The Call of Duty franchise has maintained an almost mythical status in gaming, delivering annual releases since 2005 with a consistency that few other series can match. For two decades, the brand has dominated sales charts alongside perennial favorites like Grand Theft Auto V, proving that full-price yearly releases can still succeed in an industry increasingly dominated by live-service models. However, Black Ops 7’s troubled launch suggests that even gaming’s most reliable franchise may be showing cracks in its armor.
A Rocky Foundation
The warning signs emerged well before Black Ops 7’s November 14th release. Modern Warfare 3 in 2023 delivered a half-baked campaign that felt cobbled together from disparate elements, with rumors suggesting it started as paid DLC before being hastily expanded into a full release. While Black Ops 6 represented a return to form with a decent campaign, its post-launch support disappointed fans as the focus shifted toward crossover promotions rather than meaningful improvements.
This one-two punch of mediocrity left the community skeptical heading into Black Ops 7. Making matters worse, Activision now faced genuine competition from both a well-received Battlefield 6 and the innovative Arc Raiders. For the first time in years, Call of Duty couldn’t simply coast on brand recognition. It needed to prove itself.
Critical Reception vs. Player Sentiment
The disconnect between professional critics and players tells a revealing story. Black Ops 7 currently holds a respectable 83 Metacritic score from reviewers, but the user score paints a dramatically different picture at just 1.7 out of 10, even lower than Modern Warfare 3’s already dismal 2.3. While user scores can be extreme, the overwhelming negativity reflects genuine frustration within the community.
Sales data, though incomplete, hints at underperformance. Steam’s peak concurrent player count reached only 100,332 which is nearly two-thirds lower than Black Ops 6’s 315,000 players. On the Microsoft Store, the game languishes at number 15 in top paid games, with Arc Raiders and Battlefield 6 claiming the top spots. While Game Pass availability complicates these metrics, the positioning is still surprisingly weak for Call of Duty’s supposed “biggest release in history.”
Development Dysfunction
The game’s problems stem partly from its bizarrely compressed development timeline. Black Ops 6 and 7 were reportedly greenlit simultaneously. A decision presented as ambitious but ultimately detrimental. Features promised for Black Ops 7, like wall running, never materialized. The campaign especially suffers from this rushed production, relying heavily on repurposed multiplayer maps and recycled assets rather than crafted experiences.
The story takes players through a greatest-hits compilation of Black Ops nostalgia. Rather than creating memorable encounters, the campaign throws endless waves of bullet-sponge enemies at players to artificially extend playtime. At 11 missions, it’s technically complete, but the experience feels tedious and disrespectful of players’ time.
The narrative itself reaches bewildering lows, culminating in battles against a deepfake Menendez who summons giant machetes from the sky. What could be entertainingly audacious instead feels cheap and lazy. Much of the campaign takes place in sterile voids filled with random floating assets, devoid of meaningful story progression or engaging gameplay. One moderately memorable mission, infiltrating a quantum computer facility in Japan, still relies on obvious multiplayer map repurposing.
Questionable Production Choices
Adding insult to injury, Black Ops 7 incorporates AI-generated art throughout its multiplayer challenges, banners, and player cards. This cost-cutting measure makes a premium-priced AAA game look cheap and soulless. The decision becomes even more baffling considering these cosmetic elements could simply not exist without impacting gameplay.
The always-online requirement for single-player content, which players tolerated last year, has become a major point of contention. Combined with the lack of AI partners for solo campaign play and the homogenization of game modes through War Zone integration, Black Ops 7 feels increasingly disconnected from what made Call of Duty campaigns special.
Not Without Merit
To be fair, Black Ops 7 does improve certain elements. Multiplayer successfully slows down the frenetic pace that alienated some players, and the zombie mode receives meaningful enhancements. The core shooting mechanics remain satisfyingly smooth, and the postgame endgame mode, while feeling somewhat tacked-on, offers decent entertainment.
However, these improvements can’t overcome the game’s fundamental issues. The decision to release another Black Ops entry immediately after Black Ops 6 eliminates the anticipation and hunger that comes from spacing out sub-series entries. Players haven’t had time to miss the Black Ops formula before being served another helping.
A Franchise at a Crossroads
Microsoft’s $75.4 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard was primarily motivated by securing Call of Duty. The franchise needs to remain gaming’s biggest success story to justify that massive investment, not merely limp along as a solid performer. Black Ops 7’s middling reception and potentially weak sales suggest the current development model may be unsustainable.
The yearly release schedule, once Call of Duty’s greatest strength, now appears to be strangling creativity and quality. Multiple studios are crammed together annually to deliver these products, creating fatigue on both the development and player sides. When combined with increasing competition and declining community goodwill, the formula that worked for two decades suddenly looks vulnerable.
Looking Forward
Call of Duty will likely remain among the year’s bestselling games regardless of Black Ops 7’s problems. The casual audience that buys each entry without consulting reviews or following industry discourse remains substantial. However, the hardcore community’s patience appears to be wearing thin, and their negativity is beginning to seep into mainstream perception.
Whether this marks a genuine inflection point or merely a temporary stumble remains unclear. Perhaps the next entry will represent a true return to form, delivering the innovation and quality that made Call of Duty legendary. Or perhaps we’re witnessing the beginning of a slow decline for gaming’s most consistent franchise.
Nothing lasts forever, not even Call of Duty. After twenty years of annual releases, the series may finally be approaching a crisis point where Microsoft and Activision need to fundamentally reconsider their approach. For now, players can only hope that lessons learned from Black Ops 7’s stumbles will lead to better games in the future. Because at the end of the day, discourse and sales numbers matter far less than simply getting good, fun games to play.