn't account for the fact that some of the big maps in Warzone aren't exactly fan favorites, but variety can't hurt. PUBG, for example, has been able to support multiple maps for some time, and it definitely adds a little to the grind when it's not the same old over and over again.

Resurgence, the respawn-friendly mode, is also in line for some big changes. The current map, Rebirth Island is, as Raven says itself, "stale." That's being kind. I think it's mind-numbingly boring, and its ranked mode is the most miserable thing I've played in years.

Haven's Hollow is a new Resurgence map that will debut with Season 01, and feedback has apparently been positive. Rebirth Island will be receiving a "full refresh" for Season 02, and at some point there will be a map rotation for Resurgence where you're able to play both.

I guess Area 99 is completely dead, then. I must be the only person who thought it was more fun than Rebirth Island.

Avalon "Blackout" and beyond...

The biggest thing I think anyone is actually looking forward to in Warzone in the next 12 months is Avalon. The new map is the focal point for a new "Blackout-inspired" mode, of which we've seen only the briefest of teases so far.

Blackout was Call of Duty's first foray into the then exploding battle royale scene, packaged with Black Ops 4. You had to buy the full game to play, but it was so much fun, and retains a special place in the community's hearts.

What we now know is that the new Blackout mode is slated for Season 02, aka, early 2026.

"And finally, we couldn’t be more excited for the arrival of our new Blackout experience on Avalon during Season 02! The success of post-launch modes like Resurgence has proven the value of taking bold but intentional risks - and we believe this will embody exactly that spirit."

As far as "one more thing" goes, that's the one most Warzone players wanted to hear about.

Raven has also detailed how it will use limited-time game modes to test new features, such as the new wall jumping movement mechanic that will be part of Black Ops 7, but not immediately part of the core Warzone experience.

The biggest question is, though, is it enough?

Battlefield 6 RedSec could be the alternative

As with Black Ops 7, the skeptics will say that what's actually pressuring Activision the most right now, is Battlefield 6.

This year is not a year that Call of Duty can be lazy and half-baked, because there is a very real alternative. While Black Ops 7 and Battlefield 6 are quite different approaches to an FPS, a free-to-play battle royale is perfectly poised to capture disenchanted Warzone players.

All of that is to say we've not even seen it yet, beyond now knowing that the mode, called RedSec, arrives on October 28. Warzone won't be seeing any changes until Season 01 drops, which will likely be 2-3 weeks after Black Ops 7 releases, at least, and that's more than enough time to get its hooks in.

The November 14 release date for Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is fast approaching, and Microsoft-owned Call of Duty publisher, Activision, is set to unveil the next mainline COD game’s multiplayer and zombies modes during its COD Next event live on streaming platforms.

During the event, Call of Duty fans can tune in to watch their favorite streamers go hands-on with Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 ahead of the game’s launch, while also possibly earning rewards like beta access codes and exclusive in-game cosmetics.

When to watch COD Next 2025

Call of Duty NEXT 2025 is set to stream live on September 30, beginning at 9 AM PT/12 PM ET, and will likely last for a few hours — leaving you plenty of time to check in throughout the event.

VODs of the stream will also be available after the event ends.

Can't catch a live stream in the middle of a Tuesday afternoon? Don't worry, Windows Central will have a live blog running from the show floor to keep you up to date with everything going on at COD NEXT as it happens.

Where to watch COD Next 2025

You have plenty of options on when and how to tune in for COD Next 2025. The event will stream in its entirety on the official Call of Duty Twitch and YouTube channels. COD Next is your first chance to tune in and watch your favorite content creators play Black Ops 7’s multiplayer and zombies modes live.

Activision has yet to release a full list of streamers and content creators who have been invited to the event, though several creators have shared their plans to attend via social media after receiving invite mailers. In addition to your favorite esports pros and content creators going live from the show floor, additional creators have signed up to go live with Watch Parties across YouTube, Twitch, and TikTok.

Where and who you watch during the event is entirely up to you, but there are typically unique, exclusive in-game rewards and cosmetics for watching the event in its entirety.

What to expect from COD Next 2025

COD Next typically focuses on multiplayer and Zombies content coming at launch for the next mainline Call of Duty title. This year, that title is Black Ops 7, developed by Treyarch and Raven Software.

I recently sat down for an interview with Treyarch leadership ahead of Black Ops 7's Gamescom reveal, where the team highlighted the seven pillars of Black Ops 7's gameplay. The upcoming first-person shooter adds a PvE campaign endgame for the first time in Call of Duty history, alongside its popular Zombies and Multiplayer modes. A new PvP gameplay mode, Skirmish, is set to come to multiplayer, as well as the return of fan-favorite game-within-a-game Dead Ops Arcade.

Because the new endgame is set to take place after the events of the campaign, it is very likely that it is spoiler-heavy, and we will not see much from it as far as gameplay goes. However, there may be some trailers and teasers that show it off without risking spoilers.

Multiplayer gameplay is likely to be a major focal point of the event, with the new Skirmish mode also seeing airtime to show off some new mechanics like the wingsuits that have only been teased up to this point. Expect full reveals of multiplayer's maps, along with deep dives into available multiplayer weapons, changes to movement, and new perks.

Black Ops 7's new Zombies map, which is heavily inspired by Black Ops 2's TranZit zombies experience, is also likely to be a tentpole reveal of the event. Some details about Black Ops 7's zombies were recently revealed in an intel dump, showing off the cast of characters that will find themselves trapped in the Dark Aether.

We're also likely to see what's next for the Black Ops 7 era of Call of Duty: Warzone. The free-to-play Battle Royale is integrated with the mainline Call of Duty title each year to keep it in line with the multiplayer experience. That means new field upgrades, score streaks, weapons, and operators will be hitting the battlefield.

Treyarch and Raven Software previously released a new small Resurgence map during the Black Ops 6 integration into Warzone. Dubbed Area 99, the map was inspired by the popular Nuketown multiplayer map. However, Area 99 was removed unexpectedly from Warzone's Resurgence mode shortly after launch and has never returned.

Verdansk, the original Warzone map, then returned as the big map earlier this year. A follow-up event removed the roof from the Stadium point-of-interest, but beyond that, there haven't been any major Warzone map shake-ups, especially for Resurgence Mode.

The C.O.D.E. Bowl

Following Call of Duty NEXT 2025, viewers can stay tuned in to the official Call of Duty account to watch the sixth annual Call of Duty Endowment (C.O.D.E.) Bowl presented by USAA. A special C.O.D.E. Bowl VI flyover can be seen from September 24 through October 1 in Call of Duty: Warzone on both Verdansk and Rebirth Island to celebrate the event.

Tuning in for the C.O.D.E. Bowl will grant players a chance to get Black Ops 7 beta codes and exclusive in-game rewards for Black Ops 6 and Warzone.

The Call of Duty Endowment (C.O.D.E.) Bowl features military esports players from the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada hitting the battlefield in Warzone, with one team taking home the iconic C.O.D.E. Bowl trophy.

It's prime-time gaming hours for a Thursday evening, but if you thought you were going to drop into Call of Duty and rack up a nuke or two for your combat record, you are sorely mistaken. Every single Call of Duty title on every single platform is currently experiencing a server outage.

If you were in a match when the outage began, you were abruptly kicked back to the opening splash screen or fully kicked to the dashboard via a game crash. After attempting to connect to the servers, the splash screen returns a "Failure to load inventory" error.

After the initial crash, the Call of Duty Updates social media account posted that the team was investigating the issue. The outage was also posted on the Activision support website.

The crash is affecting every Call of Duty title, including the recently re-released Call of Duty: WWII, which just returned to PC Game Pass after being temporarily delisted because of problems with hacking and exploits. Additional titles from Activision are also impacted. A full list of impacted titles and platforms includes:

• Call of Duty: Advance Warfare
  • Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3
• Call of Duty: Black Ops II
  • Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Steam
• Call of Duty: Black Ops III
  • Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Steam
• Call of Duty: Black Ops 4
  • Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Battle.net
• Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War
  • All platforms
• Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
  • All platforms
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II
  • All platforms
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III
  • All platforms
• Call of Duty: Warzone
  • All platforms
• Call of Duty: Ghosts
  • Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Steam
• Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare
  • Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Steam
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
  • All platforms
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
  • Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Steam
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered
  • Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Steam
• Call of Duty: Vanguard
  • All platforms
• Call of Duty: WWII
  • Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Steam
• Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile
  • All supported devices
• Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time
  • Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Battle.net
• Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled
  • Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch
• Crash Team Rumble
  • All platforms
• Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2
  • Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Epic Games, Steam, Microsoft Store
• Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4
  • All platforms

According to Activision's support page, the outage began at 7:59 PM PST/10:59 PM EST, but this seems to be in error. As of 9:25 PM EST, the official Call of Duty Updates account shared that the servers were beginning to stabilize, and the team would continue to monitor the issue as players begin to reconnect.

There has been no confirmation from official Activision outlets about what may have caused the hour-long outage.

This story is developing...

Earlier this month, I stepped off a shuttle bus and shuffled through the doors of Treyarch Studios with a small horde of fellow game journalists. This wasn’t my first trip to Treyarch’s newest office, as I had visited it just a year prior to interview Yale Miller and Matt Scronce ahead of the reveal of Black Ops 6.

A lot had changed since my previous visit, however.

The lobby sported a few new trophies in the display cases, and a plush Mister Peaks — the unsettling plush bunny that became a mascot for Black Ops 6’s Zombies mode — was now sitting among the wonder weapon and mystery box replicas. The previously revealed teaser trailer for Black Ops 7 was playing on the wall-mounted TVs.

The lobby gives way to an area called the Pit, which had been newly redecorated since my last visit. Abby, the giant zombie abomination that delighted many at COD NEXT in 2024, now also lives permanently in Treyarch. New murals featuring David “Section” Mason and Emma Kagan overlooked the cubicles of testing stations.

From there, we move on to the theater, a blacked-out room with strip lighting set to blue and a bank of theater seats. A couple of screens feature the Black Ops 7 cover art, with David Mason awash in blue and orange hues. We sit through a rehearsed briefing, with various team members from Treyarch and Raven Software excitedly switching out with the next after telling us a little about what they’ve been working on.

Seven pillars of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7

Breaking down Call of Duty 2025's content plans is no easy feat. The team has dubbed it the seven pillars of Black Ops 7. An absolutely massive beast of a game, packed to the rafters with content. The team starts with the new cooperative campaign, which allows up to four players to embrace the madness of Black Ops 7 together as a squad. It's the first time a cooperative campaign has been present in a Call of Duty title since Black Ops 3 in 2015.

From campaign, they move on to the new Endgame feature — a massive cooperative environment with up to 32 players, broken down into eight squads of four. For a limited amount of time, the teams can swoop in with wingsuits and run around Avalon, working together against common enemies.

We hear about the changes coming to Zombies, set entirely in the Dark Aether and drawing inspiration from Black Ops 2's TranZit map. A massive map hits the screen, with large areas highlighted and marked with question marks. The map is so big you'll need to craft a fifth member of the squad, a Wonder Vehicle, to get around it.

I'm immediately concerned as a Zombies fan who prefers the smaller map experience of Black Ops 6's Liberty Falls, but those fears are put to rest pretty quickly when the team starts to talk about Zombies' Survival mode. This mode chunks out the arenas of the bigger map and makes them bite-sized experiences.

Dead Ops Arcade also comes back, offering another pillar for cooperative squad play to Black Ops 7. The top-down, twin-stick zombie shooter is a game-within-a-game-within-a-game and allows four players to tackle multiple levels of the undead. We see a few teaser shots, including a squad on a surprisingly recognizable map — Nuketown gets the top-down arcade treatment for the first time in DOA4.

Multiplayer, Black Ops 7's new Skirmish mode, and Warzone-integration wrapped up the seven pillars of gameplay concept. Skirmish gave off the vibe that the Black Ops team were trying to get ahead of the competition with Battlefield 6's large map gameplay by introducing its own.

An evolution on the concepts laid out in Ground War-like modes from past titles, Skirmish is a large battle map where five squads of four combine to make two 20-player teams to battle it out. Skirmish is a more "rails off" take on multiplayer, that lacks the rapid combat for more strategic gameplay, and gives players more wiggle room to mess around with the wing suits, grapple hooks, and boost jumps.

The team was fairly tight-lipped about the core Multiplayer experience. However, they did reveal that 16 maps were to be expected at launch, with three maps having been remastered from Black Ops 2.

Unfortunately, we'll have to wait until COD Next to find out anything about what is coming to Call of Duty: Warzone when it integrates with Black Ops 7 in Season 1 sometime around early December.

Developing Black Ops 7

“There’s a lot of love in the studio” for Black Ops, says Yale Miller, Director of Production for Treyarch, during a group interview session, “Part of the thing for making great games is finding out what the team is really passionate about.”

It’s clear from listening to the team speak about Black Ops that they’re passionate about the franchise. It’s hard not to smile when a member of the art team is excitedly pointing out the latest in GPU particle effects, and what this jump in the graphics tech means for the game’s creepy new fog-covered zombies maps.

Staying true to Black Ops while crafting something new

Call of Duty is frequently maligned as being an annual reskin of the same game, despite the differences between the franchises. That allegation is only made worse when Activision and the Call of Duty studios behind the game attempt to develop and release a sequel in tandem — as we previously saw with Modern Warfare 2 and 3 in 2022 and 2023.

Accusations that the tandem sequel is little more than an “expansion” run rampant. There were murmurs of such a situation surrounding the first-ever back-to-back sequel launch in the Black Ops series, but they were seemingly quieted by the previously released teaser trailer that set Black Ops 7 apart from its predecessor fairly quickly.

"It was really unleashing the team," says Miles Leslie, associate creative director for Treyarch, "Where we are taking this game is so drastically different than a lot of the things we've done before. It really felt like a set change to us."

“We wanted to do something that was absolutely unique from Black Ops 6,” says Miller.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 was a story split across two timelines, providing the perfect playground for a story that could be split between two games and still feel cohesive as sequels. In Black Ops 2, we saw the first half of the campaign as Frank Woods and Alex Mason in the 80s. Then, in the Black Ops’ version of the year 2025, the player becomes Alex’s son, David “Section” Mason.

For Black Ops 6, Raven Software collaborated with Treyarch to dive deeper into Frank Woods’ actions in the 90s. In Black Ops 7, the team continued to pull the thread from Black Ops 2 to David Mason’s story, crafting a futuristic new story in a not-too-modern timeline that gave them some wiggle room to explore with new tech and gameplay.

“Where could you go, right?” Miller asks, “We’ve done past, we’ve done future. We started looking at having meetings, talking about “What are the things that we want to push on? We want to kind of embrace madness and push a little bit further.”

“We talk a lot about ‘what's the DNA of Black Ops’,” Miller continued, “We kept coming back [to 2035]. What are the new stories that we could tell there? Everyone was vibing on near future because it allows us to play with gear and gadgets, and all the other stuff. Then it was like, ‘Oh, that’s getting really close to Black Ops 2!’ Well, it’s canon for us.”

Miller goes on to describe how the team settled on the 10-year gap between Black Ops 2’s 2025 setting and Black Ops 7’s 2035 timeline. He says that it felt good to the team to tell a new story while also addressing the effects of the actions taken in previous games.

Developing Black Ops 6 and Black Ops 7 in tandem gave the team a unique opportunity to craft to very distinct stories that were threaded together. “We can push on ideas, content, and experiences that you just can’t do in 1990.”

“They were greenlit at the same time,” says Matt Scronce, “We knew from the start that Black Ops 6 and Black Ops 7, that this would be how it was. [With Black Ops 6] The team gets to dig their teeth into a 90s game, which we had never done, but then right off the back of that — along with our partners — we get to go to the near future.”

“If I’m thinking about gameplay content, active camo is not something we could have done in Black Ops 6, right?” continues Scronce, “Like, we’re Black Ops so we probably could have found a way to make it make sense, but that’s a very specific example of a piece of content we just — narratively and fictionally — we couldn’t and probably wouldn’t do.

“In Black Ops 7, being able to flex into that near future and just kind of breaking the chains off of having to be bound by historical pieces of content or reality, and kind of being able to be a bit more creative when it comes to some of the tech has been a ton of fun,” says Scronce.

The future of Black Ops

With Black Ops 7’s push back into the future, I couldn’t help but wonder if the Black Ops franchise could possibly be creeping toward a finale, but Miller was quick to dissuade such a notion, “It can’t be [the end] for us because we have so much love for our other games. Like Black Ops 3 is canon, right? There are still things that are there [to explore].”

“We have huge moments, with the passing of Woods,” Miller continues, bringing up a moment shown in the latest Black Ops 7 trailer when we see Frank Woods’ headstone, “That’s a character that in our current world, no longer exists. So some of those things are tough for the team…but I don’t think we’re thinking of this as any kind of finality.

You go into the future anyway with Black Ops 4 and Black Ops 3, so it would be impossible unless we find some way to sever the timeline. But we’re not making the game.”

Treyarch and Raven team members’ spoke during our briefing about the seven pillars of Black Ops 7’s gameplay — from the brand-new campaign endgame experience down to the co-op of Dead Ops Arcade 4, but Call of Duty doesn’t just stop with its day one launch. Each game receives a year of post-launch support content, including new maps and modes for multiplayer, new weapons and operators, and so much more.

With seven distinct gameplay modes to address, each with its own unlockable content, there is a lot of wiggle room for filling out those roadmap cards released each season. That doesn’t mean content planning is easy, though. “It’s actually extremely hard to balance everything across all of the modes,” says Treyarch’s design director, Matt Scronce.

“We do our best,” Miller adds.

Scronce echoes the “We do our best” sentiment, with Miller adding, “I’m sure the community will let us know when they’re not perfectly balanced.”

“But we have an amazing systems design team here who are deep in the spreadsheets across all the modes,” Scronce adds.

Speaking of Black Ops 7’s seven pillars, Scronce continues, “It was super exciting for us when we had the vision, and it came to the realization [that] you can play this entire game with your friends or by yourself. Every time you go and play, whether it's core multiplayer, it's skirmish, it’s co-op campaign. Dead-ops, or Zombies. You’re always going to be earning towards a camo or battle pass, so that’s the exciting bit. You can stick to one mode, but there’s a whole lot more game to see out there.”

While co-op is back for Black Ops 7, we shouldn’t expect it to be the norm for every Call of Duty title going forward. “It’s what’s right for the game,” says Miller, “the big word is ‘connected’ when we talk about the experience and what makes this game unique.”

The team initially toyed with the idea of only adding two-player co-op to Black Ops 7, claiming it would have been easier for the team, according to Miller, “But then you can’t take your squad all the way through zombies!”

The decision to add co-op then left the campaign team wanting for a camo track. “Well, if it’s really a connected game, then you should be earning progression everywhere.”

This led to further connections, even in interesting ways that might otherwise grab your attention but make sense in context. “Connected perks,” Miller adds, “even the HUD where you’re actually seeing what your squad is doing. You can see that stuff already in military stuff, where [there is] clear information about what other players are doing.” Miller says the team pushed those real-world ideas forward and applied it to game systems for Black Ops 7.

Truly cooperative experience, but maybe a little surprise

With all the talk of connectivity and exploring the campaign as a cooperative experience, the chatter in our group turned to the newly announced endgame mode for Black Ops 7. Set in the world of Avalon, the newest of Black Ops 7’s seven pillars of gameplay is a “Player versus Environment” (or PvE) experience that turns players loose with wingsuits in four-person squads with up to 32 players per server.

“We’ve had that debate a lot,” Miller says with a chuckle when asked if the mode would be strictly PvE, “There could be a little surprise here,” adds Scronce.

“There are all kinds of activities and contracts and things that you can do,” says Miller. “The World of Avalon is broken up into different difficulty zones where certain areas are going to have much harder things to do, and you need to be more leveled up to go into those areas, or you will get annihilated.

Some of those activities, you can complete them on your own, or you can join up and complete them together with different squads. Certain activities and other things will require you to join up with a lot more players to be able to get through things,” Miller continued.

While many of the things we saw of the new Avalon map and Endgame’s cooperative experience resembled the DMZ and Modern Warzone Zombies experience we’ve had in the past, there is a bit of a twist. The server does not stay open indefinitely, and there is a time limit on how long you and your squad can remain in Avalon.

We unfortunately did not get a chance to see Avalon in action, but the team’s comments about the mode have me envisioning a love child between DMZ/MWZ and The Division’s “Survival” mode of days gone by.

Not every fan of a large-scale experience is vying for a cooperative one, however, and that’s where Skirmish comes in.

“It’s something that is not unfamiliar to us,” Scronce says of the new 20 vs 20 mode, “We did combined arms in Cold War, which we had a lot of fun with.

We’ve always kind of dabbled in ground war over the years in various capacities. 20v20 was kind of the most fun, really, when it came down to it. I talked about trying to hit the right kind of Black Ops pace for us where it's not too crazy, but also you’re not getting bored.”

“We’re still dialing some of that stuff,” says Miller. “But I think we’re in a good spot,” adds Scronce.

According to Miller, the team had to decide what was going to be part of the plan for Warzone, saying, “The last thing we want to do is just make another resurgence experience. How can it be unique and different? That leads to the different squad sizes.” On the decision to add in wingsuits, grapples, and armor? Scronce says, “That shit’s just fun!”

Black Ops 7 is ambitious, but still somehow last-gen friendly

While Miller and Scronce talk about all the connectivity of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 and the title’s ever expanding “pillars of gameplay”, it seems inevitable that some of these new features will be left on the cutting room floor in order to push through launch. We saw this with Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, when theater mode was unceremoniously removed from the release on last-gen consoles. Surely some of Black Ops 7’s seven pillars won’t make it to the PS4 and Xbox One?

“There is some stuff,” confirms Miller on the absence of features for last-gen, though he confirms that all the game’s core experiences will be there. “We put a lot of icing and hot sauce on stuff to just make it look as awesome as it possibly can. The horsepower on PS4, Xbox One, and …it’s the same thing on lower-end PC. We want people with a lower-end PC to still be able to play.

Our mini spec will go up a little bit — that’ll get announced sooner than later — but in general, the gameplay is the same, and you’ll be able to play cooperatively with everyone. You might have things like less particles, and you definitely have less reflection. Stuff you saw in Forge where you’re actually getting light bouncing across.”

Miller also adds that while no features, themselves, have been cut, the inclusion and support of Theater mode is an ongoing conversation. “Our goal for theater is to support it, but I don’t know where that will end.”

However, players with current-gen consoles and higher-end PCs can look forward to more of that ‘icing and hot sauce.’ “Full ray tracing, path tracing. We can also push more stuff with just like particle density, antialiasing, things like that,” Miller concluded.

Generative AI imagery and Black Ops

While we were discussing the game’s art, it felt like a good time to ask Scronce and Miller about the future of generative AI in Black Ops. Black Ops 6 came under considerable fire for its use of generative AI in event rewards and as part of bundles. To the point that Steam’s policy on disclosing the use of AI in games led to Activision confirming its reliance on the nascent tech.

Miller jumps in to quickly reiterate that “All of our stuff is touched by people” when I bring up the topic of generative AI. He dances around the topic like a pro, but his body language makes it clear this isn’t really a topic of discussion he wants to linger on.

“Obviously, teams have looked at different things and different ways to use AI, but everything that you’re seeing today is all touched by people,” Miller reiterates.

He also adds, “AI is a tool, and we’re still figuring it out. I think everyone in the industry is figuring out how you can and should use it.”

Black Ops 7 seems unlikely to shed the generative AI disclosure on Steam, but at least the team has seemingly learned from past mistakes going forward.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is developed by Treyarch and Raven Software and published by Activision. The game is expected to launch on November 14 on Xbox consoles, PlayStation consoles, and PC via Steam, Battle.net, and Xbox on PC. It will join Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass libraries on day one.

The fifth season of post-launch content for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is officially live, and there are a lot of changes in the latest round of patch notes. This season is likely to be the penultimate for 2024's mainline Call of Duty title, as this year's game, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, is likely eyeing a late fall release date.

Black Ops 6 Season 5 launches with a double XP weekend and a unique event for CoD: Warzone as it directly competes against Battlefield 6's open beta weekend. If you're diving into Black Ops 6, here are some changes you can expect:

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Season 5 multiplayer changes

New multiplayer maps

If you're dipping into BO6 multiplayer during Season 5, you'll be greeted with three new maps in the rotation.

• Runway (6v6) - Set at the Arzak Provincial Airport, you'll find wreckage and litter on the tarmac, providing cover as you make your way to the sides of the fire kissed terminal.
• Exchange (6v6, 2v2) - Ain't no party like a small map party, and Exchange is ticking the small map vibes with a vibrant marketplace set in Avalon. Grab a snack at the deli before making your way to the rooftop to admire the marble statue. Should you live long enough, anyway.
• World Motor Dynasty (W.M.D.) (6v6) - The classic map from the original Black Ops returns, but this time it's a reimagined Italian luxury car manufacturer in Avalon. The snow is gone, and its an overcast day at the Autofiorno plant, which sounds surprisingly less like WMD by the second, actually.

New multiplayer mode and bug fixes

With new maps, naturally, we get some new modes to go along with them. Surprisingly, Season 5 only has one new mode at launch, but there are some important bug fixes for other modes:

• Aim High - If you're looking to test your headshot skills, this is the mode to do it. A moshpit of game modes coalesce into one playlist where headshots result in instant eliminations but body armor protects the rest of your foes from your errant aim. Handy mode for unlocking those last few stubborn weapon camos.
• (Bug fix) Search and Destroy - Addressed an issue where players would occasionally not spawn in the subsequent round when joining a match in progress.
• (Bug fix) Hardpoint - Addressed an issue where objective kills were not properly tracking in Hardpoint and Hardcore Hardpoint.

Admittedly, when I first read the title of the "Aim High" mode, I was a bit concerned we were getting another weed-themed mode, so color me relieved.

Perks, scorestreaks, and UI have gotten some bug fixes, as well

• Shadow Perk - fixed an issue when throwing equipment near an enemy shock charge.
• Archangel - fixed an issue that allowed the archangel missiles to navigate outside of the intended playspace. (Stop trying to find Avalon!)
• UI bug fixes:
  • Fixed a bug where players were able to redirect to the Prestige Menu from the After-Action-Report.
  • Fixed an issue in Ranked Play, when switching between certain classes, the primary and secondary weapon icons silhouettes would flash red or green
  • Fixed an issue where the Scorestreak widget can incorrectly glow orange and show "Ready for Use" after respawning
  • Fixed an issue where users were unable to Prestige in the main Prestige menu
  • Fixed an issue where the user would encounter a looping menu error due to tracked challenges in the Challenge Tracker Widget.
  • Fixed an issue where the user was unable to unpin weapons whose camo challenges have been completed, and is seeing camo challenges for other game modes for those "perma-pinned" weapons.
  • Fixed an issue where the weapon preview fails to display in Weapons tab when a new custom loadout is set to favorite.
  • Fixed an issue where users with the Depth of Field setting set to on will see Operators A-Posing in the Winner's Circle

Multiplayer ranked play

Ranked Play Season 5 is live, after a slight launch delay. Seasonal setbacks have taken place. Bronze and Silver players will not be impacted by setbacks, nor will they see a SR deducation. Gold and Platinum players will start Season 5 in Tier I of Gold or Platinum, respectively, while Diamond Rank or above players will start at Diamond I.

Demotion protection will be active for everyone for the first three ranked losses of Season 5, with one free loss daily after that. So when you cry out "It was a warmup!" after an embarrassing loss early in the day, you can mean it.

If you haven't jumped into Ranked Play for a while, then you may need to play ten multiplayer matches to requalify for Ranked Play in Season 5. If you've never played, you'll first need to win 50 match-made multiplayer matches.

In an interesting move, Game Pass for PC players who are accessing Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 via a free trial membership will no longer be able to access Multiplayer Ranked Play.

This is a move by Activision to help alleviate some community woes with rampant cheating in Ranked playlists. Banished players were seemingly taking advantage of signing up for new Game Pass for PC accounts to gain access to ranked and disrupt the experience for others.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Season 5 Zombies changes

New Zombies map

We love a good Appalachian Apocalypse, and the brand-new map for Zombies Season 5 goes back to Liberty Falls, West Virginia, where the Janus Towers teeter on the verge of collapse. The final installment of Black Ops 6's Zombies mode is Reckoning, and takes players through the debris-strewn lobby of the towers, to the laboratories, offices, and some super-secret chambers.

Of course, with a new map comes a new mega enemy: Uber Klaus. Call of Duty's team is really trying to ham-fist in these robots, so the Uber Klaus is an automaton with a bulky mech and a bad attitude.

New modes

If you've been enjoying the 4-player team size PvP mode, Grief, on other Zombies maps, you can look forward to it coming to Reckoning between early during Season 5, sometime post-launch but before the start of Season 5 Reloaded.

Directed Mode — a guided way to experience the storyline for Reckoning with level caps and the almighty waypoints — will launch mid-season, along with the return of Team Cranked.

Bug fixes

The launch of a new map doesn't detract from the maintenance of older ones, so here are the bug fixes for Zombies in Season 5:

• Maps
  • Addressed an issue where players would take damage while standing on a coffin in Citadelle des Morts.
  • Addressed an issue where zombies would not drop down near the dumpster in Pump & Pay in Liberty Falls.
  • Closed an exploit where players were able to reach a safe spot using Aether Shroud in Liberty Falls.
• Modes
  • Addressed an issue where the Grief capture zone was not showing for players who joined a match in progress.
  • Addressed an issue where players were not receiving the correct amount of Essence and reserve ammo when joining a Grief match in progress.
  • Addressed an issue where the Crafting Table would display the Self-Revive limit as 3 instead of 1 in Grief. 
  • Addressed an issue where the Dark Flare beam will remain active while the player's weapon is being swapped during Weapon Carousel grief.
• Weapons
  • Addressed an issue where the additional explosion from Shatter Blast’s Blast Chain Augment would detonate on a zombie instead of the initial detonation point.
  • Addressed an issue where players may receive the same weapon twice in a row in the Mystery Box.
  • Addressed an issue where players would not receive ammo on the left weapon when purchasing a Wall Buy with an Akimbo Zombie Build.
  • Addressed an issue where Shadow Rift may warp zombies outside of the Church during the lockdown event in Liberty Falls.
• Perks
  • Addressed an issue where players are able to trigger Jugger-Nog’s Reactive Armor Augment using PHD Flopper.
  • Addressed an issue that prevented the user's Perk order to be maintained after using Mutant Injection.
  • Addressed an issue where Death Perception’s Extra Change Augment lacks SFX when used on certain machines.
  • Addressed an issue where Melee Macchiato’s Hidden Impact Augment would refill ammo on certain Support Items.
  • Addressed an issue where the player's fist may not appear when using Melee Macchiato.

• Field Upgrades
  • Addressed an issue where players are able to charge their Field Upgrade rapidly when leaving and rejoining the match in progress during a quest step.
  • Addressed an issue where Trials would progress when getting kills with Frenzied Guard’s Retribution Augment.
  • Addressed an issue where the player was not able to activate the Pack-a-Punch machine after picking up the Blood Aetherium Crystal while Dark Flare was active.
• Scorestreaks
  • Addressed an issue where the AFK timer would be active while using a Support Item.
  • Addressed an issue where the Chopper Gunner would face the wrong direction in Shattered Veil.
• GobbleGums
  • Addressed an issue where the Free Fire GobbleGum would not apply to the left-hand weapon with the akimbo attachment.
• Enemies
  • Addressed an issue where the player's arm will be misaligned during the Amalgam Game Over scene.
• UI
  • Fixed an issue where users would encounter a menu error in the Zombies Purchase menu in the Arsenal
  • Fixed an issue where the Gobblegum store would display a black screen when accessing it.

Call of Duty: Warzone Season 5 changes

New event contract: Satellite Hijack

Raven Software is officially blowing the roof off Stadium, and the team is letting the players do it in the most explosive way possible: By activating a contract and racing other teams to infiltrate the stadium through multiple steps to activate a little orbital assistance.

The contract will only be available for the first week of Season 5, so if you want to see what's going on inside the stadium, you'd better get while the getting is good. Thankfully, if you're concerned about missing out on the event contract in standard Battle Royale, you can also dip into BR Casual for an easier time.

Limited time mode: Stadium Resurgence

Resurgence is by-and-large my favorite Warzone mode, and we're getting a chance during Season 5's second week to play it on a scaled-down version of Verdansk centered on the Stadium.

The roof is off, and we're dropping in to fully explore the compound in this limited-time mode that pits 36 players against one another inside the Stadium for 12 minutes at a time.

The mode will feature a seven-circle collapse, with active public events and some fast-paced and chaotic action.

Warzone Ranked Play

As with Multiplayer, so with Warzone. Ranked Play is live after a bit of a delay, and players can dive into both Battle Royale and Resurgence Ranked now on Verdansk and Rebirth Island. The following seasonal rewards can be unlocked in Warzone:

• First Season Win: Weapon Charm
• Get 25 Eliminations: Elimination Sticker
• Get 100 Eliminations: Elimination Weapon Camo
• Get 250 Eliminations: Elimination SWAT 5.56 Weapon Blueprint
• Silver: “Ranked Season 5 – Silver” Emblem
• Gold: “Ranked Season 5 – Gold” Emblem and Calling Card
• Platinum: “Ranked Season 5 – Platinum” Emblem and Calling Card
• Diamond: “Ranked Season 5 – Diamond” Emblem and Calling Card
• Crimson: “Ranked Season 5 – Crimson” Emblem and Calling Card
• Iridescent: “Ranked Season 5 – Iridescent” Emblem and Calling Card
• Top 250: “Ranked Season 5 – Top 250” Emblem and Calling Card
• Season 05 Champion: “Ranked Season 5 – Top 250 Champion” Emblem

As is standard fare, there have been some issues with Ranked Play leaderboards and displayed Player Ranks with the launch of Season 5. Raven Software is currently investigating those "visual errors."

Changes to solo queues

Since Season 4 Reloaded, Raven Software has been conducting tests on Solo playlists in Warzone. Casual Solos received over 3X the number of players as Core Solos, and those who favored Core Solos in season 3 reduced their time in the playlist once the Casual Solos playlist was introduced in Season 4.

To continue testing, Season 5 will feature both Core and Casual Solos globally at launch, but will eventually shift after 48 hours to only offer Core Solos on North American and European servers.

Bug fixes

• General
•  
  • Fixed an issue causing fewer than expected ATVs to spawn in Battle Royale.
  • Fixed an issue preventing an ammo depot station from spawning in a Police Station in Riverside.
  • Fixed an issue causing players to get stuck on “Connecting” in a queue after selecting "Play Again" and then returning to the main menu.
  • Fixed an issue where launcher-type weapons were not tracking kills correctly when aiming down sights.
     
• Gameplay & Equipment
  • Fixed an issue where the Search and Destroy contract could target a non-existent Buy Station.
  • Fixed an issue where the Spring Mine could remain lethal after a player left the match; it will no longer deal damage once the deploying player has exited.
  • Fixed an issue causing the Swat 5.56 Grau Conversion loot weapon to use an incompatible attachment.
     
• Ranked Play
  • Fixed an issue where the lobby walk would stop playing and display a black loading screen after a few minutes in the Warzone Ranked Play menu.
  • Fixed an issue in Ranked Play where players could become semi-soft locked in the queue after attempting to join someone in a different playlist.
     
• UI/UX
  • Fixed an issue causing the Ares Clear Shot Optic to not display a small sniper glint.
  • Fixed an issue causing thermal optics to not function properly on the SZ Holotherm and Schlager Night View optics.
  • Fixed an issue causing weapon previews to fail to display in the Weapons tab when a new custom loadout is set as a favorite.
  • Fixed an issue where the Specialist Perk appeared twice in the UI, despite only showing once in spectate and killcam views.
  • Fixed an issue where the Loadout Drop icon appeared on the squad widget even when the team had insufficient funds for a loadout.
  • Fixed various issues with MW2 and MW3 weapon attachment pro and con text descriptions.

Additional adjustments

• General
  • Drop Rate Adjustments
    • Verdansk Battle Royale
      • Assault Rifles now have a slightly higher spawn rate compared to SMGs.
      • This adjustment is intended to improve access to mid-range combat options over short-range alternatives.
    • Rebirth Island Resurgence
      • Adjusted each class of weapon drop rate
      • Assault Rifles: Increased from 30% to 33%
      • SMGs: Increased from 20% to 32%
      • LMGs: Decreased from 15% to 10%
      • Snipers: Decreased from 15% to 10%
      • Shotguns: Decreased from 10% to 7%
      • Marksman Rifles: Remain at 5%
      • Pistols: Decreased from 5% to 3%
• UI/UX
  • Weapon Level Display Improvements
    • Your current Weapon Level and its Max Level are now displayed together in areas where only the current level was previously shown. This makes it easier to track remaining progress toward maxing out a weapon.
  •  
    • Friendly Field Upgrade Indicators Quality of Life
      • The Deployable Cover, Trophy System, and Recon Drone now display a blue indicator when deployed by a friendly player, aligning with existing visuals for friendly lethal and tactical equipment.
• Challenges
  • Set up UAV Towers to properly count toward challenges that require a player to be under the effect of a UAV.
  • Updated Feng Diamond and Dark Matter camo challenges to correctly track multi-kill progress.
  • Expanded the requirements for Unique Camo Challenges that require kills on Most Wanted targets - kills on Bounty targets will now also count. This change gives players more flexibility in how they progress these challenges.
• Perks
  • Perk Visibility Quality of Life
    • Perks picked up during a match will now appear directly in your HUD, inventory, killcam, and while spectating other players, providing immediate clarity on the tactical advantages you’ve acquired.
  • Specialist
    •  Obtaining Specialist is now easier! Pool balls are now arranged on the rack to help you out.

• Equipment
  • Napalm Strike
    • Call in a targeted strike of explosive napalm to cut off enemies and rain fire from above.
    • Functions similarly to an Airstrike, with napalm impacting from left to right based on the direction you’re facing when called in.
    • Available exclusively through Care Packages
  • Spring Mine
    • Increased damage reduction when prone or diving by an additional 10% for a total of 85% reduction.
• Contracts
  • Satellite Hijack Limited-Time Contract
    • Available for one week only, the Satellite Hijack contract challenges squads to breach the Stadium - working with or against one another
    • How it works:
      • Multiple squads must complete the contract in the same match to initiate the Stadium breach.
    • 4-Step Process:
      • Investigate a campsite to locate a decrypting tool.
      • Eliminate the player who already scavenged it.
      • Hijack a relay module to begin the hacking process.
      • Once hacking is complete, rush into the breached Stadium.
    • Rewards & Opportunities:
      • Secure a permanent Weapon Blueprint by locating and holding the Weapon Case hidden inside the Stadium.
      • Discover limited-time secondary objectives hidden within the area.
      • Available in both core and casual Battle Royale modes across all squad sizes.

Call of Duty Season 5 Double XP

Call of Duty's launch of Season 5 comes as EA offers up Battlefield 6's multiplayer beta, first available today in Early Access to those who preorder or earn a code via Twitch Drops, and later this weekend as an open beta available to all.

Activision has flipped the switch on a Double XP and Double Weapon XP event for the weekend. If you're not dropping into Battlefield 6, you can get some sweet bonus XP in COD.

Battle Pass XP is excluded from the event, however. So if you want some bonus battle pass XP, then you're going to have to pony up some of that legacy token XP you've been hoarding. (It's me. I'm hoarding it.)

The second Call of Duty title to launch under the Xbox umbrella, following Microsoft’s record-setting acquisition of Activision Blizzard King, is set to drop later this fall. Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 was officially teased with a three-minute trailer that rounded up the end of the Xbox Games Showcase during Summer Game Fest before receiving an official reveal headlining Geoff Keighley's Opening Night Live ceremonies.

The game marks the first time in Black Ops history that lead studio Treyarch has released a sequel back-to-back with its predecessor. The change was ushered in previously for the Call of Duty franchise with the launch of the Modern Warfare 2 and 3 games in 2022 and 2023, respectively.

We now have a ton of exciting details on Call of Duty: Black Ops 7's campaign, multiplayer, and Zombies modes following the Gamescom reveal and follow-up COD POD episode, as well as my own interview with Treyarch's Matt Scronce and Yale Miller from a recent press briefing. While there are still plenty of gaps in what we know about Black Ops 7, let’s take a moment to break down what we do know for certain.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 first look teaser

Call of Duty’s release timeline is typically so reliable that you can set a watch to it. But 2025 has been unique, and the release timeline we often rely on for what’s coming to the multi-billion-dollar-earning franchise has been completely tossed out the window. Rather than a full reveal during late spring like we normally see for COD, it wasn’t until mid-June that Activision bothered even to confirm that a Call of Duty title was on the way this year.

The confirmation we did get was in the form of a three-minute teaser trailer and a brief blog post from the Call of Duty team confirming that COD 2025 is, in fact, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7. Following the reveal teaser, there was a lot of talk on social media by people who thought the trailer was for a Remedy (Control, Alan Wake) adjacent title.

In reality, Black Ops 7 is taking a stroll down the psychological horror route, embracing the series’ history of flirting with mature themes like conspiracies, torture, and brainwashing. The teaser trailer was packed full of hints and Easter eggs for the eagle-eyed Black Ops fan. So many that we made a list of seven details you might have missed in the Black Ops 7 trailer.

Introducing The Guild ahead of Gamescom

While it seemed like Activision was mostly radio silent about Black Ops 7 following its Xbox Games Showcase teaser, the team did start to drip out some teasers ahead of the full reveal during Gamescom.

The first teaser to release appeared to be an advertisement for the in-game entity, The Guild. Activision went above and beyond just teaser ads, though, instead opting to release several billboards around San Francisco on August 11, 2025, followed up with an additional sponsored ad on the official Forbes Instagram account. A website at https://theguild.io and Instagram account named wearetheguild also appeared online.

On August 12, The Guild's website was updated to showcase new equipment dubbed "innovations" that included the D.A.W.G, the GR-5, the HKD, the Legion Drone, and the Guild QuadCore. Some of these "innovations" have been confirmed to be earnable scorestreaks in Black Ops 7.

Tucked away between posts about Mr. Beast and Ryan Reynolds on the account Pubity was yet another ad for The Guild, this time declaring that the company would be launching a public IPO complete with a statement from The Guild CTO Victor Thane.

The post included a video that showed a worried police officer as The Guild robotics drew crowds in populated areas of New York City.

At the same time, the newly official Instagram account for The Guild was hosting a trading poll as part of a promotional partnership between Activision and prediction market/financial exchange Kalshi.

This partnership included a poll asking if the U.S. military would use robotic soldiers in active combat by 2035 — a notion that makes up at least part of the premise of the Black Ops 7 campaign.

A second teaser also dropped on YouTube, during the ARG, building upon the previously posted mentions of The Guild celebrating its IPO. The live action teaser featured a man in a suit with an American flag pocket square giving a passionate speech about how tech companies had lied to the public, and that only The Guild could provide protection.

The speech continues by saying that in 2035, robots would make up the armies of countries globally, stating "Your enemies won't be human, and neither will your defenders."

The Forbes article showcased on Instagram also appears in the "Don't Fear Tomorrow" trailer.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 reveal at Gamescom

The details about what we can expect from Black Ops 7 have been scarce up until recently, but we finally have a full reveal trailer courtesy of Opening Night Live.

While the traditional Call of Duty marketing schedule has seemingly gone out the window for Black Ops 7, Activision has previously taken to the Gamescom Opening Night Live stage to showcase a mission of the upcoming Call of Duty campaign. Interestingly enough, we didn't see a full campaign mission this time around — only a proper trailer.

The trailer opens with Emma Kagan (portrayed by Kiernan Shipka) saying, "They want you afraid. Fear makes you easier to control. It is time to wake up." A variety of chaotic scenes flash on the screen along with the intro, until we see broken screens with classic Black Ops villain Raul Menendez giving a speech.

In Black Ops lore, Menendez has carried out a series of terror attacks across America, hitting major cities like New York and Los Angeles. We see Emma Kagan calling him a terrorist before being greeted with images of The Guild's GR-5 robotic soldiers. "We're bringing peace and security to the world," Kagan continues.

The next scene shows David "Section" Mason (portrayed by Milo Ventimiglia) strolling through a cemetery with a much older Troy Marshall than we last saw in Black Ops 6. Marshall gives Mason some advice, "Stop looking backwards, David. What matters is what we do next," as we see a Vtol score streak hovering in the sky.

The camera cuts again, and we see Mason and his crew prepping for a mission. This is the first time we get a proper look at Mason's squad, and the characters we see here are the ones that we'll be playing as when we jump into the campaign at launch. The squad consists of returning Black Ops 2 characters Mike Harper (portrayed by Michael Rooker), Eric Samuels (voiced by John Eric Bentley), and Leilani "50/50" Tupuola (portrayed by Frankie Adams.)

Tupuola is of particular note because the operator features bionic prosthetics on one of her arms and one leg. According to Treyarch and Raven Software, Tupuola was diagnosed with a degenerative disease and opted to have her limbs replaced with prosthetics as part of an experimental new program that aimed to enhance soldiers with robotics.

That concept probably sounds familiar to anybody who has played Black Ops 3 and 4.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 release date

Activision has confirmed a release date of November 14, 2025 for Call of Duty: Black Ops 7. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 released on October 25, 2024, but a mid-November launch window is the norm for Call of Duty titles.

Only a couple of games in the franchise’s history have launched in October.

The November launch window would allow Black Ops 6 a little more breathing room and the opportunity to close out the sixth and final season of post-launch content with the much-anticipated annual Halloween-themed event, The Haunting.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 campaign gameplay

While Call of Duty as a whole is notorious for its awful naming convention and mixed-up release schedule, nothing holds a candle to the convoluted Black Ops series’ timeline. Black Ops 7’s predecessor, 2024’s Black Ops 6, was set in the 1990s and followed a sequence of events that occurred in a flashback originally shown in 2012’s Call of Duty: Black Ops 2.

Following the Xbox Games Showcase teaser for Black Ops 7 and an interview with Treyarch associate creative director Miles Leslie on an episode of the COD POD, we learned that Black Ops 7 will time-jump the franchise back into the near future. Black Ops 7 will take place in 2035 — 44 years after the events of Black Ops 6, but only a decade after the events of Black Ops 2.

There are several characters confirmed for Black Ops 7 so far. From the teaser trailer, we know we’ll get a chance to learn more about David Mason, the son of the ill-fated CIA Operative Alex Mason. The teaser also introduced Emma Kagan, portrayed by Chilling Adventures of Sabrina’s Kiernan Shipka, and the return of series antagonist Raul Menendez.

Menendez’s appearance in the trailer is significant, as there are two potential endings for Black Ops 2, and one resulted in the character’s death. However, his appearance is also marked by the red butterfly, which may serve as a clue to players that what they are seeing is not reality.

As mentioned previously, the trailer also featured additional characters from the JSOC team for the campaign. David Mason will head up the "Sector One" squad and the "Spector Two" division is led by Slade "Razor" Barrick.

The campaign for Black Ops 7 has been crafted in tandem with Black Ops 6, of which it is a direct sequel, by Raven Software in partnership with Treyarch. Raven Software also took the lead on the campaign narratives in both Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War and Black Ops 6. I

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 multiplayer gameplay

Prior to any information being released about BO7, the rumor mill had spun up pretty hard with the notion that Black Ops 7 would feature wall-running and futuristic movement built on top of Black Ops 6’s omnimovement.

Videos reportedly showed wall-running features already programmed into Black Ops 6. There was speculation that the feature was a leftover from omnimovement’s development, or that it may have been added in preparation for Black Ops 7.

However, Treyarch quickly poured cold water on the futuristic movement and wall-running theories, declaring that while Black Ops 7 takes place in 2035, it is still too far removed from the futuristic tech seen in Black Ops 3 and 4 for those abilities to be present.

That was a bit of a half-truth on Treyarch's part, though, and we know now that Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 will feature "wall jumping", a boost jump, grapple hooks, and a combat roll to minimize fall damage as part of its advanced movement. The tactical sprint option has been removed as a default setting and will now require a perk.

Black Ops 7's skirting the line of modern and futuristic timelines gives the developers a little leeway in the tech we could see coming to multiplayer's score streaks, though. There won't be any exosuits, but the teaser trailer did show off some drones and quadrupedal robotic weaponry that we can expect to see in multiplayer as scorestreaks.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 and the COD HQ launcher

Call of Duty’s player base does not love the COD HQ launcher that was originally introduced with Modern Warfare 2 (2022) and Warzone 2.0. Since then, the launcher was expanded to include MW2, MW3, Black Ops 6, Warzone, and MW2’s DMZ mode. In an interview with Treyarch leadership at COD Next in 2024, the team told us that they were “on a journey” with the Call of Duty launcher and attempting to overhaul it to better suit the needs of the players.

However, Activision recently made the move to decouple Modern Warfare 2 (2022) and Modern Warfare (2023) from the Call of Duty HQ. The decoupling signifies that Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 may not be a part of the launcher when it releases this fall, either. That likelihood is further marked by Black Ops 7 being announced as an Xbox Play Anywhere title, an entitlement that was not included with any previous Call of Duty game.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7and Warzone integration

Of course, part of the reason for Activision and the Call of Duty team’s push to integrate premium Call of Duty titles with the COD HQ launcher is for Call of Duty: Warzone. There’s no concrete information on what we can expect from the integration of Warzone and Black Ops 7, although it is likely that the games’ progression tracks and weapons will merge sometime around Season 1 in December 2025.

Warzone has had a rough year following the launch of Black Ops 6, due in part to ongoing woes with the proprietary anti-cheat system, RICOCHET. Black Ops 6 brought with it the launch of the Area 99 map for Warzone Resurgence, which was unceremoniously removed from the game, and the return of Verdansk as the official Battle Royale big map.

Season 5 of Black Ops 6 is changing up Verdansk with the removal of the roof of Stadium, and more changes could come along following the launch of Black Ops 7. We are unlikely to know much more about what to expect for Warzone and Black Ops 7’s merger before COD NEXT, which is confirmed for September 27.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 FAQ

The ESRB rating for Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 was recently revealed. The ratings summary did include mentions of drug paraphernalia, including a mention of a previously released weed-loving operator skin with an assault rifle equipped with a bong. That could be an indication that we will see those skins carry forward, or it could also just mean that Black Ops 7 will share the COD HQ launcher with Warzone, where those skins remain available.

Treyarch has also confirmed that additional items will move over with Carry Forward in Season 1, but did not specify if Operator Skins would be among them. We'll just have to wait for more info on this one.

If you plan to purchase any operator bundles at this point in Black Ops 6's lifecycle, you do so with the knowledge that it may be obsolete for Multiplayer come November.

Black Ops 7 won't have the zombie bus driver (that we know of, anyway), but players will be tasked with building a Wonder Vehicle instead of a Wonder Weapon, which will effectively serve as the "fifth squad mate" according to Treyarch. The Wonder Vehicle will be used to travel the massive racetrack-like map that features multiple dangerous corridors connecting larger zones.

If, like me, Tranzit wasn't exactly your favorite version of Black Ops Zombies, that's okay — you can still enjoy some round-based undead action set within the dark aether with your besties on Survival maps. Each of the main zones will be available as a standalone map that you can jump into with your crew. The decision to bring back Survival maps was based on the success of Black Ops 6's Liberty Falls. The smaller map offered a bite sized zed-slaughtering opportunity that was easy to get in and out of for many, and Survival aims to feel similar.

One of the best, and most easily skipped over, parts of Zombies is also coming back — Dead Ops Arcade 4, a game-within-a-game-within-a-game will also be a part of Black Ops 7 at launch complete with all the four-player, multi level, top-down, twin-stick shooting chaos that the former Easter egg is known for.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2022) and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (2023) are now available on Xbox, PlayStation, and PC as standalone downloads after having officially been separated from the Call of Duty HQ launcher.

The two legacy COD titles can now be downloaded without having the COD HQ launcher installed. However, legacy content from MW2 and MW3 will still be available in Call of Duty: Warzone. Legacy content within the COD HQ launcher will be removed with the start of Season 5 on August 7.

On Xbox, the decoupling move also means the new standalone versions of both MW2 (2022) and MW3 (2023) have brand-new achievement lists for players to unlock. Completionists can rejoice that they will no longer need to complete four years' worth of Call of Duty titles to earn all the achievements in any one mainline game.

Both titles maintain their original achievement lists, with one exception: Modern Warfare 3 (2023) received a new achievement for reaching Level 55 in multiplayer. The achievement automatically unlocks for players who had already achieved the milestone prior to the game's separation from COD HQ.

The move to separate the games from Call of Duty: Warzone and the COD HQ launcher has been widely celebrated by the community.

The evolution of the COD HQ launcher

Activision and the leading development teams for Call of Duty — including Infinity Ward, Sledgehammer Games, and Treyarch Studios — have struggled to capitalize on the success of tie-ins between mainline premium titles and the integration of those releases with the free-to-play Call of Duty: Warzone battle royale experience.

The introduction of the COD HQ launcher in 2022 alongside Infinity Ward's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 was intended to create a hub where players could access both Warzone and Modern Warfare 2 multiplayer without requiring them to break up partied teams or relaunch different games.

The Call of Duty HQ launcher was designed to house everything in the COD universe in one place. However, it quickly earned the disdain of players who found it took too long to launch into their preferred Call of Duty experience.

With the launch of Black Ops 6, Treyarch Studios (along with the supporting Call of Duty teams) set out to refresh the COD HQ launcher in what the development team had dubbed a "Time to Fun" initiative.

"We are working on that whole process to try to get it cleaner," said Treyarch director of production Yale Miller in an interview at COD Next 2024, where he described the Call of Duty experience revival as a journey, "… It's about moving things in the ecosystem around and having it as a place where we can load all the games out of it."

The initiative kicked off with a significant reduction in file size for the COD HQ launcher, which had ballooned to over 300GB by the time Black Ops 6 launched — if you had all the titles and their DLC content installed, anyway.

The install size was only one problem the maligned COD HQ launcher faced, however. Its infinitely side-scrolling UI was also the bane of players. While there was some reprieve from the scrolling tiles with the launch of Black Ops 6, it was still a UI choice that showed up in seemingly random parts of the game.

If you wanted to add a camo to your weapon, for example, you would be scrolling right for an undetermined amount of time just to realize you didn't like any of them anyway.

That said, more UI changes have continued to roll out following the launch of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, including changes to Warzone's buy station UI.

Preparing for Black Ops 7

With Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 expected for a Fall or Holiday 2025 release window, the Call of Duty team seems to be taking feedback for the COD HQ launcher to heart.

The community has long requested that premium titles for the Call of Duty franchise be decoupled from the COD launcher to help streamline the process of launching into those games' campaigns and multiplayer experiences. It was even among my own wishlist of 7 things I want to see changed for Black Ops 7.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is the first Call of Duty title to be included with Xbox's Play Anywhere program, meaning players who purchase the game on Xbox consoles benefit from dual entitlements and can play the game on PC at no extra cost.

The Play Anywhere promise may have been a driving force for why the legacy titles were decoupled from the COD HQ, as offering the games as DLC likely complicated the process.