Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is implementing a notable security change to help combat cheaters, with Activision requiring players to enable two key features on PC platforms. Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 has yet to receive an official release date, with the game currently set to launch sometime in late 2025.
Activision recently confirmed that a worldwide reveal for Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 will take place on August 19 during Gamescom’s Opening Night Live. Specific details about what will be shared during the reveal have yet to be shared. However, it stands to reason that a release date for Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 may be announced at this time, given the series’ consistent history of releasing new titles in late October and early November.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Could Mark a New Era For Warzone
Warzone has had to adapt to many CoD entries over the years, and Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 may mark a thematic turning point for the battle royale.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7’s Security Features Will Help Combat Cheaters
Activision has shared new details about two security features for Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 on PC platforms, including Trusted Platform Mode 2.0 (TPM 2.0) and Secure Boot. Both are designed to combat cheaters, with TPM 2.0 providing hardware-based security on Windows PCs, and Secure Boot protecting against “low-level cheats” by ensuring only trusted software is loaded during the player’s PC startup process. Black Ops 7 will be the first title in the series to require both TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot at launch, with the publisher retroactively adding these security features to other titles, including Warzone and Black Ops 6 following its Season 5 rollout.
TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot are designed to work in conjunction with the game’s RICOCHET Anti-Cheat to “keep matches fair and fun.” While players can choose to ignore these security additions in Black Ops 6 and Warzone, Activision has noted that both will be “required for Call of Duty: Black Ops 7’s anti-cheat enforcement.” With this, the publisher has assured players that neither feature will impact game quality or performance, and will “remain inactive” during gameplay. Players will also start seeing in-game notifications letting them know if their system is unable to handle TPM 2.0 or Secure Boot while playing titles like Black Ops 6 following the launch of Season 5.
In addition to mandatory security features, there have been rumors about a possible return of the controversial Carry Forward feature in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7. Players have been divided in their response to this, with some appreciating the ability to get more use out of their Black Ops 6 purchases, while others have remarked that some of the previous title’s skins feel too “outlandish” to include in Black Ops 7.
Despite its additional security requirements, enthusiasm for Black Ops 7 remains high. A good example of this can be seen with eagle-eyed players already spotting Black Ops 7-themed Monster Energy cans in stores with QR codes that offer in-game rewards when scanned. It’s unclear what these rewards will be exactly, but it's exciting nonetheless for players to already have the opportunity to earn items for Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 ahead of its 2025 release.
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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
WHERE TO PLAY
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. David Mason leads an elite JSOC team on a covert mission to the sprawling Mediterranean city of Avalon. While there, they discover a sophisticated plot that won’t just plunge the world into chaos, it will pull them into their own haunting pasts.
Squad up or go solo in an innovative Co-Op Campaign that redefines the Black Ops experience. Take on high-stakes challenges 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.
Multiplayer explodes out of the gate with 16 electrifying 6v6 maps and two 20v20 maps at launch. From futuristic Tokyo vistas to the frozen, unforgiving wilds of Alaska, every environment is brimming with danger and opportunity. Master a cutting-edge arsenal and outmaneuver your enemies with an evolved Omnimovement system.
In Treyarch’s legendary Round-Based Zombies mode, the nightmare begins where reality ends. Trapped in the heart of the Dark Aether, the crew is thrust into a vast, ever-shifting hellscape. This isn’t just survival. It’s a descent into madness.
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op
- Franchise
- Call of Duty, Call of Duty: Black Ops
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
