For more than 20 years, Call of Duty has ruled the shooter genre, surpassing 500 million copies sold worldwide. But with Black Ops 7, the franchise arrives in unfamiliar territory: as the underdog.

Battlefield has roared back with its best entry in years, Battlefield 6, and ARC Raiders has become one of the most beloved multiplayer shooters since Overwatch. Meanwhile, enthusiasm for a second Black Ops release in back-to-back years has been muted—partly because of the strong competition, and partly because Treyarch returning to a near-future setting doesn’t feel revolutionary.

Now that Black Ops 7 is here, the big question is whether it can hold its own against its rivals. The answer depends entirely on which of its three pillars you care about most.

What Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Is About

The campaign picks up a decade after the events of Black Ops 2 and the presumed death of Cordis Die leader Raul Menendez. Set in 2035, you play as David Mason—son of original Black Ops protagonist Alex Mason—as he and his JSOC team investigate Menendez’s shocking return.

As usual, the package includes a revamped Zombies mode inspired by BO2’s TranZit and a futuristic multiplayer offering 18 maps and 30 new weapons.

Multiplayer: Still the Franchise’s Strongest Asset

Call of Duty’s gunplay remains unmatched. Black Ops 7 delivers fast, frantic firefights that feel as satisfying on the thousandth kill as on the first. Weapons look, sound, and handle with exceptional detail, and they’re far more distinct than they were in Black Ops 6, where even assault rifles often felt interchangeable.

Time-to-kill remains largely unchanged—a sweet spot that keeps matches fast without feeling cheap. Encounters reward accuracy and smart positioning but still give skilled players reaction time so surprise engagements aren’t instantly fatal.

Aim Assist & Omnimovement

A heavily reduced aim assist from the beta is immediately noticeable on controller, especially at close range. The adjustment initially stings, but most players will adapt quickly. Casual players may struggle without skill-based matchmaking, but the healthier skill gap benefits the game overall.

Omnimovement returns and introduces a major new mechanic: wall jumping. Hitting a wall while sprinting or jumping and bouncing off it opens new angles, trick-shot opportunities, and high-vantage routes. It’s nowhere near the extreme mobility of jetpack-era CoD, but feels smooth and thoughtfully integrated into map design.

Maps: A Major Comeback

The map lineup is a significant improvement over last year’s. Treyarch brings back classic three-lane design, and several maps stand out—especially Homestead, set on a frozen lake beneath shimmering Northern Lights. Raid also returns with a slick, futuristic Japanese makeover.

Not every map hits the mark. Flagship is a drab container-filled maze with poor flow, and Blackheart is pure chaos suited only for Shipment fans. But overall, this is the strongest map roster the series has seen in years.

Fun, Familiar, but Safe

Multiplayer remains highly addictive but introduces few innovations. Weapon prestiges add extra rewards, and the Overclock system buffs Scorestreaks and equipment—but none of it feels as impactful as BO6’s omnimovement overhaul.

Campaign: A Major Misfire

Despite heavy marketing promising a mind-bending narrative celebrating Black Ops history, the campaign lands with a thud. Character cameos from Black Ops 2 are used purely as nostalgia bait, and JSOC members remain flat and one-dimensional.

The missions themselves are repetitive and lack spectacle. Many are simple loops: run across the Warzone-style Avalon map, shoot bullet-sponge enemies, interact with an objective, repeat. Classic mission variety—sniper levels, vehicle sequences—is absent entirely.

Boss fights fare even worse, ranging from dull to outright bizarre. Early on, you defeat Menendez using a Killstreak that rains oversized machetes from the sky. Later, you spend an absurd amount of time fighting a glowing-eyed, hundred-foot-tall Michael Rooker.

Four-player co-op softens the blow, but even with friends, this is the weakest Call of Duty campaign ever released.

Endgame Mode: A Silver Lining

Finishing the campaign unlocks Endgame, a PvE extraction mode where 32 players explore Avalon, gather loot, progress through skill tracks, and race against the clock to extract. Despite reusing campaign enemies, the mode’s progression loop and map design make it surprisingly engaging—effectively becoming “the great Warzone map we never got.”

Zombies: A Triumphant Return

Zombies returns with Ashes of the Damned, the largest map in series history—a sprawling Dark Aether realm built from new zones and reimagined classics, all connected by dense, dangerous Fog filled with deadly creatures.

Traversing the map on foot is nearly impossible, so players rely on “Ol’ Tessie,” a ramshackle truck powered by a talking severed head that doubles as a shield and Pack-a-Punch station.

The map’s figure-eight layout forces tough decisions: stay safe in Ashwood or risk the trek to Vandorn Farm to recover lost Perks? Its fast-changing conditions prevent repetitive strategies and keep every run unpredictable.

Like any good Zombies map, it’s packed with secrets and Easter eggs—from hidden music tracks to quirky interactions like feeding weapons to a talking trash can in exchange for a Ray Gun. With more maps confirmed for future updates, Zombies fans are in for a great year.

Verdict

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is a mixed experience.

• Zombies is stellar—innovative, challenging, and filled with secrets.

• Multiplayer delivers exceptional gunplay and strong maps, even if it plays things safe.

• The campaign, however, is a major disappointment and one of the worst in the franchise.

While the game proves that Call of Duty can still compete in multiplayer, players looking for something new and ambitious may find better options in Battlefield 6 or ARC Raiders. If the franchise hopes to reign for another two decades, it will need to take bigger risks—and deliver on them.