Worldwide Reveal: Call of Duty: Black Ops 7: Initial Briefing
- By Call of Duty
BLACK OPS 7 CO-OP CAMPAIGN: CONTENT SUMMARY
An Unprecedented Campaign in Black Ops 7 dives deeper into the madness, playable solo or with up to four players.
Returning Fan Favorite Characters, including David Mason and Raul Menendez, along with the introduction of new icons like Emma Kagan adds to the Campaign’s narrative intrigue.
A Wide Spectrum of Environments: Take on high-stakes missions set in locations as varied as the neon-lit rooftops of Japan to the Mediterranean coast, and even into the deepest corners of the human psyche. Players will also experience Avalon, an expansive city whose secrets ripple across the Campaign.
Endgame Unleashed: In the culmination of the story, Treyarch and Raven are unleashing Endgame as part of the Co-Op Campaign, where Avalon opens up for players as they wield personalized abilities and face unexpected challenges, putting everything they’ve mastered throughout the story to the test.
In Call of Duty®: Black Ops 7, Treyarch and Raven Software are bringing players the most mind-bending Black Ops ever.
The year is 2035 and the world is on the brink of chaos, ravaged by violent conflict and psychological warfare following the events of Black Ops 2 and Black Ops 6. The calculating and dangerous Raul Menendez has returned with a chilling televised threat. As his message rings out across the world, The Guild, a global tech giant, vows to step in and protect humanity.
Seeking his own answers, David “Section” Mason leads an elite Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) team on a covert mission to the sprawling Mediterranean city of Avalon. While there, they uncover a weapon engineered to turn fear into an instrument of war, threatening to erode global order if released. The sophisticated plot they discover won’t just plunge the world into chaos; it will pull David Mason and his team into their own haunting pasts.
As The Guild's philosophy on how to confront this crisis puts them at odds with David, he and his team must uncover the truth behind Menendez’s return and how this horrific weapon will be used to incite global terror… before losing themselves to madness.
Co-Op Campaign: Full Debrief
In Black Ops 7, you can go solo or squad up with up to three other players in this innovative Co-Op Campaign that redefines the Black Ops experience. This is a story that developers at Treyarch and Raven Software have been building together, designed to deepen the Black Ops universe. The world of 2035 is shaped by the consequences of choices made long before. This is a future forged by fear, where the past is never really gone.
One overriding goal with the story of Black Ops 7 was to tell a story that could stand on its own while honoring the legacy of the series. Throughout development, there were meaningful opportunities allowing the reconnection of characters and storylines from earlier Black Ops titles, bringing them into this near-future setting where their presence could elevate the experience. However, it was important to ensure that even players without knowledge of Black Ops lore should expect a deeply immersive and connected story and world.
Covert Missions and a Mind-Bending Narrative
In 2035, Black Ops 2 villain Raul Menendez is back with a mysterious video, threatening to burn the world down in three days. In response, The Guild, a global tech conglomerate known for its consumer innovations and military applications, has stepped into the fray to offer protection where governments and nations have failed.
David Mason — call sign Section — is deployed to investigate the new danger. What he believes is a tactical operation quickly unravels into something far more dangerous and disturbing, as Mason and his “Specter One” JSOC team of elite Operators uncovers a weapon engineered to turn fear into an instrument of havoc and destruction.
After the team is exposed to the weapon, their grip on reality fractures. Missions shift into surreal landscapes, with twisted versions of each team member’s memories coming vividly into focus, and terrifying paranoia threatens to envelope them all. The line between memory and madness begins to blur.
Alongside David Mason and his JSOC team comprised of Mike Harper, Eric Samuels, and Leilani "50/50" Tupuola, you’ll meet Emma Kagan, CEO of The Guild, and deploy with Operatives such as Slade “Razor” Barrick who heads up “Specter Two”, the secondary JSOC team supporting the overall mission. Also integral to the narrative is the enduring shadow of Raul Menendez, and as the world spirals toward chaos once more, one of the main questions of the story isn’t whether Menendez is back. It’s whether Mason is ready to face what that truly means.
An Introduction to JSOC: Meet the Team
David Mason
The son of legendary Black Ops operative Alex Mason, David spent his early childhood in Alaska under the shadow of his father’s extended absences and classified CIA work. This childhood was abruptly shattered in 1989, when the drug lord Raul Menendez engineered Alex Mason's death in Panama. Afterward, David was taken in and raised by his father's best friend, CIA operative Frank Woods.
Determined to serve in the footsteps of his father, David joined the U.S. Navy, earning a commission through the Naval Academy. With an innate tactical mind and combat proficiency, he pursued the Navy’s elite ranks and by the mid-2000s, he was operating at the highest levels of Special Operations, proving himself in counterterrorism missions across the Middle East and beyond.
By the 2020s, Mason had risen to Commander within Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), leading an elite counterterrorism unit specializing in high-risk threats. In 2025, he played a central role in hunting down Raul Menendez, who had spent the last several decades building a global terrorist network hellbent on tearing down the existing world order.
Ten years later, the shocking reappearance of Raul Menendez forces David to finally come to terms with his past.
Mike Harper
Mike Harper was born in Arkansas, raised in poverty by his mother and uncle after his father was killed in a farming accident. His uncle Finn, a Vietnam war veteran, became his mentor, teaching him to shoot and fostering his love of boxing. Harper spent his youth in the ring and seeking escape from home, drawn to his uncle’s war stories and the allure of military life.
At 18, he joined the U.S. Navy, eager to see the world. While traveling the globe, he accumulated a sleeve of tribal tattoos down his right arm: a reminder of his past and the warrior’s path he walked. Eventually his thirst for danger led him to Special Operations, where he transitioned from conventional deployments to high-risk missions. His unpolished demeanor, devil-may-care attitude, and playful sarcasm endeared him to many of his teammates, but also occasionally landed him in hot water.
He pursued the path to an elite Navy operative with relentless determination. Years of excelling in dangerous operations earned him a place in an elite squad, where he formed a close bond with David Mason, a man who, in time, would become like a brother to him, not least because of Harper’s brutal honesty. Harper played both supporting and pivotal roles in classified operations and steadily rose to the rank of Senior Chief Petty Officer.
By 2021, Harper joined JSOC where his expertise was crucial in global counterterrorism operations. In 2025, after the Menendez attacks, he remained in active duty, later transitioning into a JSOC mentorship role. But retirement didn’t suit him. Missing the adrenaline of combat, Harper pushed back against age and expectations, proving he could still operate at the highest level — no matter the odds.
Eric Samuels
Samuels was born in York, Pennsylvania, in 1991. Restless and directionless, he drifted through a brief stint in college before enlisting in the Army in 2010. Military life provided the discipline he lacked, and he quickly excelled in marksmanship, achieving Expert level. In 2015, he considered joining the Rangers but instead left to become a bounty hunter, drawn to its solitary nature. The work was lucrative, but after a failed relationship that left him heartbroken, he sought a more meaningful path. In 2018, he joined the Secret Service after passing its rigorous selection process.
Samuels' professionalism earned him high-profile assignments, eventually placing him on President Bosworth’s security detail. Alongside David Mason, he successfully protected the President during a devastating attack on Los Angeles in 2025. The attack exposed critical security failures, leaving Samuels disillusioned with the agency and his own role in it. He resigned from the Secret Service shortly afterward, determined to apply his skills in a more decisive role.
In 2026, he joined the Secret Service’s Special Operations Division (SOD).
After proving himself in SOD, he tested into other elite teams before realizing he could make a greater impact being by David’s side, transferring to Mason’s JSOC team in 2031. Known as a quiet professional, Samuels is analytical with a no-nonsense attitude, observing and engaging the world with precision. He works well with Mason, though his dynamic with teammates Harper and 50/50 is more contentious. While he doesn’t always agree with their methods, he acknowledges that sometimes a touch of chaos is necessary for mission success.
50/50
Leilani "50/50" Tupuola is a fierce, relentless warfighter living on borrowed time. A degenerative disease threatens to take her out, but she stays ahead of it with advanced bionics — most notably, a cybernetic arm and leg.
Hailing from Gisborne, New Zealand, Leilani grew up surfing and sailing before
following her older brother into the military, choosing the Navy over the Army.
She thrived until her diagnosis made swimming difficult, prompting a shift to
Intelligence. After years of proving herself, she joined an experimental bionics
program to stay in the fight. The grueling procedures nearly killed her, but the
results were undeniable — enhanced reflexes, precision, and endurance.
Recognizing her potential, elite New Zealand special forces recruited her, but with a catch: to fully overcome her condition, she had to amputate her left leg for another bionic upgrade. She accepted without hesitation. Two years later, her actions caught the attention of U.S. Special Forces, impressing Harper and earning a recommendation for David Mason’s elite unit. She is currently on her third operation under Mason’s command, trusted for her skills but still proving herself in his inner circle.
The Guardian and the Guild Leader
Troy Marshall
Troy Marshall was born in 1960 and enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps at 22 after graduating from college. In 1983, as a member of the Marines, he survived a devastating barracks bombing, an event that shaped his pragmatic yet deeply moral outlook. Seeking more direct action, he transitioned into Force Recon, excelling in covert operations before being recruited into the CIA’s Special Activities Division.
By 1991, Marshall had built a reputation as an unrelenting, if impulsive, force in the field. After suspension from the CIA for insubordination, Marshall assembled a rogue team to pursue rumors of CIA infiltration by a paramilitary group known as Pantheon. Despite a deeply personal betrayal that nearly destroyed his team, Marshall managed to defeat Pantheon and expose its plans. Months later, he was reinstated into the CIA with newfound respect.
Marshall remained with the CIA’s Special Activities Division throughout the decade, operating in the shadows of America’s growing post-Cold War conflicts. In 2004, he sustained a debilitating leg injury while on mission in Afghanistan. Transitioning back into direct military command, he rejoined the Special Operations Command of the Marines before earning a commission as an officer. By the 2010s, he became an architect of classified counterinsurgency programs, gaining a reputation as a hard-edged but pragmatic commander. Attaining the rank of Colonel in 2028, Marshall oversees Tier 1 special operations under JSOC. In 2035, Marshall remains a legend in the Black Ops world.
Emma Kagan
Born in 2005 in Chicago, Emma Kagan was raised in a world where power dictated survival. Her father, a hedge fund manager, and her mother, a former Department of Defense analyst, instilled in her an early understanding of leverage — financial, technological, and human. Morality, she learned, was a flexible concept, shaped by those who held the most influence.
A prodigy in finance and engineering, she entered MIT at 16, quickly making a name for herself in computational economics and applied robotics. Her brief stint with a top defense contractor opened her eyes to the mechanics of the war economy, and by graduation, she had no interest in working for someone else. Instead, she sought control.
Kagan’s entry into The Guild came in her early 20s, when she brokered a deal between a struggling drone startup and one of Avalon’s many shell companies. The move caught the attention of Sevati Dumas — the unseen force behind The Guild’s transformation into a corporate giant. Dumas made Kagan her protégé, teaching her the finer points of corporate warfare. By 28, Kagan had maneuvered her way into the CEO position, but true power remained in Dumas’ hands. Instead of resisting, she adapted. Now, at 30, she is the face of Guild — a brilliant, charismatic executive who ensures the company’s continued interests are served.
Co-Op Campaign: A Wide Spectrum of Environments
Mission variety is at the core of the Black Ops 7 Campaign, and though the action starts grounded in covert operations and infiltrations, subsequent deployments take place in both reality and the edge of consciousness. Take on high-stakes missions across a wide spectrum of environments, from the neon-lit rooftops of Japan to the Mediterranean coast, and even into the deepest corners of the human psyche. Prepare to return to Nicaragua, Angola, and Los Angeles, sometimes in the blink of an eye. With the JSOC team seemingly trapped in this mindscape, there are no limitations to where you might end up.
Players will also experience Avalon, an expansive city whose secrets ripple across the Campaign.
Avalon is where The Guild is based, and their presence here is no accident. It’s a city layered with history, power, and hidden agendas, and designed from the ground up to serve both the narrative and gameplay. Integrating seamlessly into the Campaign, Avalon adds another dimension to the Campaign experience. This isn’t just where the story begins, but where it unfolds, and could be the key to unlocking the mystery at the heart of Black Ops 7.
Co-Op Campaign: Unleashing the Endgame
With a Campaign of this scale, Treyarch and Raven are ensuring players are rewarded in fresh new ways as they explore the Campaign narrative. As you push deeper into the story, you'll master new abilities to deploy in the Campaign's epic Endgame, where you’ll reach new levels of power to survive overwhelming odds in a brand-new replayable experience at the culmination of the Campaign.
Global Progression in Campaign: For the first time ever, Global Progression will be coming to the Black Ops 7 Co-Op Campaign. Simply put, this means you’ll be earning XP, leveling up your weapons, unlocking Weapon Camos, and completing Challenges during the Co-Op Campaign that can be brought into Multiplayer and Zombies, or to Call of Duty: Warzone™ starting in Season 1. Keep reading for further details in the “Global Systems” section of this Blog.
Avalon Endgame: In the culmination of the Co-Op campaign, the developers are unleashing something bold: Endgame. This isn’t just a final mission.
Endgame the last part of the Campaign — a brand-new, replayable experience where you and your squad will need to survive overwhelming odds, adapt under pressure, and break the rules of what you thought a Black Ops Campaign could be.
Each run is a new step in your power journey as you wield the personalized abilities you’ve unlocked and face unexpected challenges. And here, all of Avalon opens up. This is your chance to explore the world beyond the mission.
Operator Combat Rating: Once you reach Endgame, you’ll be able to play as any unlocked Operator and access the C.O.M.B.A.T. Operating System to fully realize your Operator's power and effectiveness. Every Operator you take into Co-Op Campaign’s Endgame has their own Combat Rating that you progress by completing Activities, Assignments, and defeating enemies.
When your power increases you can choose new Power Upgrades or Skills that increase your Combat Rating. Power Upgrades increase stats such as Health, Armor, Mobility, and Damage. Skills are Perk-like upgrades that specialize your Operator into tracks built around a defined combat role. Each choice will allow the player to advance their Combat Rating, which is a direct reflection of the acquired skills and power. Successfully escape to keep them all with the ultimate goal of reaching Combat Rating 60 – that is 60 player-selected Operator upgrades, a deep system of player choice and power unlike anything ever seen in Campaign.
Additionally, you may select and equip two powerful Abilities to customize your Operator's role for battle. Many Abilities are exclusive to Co-Op Campaign such as the Ability to leap several stories to traverse distances or warp in the direction you're aiming to redirect the battle.
Endgame Loadouts: In Endgame, Campaign Loadouts and Operator selection become available, allowing you to bring in unlocked abilities from the Campaign along with any Primary or Secondary and Melee weapon into Endgame, as well as keeping Equipment and Weapons you’ve successfully escaped with in a special “Field Acquisition” section of your Loadout. But if your squad goes down, you’re back to square one… including your Combat Rating.
Black Ops 7’s Co-Op Campaign delivers a bold, mind-bending story centered on David Mason and his team, and a deeply personal journey into fear, control, and consequence. Built for solo or co-op play, this Campaign pulls you into a threat that demands your attention, twists your expectations, and reminds you exactly why Black Ops stories are so unique.
Multiplayer: A Massive Offering
BLACK OPS 7 MULTIPLAYER: CONTENT SUMMARY
A Massive Offering: 16 signature 6v6 multiplayer maps at launch (13 all new maps and three returning Black Ops 2 classics) plus two new large-scale maps, all combining a new level of visual fidelity along with refined Multiplayer design for the most engaging Black Ops MP ever.
Near-Future Weaponry: Set in 2035, Multiplayer delivers an arsenal of new, near-future weaponry and gear, where all weapon systems have been overhauled down to the smallest detail to match the era.
Overclocked Gear: In Black Ops 7, your loadout is alive with possibility. For the first time, Scorestreaks, Field Upgrades, and Equipment can be upgraded with the new Overclock system, growing more versatile the more you use them. Every match becomes a step toward unlocking their full potential.
Perks and Hybrid Combat Specialties: On the Perks side, Hybrid Combat Specialties let you mix and match different Perks to unlock exciting and powerful Hybrid gameplay bonuses.
Next-level Omnimovement, including Wall Jumps and more, open-up creative possibilities and fresh dynamics to gameplay.
Skirmish is an all-new, 20v20 adrenaline-charged MP mode that blends a variety of objectives with new abilities like wingsuiting and grappling hooks, and intense vehicle warfare into a massive experience. Set across two launch maps, this is Black Ops large-scale combat, redefined.
Multiplayer in Black Ops 7 explodes out of the gate with 16 electrifying 6v6 maps and two 20v20 maps at launch, all beginning with a unified vision based on the 2035 setting, reimagining the world of Black Ops 2 10 years on.
This near future is rooted in modern-day realism, allowing the Multiplayer team at Treyarch to push the boundaries across Multiplayer, and ensuring the most balanced and entertaining game possible. It begins with the technology on offer to Operators dropping into combat:
Near-Future Weaponry and Live-Wire Loadouts
Expect in-world technological improvements to all the weapons available across Multiplayer — and therefore available in Co-Op Campaign and Zombies — with 30 new weapons at launch, including 16 that players will see in a Call of Duty for the very first time. The Black Ops 7 arsenal strikes a balance between brand-new armaments and homages to fan-favorites, along with gameplay mechanics never seen before in the franchise. In Black Ops 7, your loadout is alive with possibility.
Black Ops 7 will also mark the return of Weapon Prestige, bringing depth of progression, mastery, and rewards to the Weapon Progression journey not seen since 2018. Additionally, players will be able to share their created Weapon Builds for the first time ever via Black Ops 7’s new Weapon Build Sharing and Build Code features. Check out the Global Systems section of this blog (below) for more details.
With the game taking place ten years after Black Ops 2, Treyarch’s Multiplayer team has unleashed its creativity to deliver a variety of exciting new Perks, weapon attachments, Equipment, Field Upgrades, and of course, a huge selection of Scorestreaks to utilize.
One of these new Scorestreaks is the Rhino, a bipedal death machine that drops from the sky, slams into the ground with enough force to crater the pavement and unleashes its heavy weapons in a player-controlled third-person rampage of precision and destruction.
Overclocking Your Equipment
For the first time in Black Ops, Scorestreaks, Field Upgrades, and Equipment can be upgraded using the brand-new Overclock System, meaning more than just your weapons will grow more versatile the more you use them. Every successful use of your Scorestreaks, Field Upgrade, and Equipment becomes a step toward unlocking their full potential as you enhance your arsenal over time, earning gameplay improvements and enhanced functionality. This is part of an overarching goal of deep Progression for gameplay content, but without needless or confusing complexity. The Overclock System puts even more agency and power into the hands of the player, allowing for more customization of your gameplay experience than ever before.
Let’s look at a few examples:
Lethal Equipment: Cluster Grenade: Last seen in Black Ops 4, the Cluster Grenade is a Lethal that scatters a group of smaller explosives when the main projectile detonates. Overclock it and you’re awarded the following upgrades:
First Overclock: Controllable Fuse: Adds the ability to cook the fuse over time.
Second Overclock: Tighter Packing: Adds one additional mini grenade to the projectile.
Field Upgrade: Drone Pod: Launch a Drone Pod and it deploys to the skies, expelling autonomous aerial drones which seek out enemies. Overclock it and you’re awarded the following upgrades:
First Overclock: Quick Launcher: This rapidly increases the speed at which drones are launched.
Second Overclock: Radar Link: Leaves a minimap icon at each drone’s detonation point.
Scorestreak: Rhino. Returning to the Rhino, a remotely controlled armored robotic soldier equipped with a deadly burst rifle Increase this Scorestreak’s potential still further with the following Overclocks:
First Overclock: Power Module: This extends the runtime for the Rhino, allowing for even more mayhem.
Second Overclock: Sonar Pulse: This reveals nearby enemy locations on the Rhino’s minimap and enhances both radar length and duration.
Scorestreak: D.A.W.G.: Introducing the Deployable Armored Weaponized Groundcraft: a quadrupedal Scorestreak featuring a large caliber turret and rocket pod designed to neutralize infantry targets. Overclock it for further devastating possibilities:
First Overclock: Large Battery: Enhances the active duration.
Second Overclock: Sentry Mode: Allows D.A.W.G. to hunker down, guarding an area and deploying a supply pack and integrated Trophy System.
Perks and Hybrid Combat Specialties
Experiment with your Perk builds like never before with the all-new Hybrid Combat Specialties. To activate a Hybrid bonus, you’re able to mix and match Perks from two different Combat Specialties (colors). Get ready to try out different combinations to find your favorites, whether you’re a stealthy slayer or an offensive support player.
Next-Level Omnimovement, Adjusting Tactical Sprint
Outmaneuver your enemies with a next-level Omnimovement system to gain the upper hand in combat. Execute swift Wall Jumps to evade or out-style your pursuers while increasing your traversal capabilities, and mantle high ledges for tactical advances. And in Skirmish, drop into action with Combat Rolls from steep falls to reduce fall damage. These new features open creative possibilities in the game space and on the frontline, adding fresh dynamics to gameplay.
Treyarch has also taken a close look at feedback and has made tuning adjustments across the board for a more controlled experience, including the removal of Tactical Sprint — a limited-duration boost of speed allowing faster movement than standard sprint — as a default movement option. Instead, expect this ability to be granted through an optional Perk in Multiplayer.
16 Signature Multiplayer Maps
From the futuristic Tokyo vistas to the frozen, unforgiving wilds of Alaska, every environment is brimming with danger and opportunity, and many are deeply connected to the narrative. You’ll fight through covert guild facilities in Japan, revisit David Mason’s childhood cabin, infiltrate a remote tundra installation where weapons of war are being secretly 3D printed, and even clash across a high-tech solar array in the Australian Outback.
This is a diverse slate of new maps at launch, with 13 all-new 6v6 maps, along with three legendary returning maps from Black Ops 2, including the infamous Raid, now reimagined as a once-tranquil Tokyo setting in near-future Japan.
From the start of development, player feedback has been infused into every angle of the game and building maps that reflect this in meaningful ways has been a key part of the process. Pushing the boundaries of design and combat flow, the Black Ops 7 Multiplayer maps are designed to breathe more, with enough space for players to fully explore the expanded Omnimovement system while still delivering the tight, cover-to-combat combat that defines Black Ops. Each map layout emphasizes clear lane definition, controlled sightlines, and tactical opportunities for creative flanking and positioning.
Whether your preference is to run-and-gun, tactically defend, or you thrive on movement and momentum, the Black Ops 7 Multiplayer maps are arenas built for you to learn, adapt to, and dominate. Maps are built with intention, designed to surprise you, and shaped by decades of collective design experience. The team is also committed to meticulously crafting a wide variety of unique and entertaining post-launch maps, often leaning into the themes of the Campaign.
Skirmish: Large-scale Combat, Redefined
In addition to the 16 6v6 Multiplayer Maps, Black Ops 7 launches with new large-scale maps paired with an all-new mode to the series called Skirmish: a 20v20 objective-focused experience where two teams clash across expansive environments.
What sets Skirmish apart compared to a 6v6 mode isn’t just its size, but the addition of the Wingsuit to Multiplayer. This gliding gear allows you to soar across terrain with fast, controlled aerial movement, and completely shifts how you approach combat and objectives. With the extra verticality and mobility, squads have the option to capture a zone, then launch across the map to contest the next — creating fast, fluid, and sometimes unpredictable momentum from objective to objective, where no two matches feel the same. Expect more information, including the vehicles you’re set to control, and the introduction of the legendary grappling hook to the mode, in the coming weeks.
Round-Based Zombies Returns!
BLACK OPS 7 ZOMBIES: CONTENT SUMMARY
Round-Based Zombies returns with all-new vehicle gameplay that takes players across a massive set of new locations.
When Crews Collide: Continuing the Dark Aether story, the Black Ops 6 crew collides with alternate versions of the original heroes: Richtofen, Nikolai, Takeo, and Dempsey. In a never-before-seen incarnation, these legends return to face a new kind of nightmare... though in the Dark Aether, nothing is ever what it seems.
A Fight for Survival: Survival maps return for the first time since Black Ops 2, focused entirely on outlasting the undead.
Dead Ops Arcade 4 blasts into Black Ops 7 with a wild new mode, deadly weapons, and new arenas in over-the-top chaos. Whether you’re solo or with the squad, DOA 4 is absolute mayhem.
In Treyarch’s legendary Round-Based Zombies mode, the nightmare begins where reality ends. Following the shocking revelations at the conclusion of Black Ops 6, the crew now appears to be trapped in the Dark Aether. This imprisonment in a Bermuda Triangle-like hellscape — where the fog never lifts, the shadows breathe, and the dead don’t rest — has given Treyarch’s Zombies developers freedom to explore across time and space. Black Ops 7 Zombies ventures into bold and uncharted territory, where the team’s creativity can absolutely run wild.
This isn’t just survival. It’s a descent into madness.
When Crews Collide: Familiar Faces from the Darkness
With Weaver, Maya, Carver and Grey damned to exist in this new nightmarish purgatory, their world is rocked still further: Mind-bending realities collide as they come face-to-face with an alternate incarnation of the original Zombies crew. From the darkness, familiar faces appear once more: Edward Richtofen, Takeo Masaki, Nikolai Belinski, and Tank Dempsey, with no idea who the others are, or how they got here.
While new alliances may (or may not) be formed, these legends return alongside the crew from Black Ops 6 to face a new kind of nightmare... though in the Dark Aether, nothing is ever what it seems.
First of all though, there’s a terrifying new world to explore.
Trapped in the Dark Aether
Explore a vast and foreboding landscape and visit a series of eerie and forgotten locations offering a multitude of threats, secrets, and storylines with horrors around almost every corner. Face down the undead hordes, unearth secrets, and dig in the shadows of a forgotten world for discoveries sometimes best left undisturbed.
As you travel through this haunted hellscape, the roads between locations can be dangerous and unforgiving. Fortunately, there’s a fifth member of the crew to rely on for all your transportation needs. Players with previous experience using transportation in their travels should be pleased to learn Black Ops 7’s launch map will allow access to a well-weathered, fully drivable Wonder Vehicle to forge a path into the unknown.
The Return of Survival, Core Movement Updates, Dead Ops Arcade 4!
Survival Maps: Survival Maps are coming back for the first time since Black Ops 2, delivering a focused, unfiltered round-based Zombies experience at individual locations throughout the launch map. There are no quests, other than you and your squad surviving against the relentless undead for as long as you can.
Core movement changes also make an appearance in Black Ops 7 Zombies — with Omnimovement innovations and combat roll present — as well as a disappearance as Tactical Sprint has also been removed from Zombies by default.
Dead Ops Arcade 4 is confirmed! This top-down, twin-stick Zombies shooter provides plenty of frantic, arcade-style action along with XP progression. Packed with power-ups, traps, and relentless waves of enemies, this is pure over-the-top co-op chaos for up to four players. Expect more details soon!
Full Zombies Reveal Only Weeks Away!
Black Ops 7 Zombies is shaping up to be one hell of a ride, and you won’t have to wait long to uncover more intel: The official Black Ops 7 Zombies reveal is only weeks away!
Global Systems and Progression
BLACK OPS 7 GAMEPLAY SYSTEMS: CONTENT SUMMARY
Connected Progression: The most player-rewarding experience ever in Black Ops, featuring connected player and weapon progression across Campaign, Multiplayer, and Zombies — rewarding players no matter what mode you choose to play.
Weapon Build Sharing: Share your created Weapon Builds directly with friends or import a Weapon Build found online into your Loadouts via its Weapon Build Code.
Weapon Prestige Returns: For the first time since Black Ops 4, players who reach Max Level with a Weapon will be able to enter Weapon Prestige. Each Weapon will feature two Weapon Prestiges, along with a build-changing Prestige Attachment, unique Weapon Camos, and additional rewards. This is the deepest Weapon Prestige system yet.
Camos, Camos, and more Camos: Black Ops 7 features more ways to unlock Weapon Camos than ever before, with 16 Mastery Camos to unlock across Multiplayer, Zombies, and Co-Op Campaign at launch, and Call of Duty: Warzone at the start of Season 1.
Cerebral-Link (C-Link) Online: A unified User Interface and HUD display across all of Black Ops 7’s Campaign and Multiplayer systems, bridging the gap with cohesion between visuals, audio, equipment screens and gear. Plus, our commitment to accessibility for all players continues.
A Technology Toolbox: The latest in current-generation graphical effects have allowed Treyarch’s tech teams to furnish players with some incredible new rendering features and effects.
Connected Progression, including Co-Op Campaign
As revealed earlier in the blog, for the first time ever in a Call of Duty game, Black Ops 7 will feature a connected Campaign. This means all the great XP and progression challenge systems you’re familiar with from Multiplayer, Zombies, and Call of Duty: Warzone — including Prestige, Weapon Progression, Camo Challenges, Calling Card Challenges, Daily Challenges, and more will be available to progress and unlock in the Co-Op Campaign.
To reiterate: Your Campaign experience is connected to the global progression system across the entire game, including a Weapon Camo journey unique to the mode. Every Elimination, every objective, every breakthrough in the Co-Op Campaign fuels your growth, contributing directly to Global XP, Weapon Progression, Challenge systems, and Battle Pass. These are the progression challenge systems you’re familiar with from Multiplayer, Zombies, and Call of Duty: Warzone.
And that’s just the beginning.
Weapon Build Codes and Sharing
Another brand-new innovation to Call of Duty is coming to your Gunsmith, in the form of Weapon Build Sharing. You can send a build of your favorite weapon loadout directly to a friend, so they don’t have to recreate it themselves. Treyarch is also adding a Weapon Build Code to the Gunsmith, so whenever you see a shared screenshot of another player’s Gunsmith Build you can enter that Build Code in your game to import a copy of their Weapon directly into your Loadout.
Classic Prestige Updates, Weapon Prestige Evolved
There will be a Classic Prestige journey in Black Ops 7, and Treyarch will share more about the improvements and updates to this system later in the year, along with a peek at the Operator Skins, Blueprints, and additional rewards available via the system. However, there’s a second stage of Prestige planned as the evolution in progression continues: Weapon Prestige.
Working alongside Classic Prestige, Weapon Prestige brings deep progression, mastery, and rewards to the Weapon Progression journey as follows:
· You level up your chosen weapon as normal, unlocking attachments as you progress.
· If you decide to enter Weapon Prestige, you unlock a unique Camo you can equip to any Weapon while relocking all but the Weapon’s available Optic Attachments as you begin a fresh leveling journey on that weapon over again.
· Entering Weapon Prestige also unlocks a unique, build-changing Prestige Attachment that is different with every Weapon and can only be unlocked by entering Weapon Prestige.
· Reaching Max Weapon Level again will give players the choice to continue the journey by entering Weapon Prestige 2, which unlocks another unique Camo and a Weapon-specific Weapon Charm.
· Complete two Weapon Prestiges and you’ll automatically graduate into Weapon Prestige Master with 250 levels to climb through and a chase-worthy unique Camo at the end of the journey.
Weapon Prestige opens up the opportunity for deep engagement, mastery, and rewards with your favorite weapons as you return to them throughout your time with Black Ops 7.
And speaking of Camos:
Incoming Camo Journey, Weekly Challenges, and More
Treyarch’s weapons team is hard at work raising the bar on innovations to Weapon Camo visuals and design, and what the Black Ops 7 Mastery Camos will look like. Not only will there now be four Camo tracks across Black Ops 7’s modes — Co-Op Campaign, Multiplayer, Zombies, along with Call of Duty: Warzone at Season 1 — there are more ways than ever to earn Camos.
Looking ahead to the post-launch seasons of content, we’re excited to confirm that Treyarch is bringing Weekly Challenges to Black Ops 7, with unlockable Attachments, Weapons, and Scorestreaks to earn during the live seasons, as well as Challenges for all modes, and two completion Weapon Camos to chase during every season.
Expect a thorough overview of all aspects of Black Ops 7’s Global and Progression Systems later this year.
Cerebral Link Online: User Interface Experience
With a game set in 2035, Treyarch took inspiration from the latest advancements in AR technology to imagine a truly networked battle interface that provides Black Ops 7’s Operators with the information they need to stay lethal in the field. The result is the Cerebral-Link, or C-Link.
This distributed network of high-impact visuals links an Operator’s gear: Whether it’s a message, the mini-map, or an ammo widget, there’s a consistent look and feel, as Treyarch seeks a cohesive and immersive experience for all players set in a near-future world.
Continued Commitment to Accessibility Options
Accessibility for all players has been a priority for the series, and with Black Ops 7, expect current innovations to continue alongside even more accessibility-focused features on the way.
One of these is research into motion sickness mitigation. The team has prototyped several visual aids to assist those who find it difficult to play first-person action games for an extended period.
Expect more details about this and other new features in the coming months, as well as more information on the different HUD choices you can make.
The Black Ops 7 Technology Toolbox
A toolbox of impressive technological elements is set to enhance Black Ops 7 in new and innovative ways. The latest in current-generation graphical effects have allowed Treyarch’s tech teams to furnish players with some incredible new rendering features and dynamic game effects. Here’s just a few of them:
Next-level GPU particles and vector fields: GPU particles leverage the power of your graphics card to render thousands of tiny effects — like sparks, embers, or debris — guided by vector fields that shape their motion into realistic swirls, trails, or explosions. Pair that with volumetric fluid simulations, and you get reactive smoke, fire, or fog that shifts and curls around your Operator as you move through it. Vector fields control how the particles move.
Volumetric fluid simulations: This brings smoke, fire, and fog to life by rendering them as fully 3D, physics-driven volumes that react to light and motion in real time. Picture creeping through a low valley as dense fog curls around your Operator’s boots, parting as you move and closing in behind you. Volumetric fields simulate the fluid itself.
Dynamic surface deformation lets a surface react in real time to pressure, impact, or movement — think snow compacting underfoot as you move through the tundra on a frozen Multiplayer map.
Improved local volumetrics: Local volumetrics focus high-fidelity fog, smoke, or light effects in specific areas, bringing cinematic atmosphere without dragging down performance. Think a smoke grenade in a tight hallway, where the fog rolls out, catches the light, and clings to the walls as you move through.
Additional Comms: Carry Forward, Call of Duty: NEXT, Beta Dates, and More!
Black Ops 6 and Black Ops 7 Carry Forward Intel
What is Carry Forward?
Carry Forward is a system that allows select content like weapons, Operators, and cosmetic items from a previous Call of Duty title to transfer into the next, when supported. It is designed to preserve your loadouts and personalization across connected experiences.
Carry Forward Confirmed
Black Ops 7 will feature the ability to utilize a wide variety of content from Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. This mostly begins a few weeks after launch at the start of Season 1. Prior to more in-depth comms on this subject, here’s what to expect:
Black Ops 6: XP Tokens and GobbleGums will carry forward at the launch of Black Ops 7.
Black Ops 6 Weapons, Operators, and Operator Skins will carry forward at the start of Season 1 with some exceptions:
· Equipment and Scorestreak Skins for content unavailable in Black Ops 7 will not carry forward.
· Equipment and Scorestreak Skins for content updated for Black Ops 7 (for example, a Scorestreak that performs similarly, but has a different look and feel in BO7 compared to BO6) will not carry forward.
· Black Ops 6 Weapon Camos will not be transferable to Black Ops 7 weapons, but still usable on Black Ops 6 weapons.
Call of Duty®: Warzone integration will also begin at Season 1. All current content, including Operators, Weapons, and Weapon Blueprints from Modern Warfare® II, Modern Warfare III, and Black Ops 6 will carry forward with some caveats and exceptions:
· Weapons will continue to be tuned for Call of Duty: Warzone.
· Call of Duty: Warzone players should expect a Rank Reset at Season 1, with your progression synchronized to Black Ops 7’s Progression Systems.
Call of Duty: Next, Call of Duty Endowment (C.O.D.E.) Bowl VI, and Open Beta Dates Confirmed!
Mark your calendars for the worldwide Multiplayer reveal at Call of Duty: NEXT on Tuesday, September 30th. We’ll have live Multiplayer and Zombies gameplay with your favorite creators from around the world. After Call of Duty: NEXT concludes, you’ll be able to play Black Ops 7 yourself when the Beta starts on all platforms on October 2nd!
Call of Duty Endowment (C.O.D.E.) Bowl VI presented by USAA
Directly following Call of Duty: NEXT on the Official Call of Duty Twitch® Channel or Call of Duty YouTube® Channel, tune into the Call of Duty Endowment (C.O.D.E.) Bowl VI, presented by USAA. The sixth annual C.O.D.E. Bowl presented by USAA will feature 10 esports teams from military branches of the U.S., U.K., and Canada, competing alongside the most competitive players in Call of Duty: Warzone. This year’s event has epic viewer rewards courtesy of USAA, and for the first-time ever, you can score Black Ops 7 Beta codes while you watch the event. And keep an eye out for who will take home the third annual Monster Energy MVP and second-ever Corsair Solo Yolo!
Follow the Call of Duty Endowment on Instagram and X for C.O.D.E. Bowl VI updates.
Black Ops 7 Beta Dates Confirmed
The Black Ops 7 Beta — divided into the Early Access and Open Beta periods — runs from October 2 to October 8.
The Early Access Beta launches at 10AM PT on Thursday, October 2 for those who pre-purchase the game, and runs for a period of 72 hours.
The Open Beta launches at 10AM PT on Sunday, October 5 for all players on all platforms, and runs consecutively after the Early Access period, for another 72 hours. The Black Ops 7 Beta is scheduled to conclude at 10AM PT on Wednesday, October 8.
Early Access Beta*
Available to players who have pre-ordered the game on any platform, the initial part of the Beta is planned to launch on Thursday October 2 at 10AM PT, and concludes 72 hours later when the main Open Beta begins on Sunday October 5 at 10AM PT. The Beta is available on all platforms at the same time.
Open Beta*
The second part of the Beta is open and free for all players on all platforms, and is planned to begin on Sunday October 5 at 10AM PT. The Black Ops 7 Beta is scheduled to conclude 72 hours later, on Wednesday October 8 at 10AM PT.
Internet access is required for participation.
Accessing the Beta and Beta Codes
Your path to access to the Beta Early Access period depends on the version of the game you pre-purchased:
If you pre-purchased any Digital Edition version, you do not need a “Beta Code”, as you’ll be automatically allowed entry into Beta Early Access (and subsequently, the Open Beta).
If you pre-purchased a Physical Edition (consoles only), you should have received a “Beta Code” at the point of sale (at select retailer locations), enabling entry into the Beta Early Access.
If you don’t pre-purchase Black Ops 7, you can still access the Open Beta period.
Pre-purchase Black Ops 7 Now! Additional Intel to Come!
Be sure to stay danger close with the latest official Black Ops 7 information by checking the Call of Duty Blog as further communications are scheduled, including a massive intel drop on Round-Based Zombies in the weeks leading up to Call of Duty: NEXT, the Black Ops 7 Open Beta, and the countdown to launch.
Pre-purchase is available now.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Development Credits
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is published by Activision. Development is led by Treyarch, in partnership with Raven Software.
Additional development by — in alphabetical order — Activision Central Design, Activision Central Technology, Activision QA, Activision Shanghai, Beenox, Demonware, Digital Legends, High Moon Studios, Infinity Ward, and Sledgehammer Games.
Embrace the Madness.
©/TM/® 2025 Activision Publishing, Inc.
Game features described above are based on current in-development features that are subject to change based on final development changes and/or game tuning or updates that may remove or modify some or all of the above features.
(* Actual launch date(s) and platform availability of MP Beta subject to change. See
https://www.callofduty.com/beta
for more details. Minimum Open Beta duration is 2 days. Limited time only. Internet connection required.)
For more information, please visit
https://www.callofduty.com
and
https://www.youtube.com/callofduty
, and follow @Activision and @CallofDuty on X, Instagram, and Facebook. For Call of Duty Updates, follow @CODUpdates on X.
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