Multiplayer remains the lifeblood of the Call of Duty experience. When players buy a new game, more likely than not, multiplayer is where they end up spending most of their time. WhileCall of Duty: Black Ops 6’smultiplayer was well received at launch, sentiment around it has collapsed in subsequent months, leavingCall of Duty: Black Ops 7to pick up the pieces. According to Treyarch,Call of Duty: Black Ops 6andBlack Ops 7were built in parallel with the same mechanics. WithBlack Ops 6in the wild, however, Treyarch has had time to make numerous improvements to the core systems in time forBlack Ops 7. Many of the complaints about Omnimovement, Perk balancing and maps are being addressed within this game at launch. WhileCall of Duty: Black Ops 7may not focus on innovation, it is focused on refinement.
I’m dreaming of a refined multiplayer
On the surface, it might be difficult to pinpoint the differences betweenBlack Ops 6 and 7outside of the more futuristic setting. Both share Omnimovement, Perk Specialties, the Gunsmith and other similar features. Dig deeper, however, and you’ll find a lot of differences that, hopefully, should lead to a more refined, balanced and rewarding multiplayer experience.
Omnimovement and Perks have undergone the most changes to make the systems more focused and customization more personal. Essentially, Treyarch has stripped some movement options out of Omnimovement to make it less twitchy. Tactical Sprint and Aiming Down Sights (ADS) while sliding, diving and wall jumping are no longer on by default. Rather, these movement options have been turned into Perks alongside Fast Reload and Spring While Firing. By moving movement aggression to Perks, Treyarch is essentially making it easier for players intimidated by Omnimovement’s speed to hop in, all while also increasing Perk variety. To keep things fresh, they’re also adding in a simple wall jump. From the demonstration provided by Treyarch, this is merely a simple jump and not any form of wall-running. It’s merely another tool in your arsenal you’re able to choose to use.
Perk Specialties are also being given an upgrade. The main three introduced inBlack Ops 6are back, but alongside them are new Hybrid Combat Specialties. These impart a smaller bonus should you choose two Perks of one color and a third Perk of another color. For example, a Stealth Slayer (2 blue, 1 red) allows the player to stay off the minimap after a kill. These passive abilities aren’t as great as choosing three Perks of the same color, but they are good enough for players who want to add more variety to their play style.
A futuristic power fantasy
Returning to the era ofCall of Duty: Black Ops IImeans that players are getting their hands on some near-future equipment. A big goal of Treyarch’s forBlack Ops 7is to deliver a ton of new, futuristic content and make clear thatBlack Ops 7is not likeCall of Duty: Modern Warfare III.
A major part of that power fantasy are the weapons. In total,Black Ops 7launches with 30 weapons, 16 of which are brand new to the Call of Duty franchise. These launch weapons include fan favorites like the Peacekeeper MK1 Assault Rifle, M8A1 Marksman Rifle and Eagle Assault Rifle (a reimagining ofBlack Ops 4’sRampart), as well as new ones like the MK78 LMG and Echo-12 Shotgun. While Pick 10 isn’t returning, the studio is making it easier than ever to share Gunsmith creations with Build Sharing and Build Codes, allowing friends and the online community to share their builds automatically, a huge win for those wanting to use “meta” builds.
In terms of rewarding play, Treyarch is aiming to make even the smallest things rewardable. Weapon Prestige returns with players able to earn unique camos, charms and attachments by leveling up their weapons. Then there’s Overclocks, modifiers for lethal and tactical equipment, Field Upgrades and Scorestreaks you unlock by using them. For example, by leveling up the Active Camo Field Upgrade, you can equip an Overclock that either decreases charge speed or allows players to recloak after firing.
The power fantasy continues with Scorestreaks, which Treyarch stated would be strong. Familiar streaks return like the UAV, RC-XD and Warship alongside futuristic new ones like the Gravemaker, a powerful sniper rifle that can see through walls, and a giant controllable robot that’s Black Ops' take on the Juggernaut. You can also forgo Scorestreaks and equip the Specialist Wildcard. That’s right, after years of requests, the popular Specialist streak path is back, allowing players to earn additional Perks instead of Scorestreaks. It’s all a big part in delivering that futuristic power fantasy.
Concerns remain
Everything Treyarch revealed, on paper, is fantastic, but numerous concerns remain. First off, maps.Black Ops 6’slaunch maps were heavily criticized for their small size, poor structure/poorly defined lanes and lack of transparency (advertising 16 maps when there were only 12 6v6 maps).Call of Duty: Black Ops 7aims to rectify this with 16 6v6 maps at launch (13 new, 3 remakes) that feature a wider variety of sizes and locations and more defined lanes.
That’s all good news, but it’s hard to tell the quality without playing them all. We at least know that Raid, Express and Hijacked should play well, but the other thirteen remain a mystery. Treyarch also wouldn’t confirm if any of the maps were pulled from Warzone maps, including Avalon. Given the fact that many ofModern Warfare II,Modern Warfare IIIandBlack Ops 6’sworst maps were all sections pulled from Warzone maps, this is a real concern. There’s also Skirmish, Treyarch’s attempt at making another big game mode to compete with Battlefield. Given the historical lack of support post-launch and lack of community enthusiasm for these types of modes, Skirmish feels out of place.
A big goal of Treyarch’s forBlack Ops 7is to deliver a ton of new, futuristic content and make clear thatBlack Ops 7is not likeCall of Duty: Modern Warfare III.
Then there’s the lack of commitment or details from the Call of Duty comms team concerning the community’s biggest questions and concerns. Carry Forward? It’s coming, but they were mum on exactly what all is carrying forward. The terrible, out-of-place cosmetics? They’re listening, but no commitments to toning them down. Anti-cheat? More blogs about it towards launch. Matchmaking? Not even mentioned.Call of Duty: Black Ops 7could have an excellent launch, but much like we saw withBlack Ops 6, if the fundamentals post-launch aren’t addressed, not even the best launches can keep sentiment high.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7’smultiplayer appears to check all the boxes. There’s nothing innovative or groundbreaking about it, but it does appear to be far more refined. Treyarch is learning fromBlack Ops 6to create a better, more balanced multiplayer. There are still concerns, mostly around the maps and general state of the Call of Duty franchise, but what was shown seems like enough on paper to keep things fresh.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7launches November 14 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, PS4 and Xbox One. The full multiplayer and Warzone reveal takes place at Call of Duty Next on September 30. To learn of Duty: Black Ops 7, check out our coverage of theCampaignandZombiesas well asour interview with Treyarch.
