The response to Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 has been quite negative to say the least. While the reveal at 2025’s Xbox Games Showcase went over fairly well, as the long-rumored successor to Black Ops 2 was finally confirmed, the gameplay footage from Gamescom and the deep dive that followed have been met with mass dislikes. The complaints are coming from all angles - multiplayer fans are angry that the goofy skins from BO6 can be carried forward into BO7, old-school CoD Zombies lovers are disappointed that the modern mechanics of Cold War and BO6 are sticking around, and campaign players are worried it’s going too far with its trippy missions and extraction shooter finale.
The mass dislikes on Black Ops 7’s latest trailer (as well as all the comments saying Battlefield 6 is the more promising game) are impossible to ignore, as it feels like 2016’s Infinite Warfare situation all over again. However, I’d still say I’m more excited for BO7 than I was for Infinite Warfare, as it still has quite a few things going for it. Sure, the cosmetics in CoD have jumped the shark, but sharing weapon builds is a great quality-of-life feature, and it’s good to know that the criticism about BO6 map sizes has been heard. And yes, I’m more worried than anyone about the extraction shooter ending for BO7’s campaign, but I’m cautiously optimistic that its cast will elevate the rest of the missions it offers. And for CoD Zombies, contrary to the loudest voices at the moment, I’m excited about the direction that the mode is taking.
Currently, the state of the CoD Zombies community is a warzone, as players are up in arms over comments from content creators saying that it feels “like a DLC for Black Ops 6," essentially suggesting that those who dislike modern Zombies won’t like BO7. To me, though, this insight was hardly surprising. It’s an open secret that Treyarch and Raven developed BO6 and BO7 alongside each other, so it makes little sense to expect massive gameplay overhauls that change the feel of the gameplay. Instead, Treyarch seems to be focusing on exactly what myself and so many others wanted to see: ambitious map concepts.
Black Ops 7 Zombies’ Map Variety Will Be Its Secret Weapon
Prior to Black Ops 7’s reveal, reports surfaced claiming that BO7 Zombies would have bold locations like Black Ops 3 offered, a game that many see as the peak of Treyarch’s survival mode. Supposed locations include a space station within the Dark Aether and a version of New York that has been nuked by the Nazis, both of which sound like significant improvements from what has been seen in the Dark Aether Saga thus far. To be clear, Black Ops 6 was a step in the right direction with maps like Citadelle Des Morts and Shattered Veil, but it still has its share of overdone facility maps with Terminus and Reckoning. While it remains to see if these specific leaked map concepts will become a reality, it is confirmed that CoD Zombies is finally bringing back fantastical map concepts.
Treyarch recently announced that “every map” released for Black Ops 7 will take place within the Dark Aether. While there is a danger of too many purple skyboxes and similar vibes, realistically, this approach should instead give Treyarch the freedom to get as wild as it wants to with maps. It can feature unused concepts from the old Aether and Chaos storylines, entirely new sci-fi entities and weapon ideas, and essentially whatever Treyarch can think of. BO7 should be a hub of creativity from a map design standpoint, with its TranZit-inspired launch map said to be pushing the envelope already.
While content creators got a chance to explore the Farm location, it’s been reported that every POI will be drastically different from the other visually. Per @MargwaNetwork on X, there will be six POIs on Black Ops 7’s starting map that each contain their own narrative, and—even more intriguingly—are set within distinct time periods. Essentially, the new iteration of the Power Station could be more futuristic, the new take on the Diner era could go full-on 1950s with its aesthetic, and the Farm could feel as modern as possible. By giving each segment of the map its own aesthetic, something visually interesting and varied like Revelations should be the result.
The supposed POIs of the unnamed launch map are as follows:
- Diner (TranZit remake)
- Power Station (TranZit remake)
- Farm (TranZit remake)
- Dark Aether Janus Towers Lobby (Reckoning remake)
- New Area 5
- New Area 6
In addition to the launch experience, post-launch full-sized maps, and post-launch survival maps, Dead Ops Arcade 4 will be included in BO7. This version of the top-down mode shares XP progression with all the other content of the game.
Love or Hate Modern CoD Zombies Gameplay, BO7 is Making a Wish Come True
As valid as the concerns about the overall state of Call of Duty may be, as well as those about the campaign, it’s hard to see what the CoD Zombies fan base is up in arms with. Admittedly, I’m lucky, as I enjoy both modern Zombies and classic Zombies. But even if I had a preference for the old approach, I don’t think concepts such as a Warzone-like armor system and weapon rarities would be enough to completely kill my hype for newer project. Black Ops 6 did so much right, from its boss fights being a massive step forward for the franchise to the revival of Grief mode after years of requests. Now, after countless demands for a TranZit reimagining that realizes the flawed map’s full potential, Treyarch is making that happen while tossing in concepts like a Wonder Vehichle and an eight-character cast—the latter of which being something players loved in Alpha Omega.
Given how crunched for time Treyarch is, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 essentially just being more Black Ops 6, only with bolder map ideas, seems like the best possible scenario. For me, it’s more than enough to be excited. That doesn’t mean I don’t have my own criticisms - for instance, Reckoning’s ending randomly having the classic crew show up felt like a forced nostalgia grab, something BO7 is in danger of doing too much of. However, I do think the mode shows a lot of promise and deserves a fair chance, especially from those who found things to like about Cold War and BO6.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 66 /100 Critics Rec: 34%
- Released
- November 14, 2025
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Drugs
- Developer(s)
- Treyarch, Raven Software
- Publisher(s)
- Activision
