It feels like all change for Call of Duty with the launch of Black Ops 7, amid strain from Battlefield 6 and its dedication to “gritty realism.”
Call of Duty’s foray into goofy skins territory shouldn’t be a brand new phenomena, though latest releases have definitely amped up the dialog round them. With the likes of Beavis and Butt-Head and American Dad hitting the recreation this 12 months shortly after weed-obsessed bundles starring Seth Rogen, some followers have mentioned they’ve had sufficient of what they name the ‘Fortnite-ification’ of their beloved Call of Duty, and have pleaded with writer Activision to return to its mil-sim roots.
Enter Battlefield 6, a recreation EA is pitching as having a “gritty realism” aesthetic. Developer DICE has indicated it has no plans to launch crossover skins that might break the aesthetic Battlefield 6 goes for, and promised the builders had been listening to fan suggestions.
In a latest interview with DBLTAP, Battlefield 6 design director Shashank Uchil doubled down on EA’s dedication to grounded realism, and even pointed to Call of Duty’s notorious Nicki Minaj pores and skin as one thing Battlefield 6 does not want.
“It has to be grounded,” he mentioned. “That’s what BF3 and BF4 was — it was all troopers, on the floor. It’s going to be like this,” Uchil mentioned, pointing at the key artwork that includes troopers in soldier gear looking over a wartorn New York Metropolis.
He added: “I don’t assume it wants Nicki Minaj. Let’s maintain it actual, maintain it grounded.”
With Battlefield 6 set to go up in opposition to Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 later this 12 months, Activision has now issued a community update that signifies it’s prepared to make important modifications to the varieties of bundles it releases for the recreation.
However there’s maybe much more important information right here: Activision confirmed that Operators, Operator Skins, and Weapons from Black Ops 6 will now not carry ahead into Black Ops 7.
This comes as an enormous shock to gamers who had anticipated content material they’d purchased for Black Ops 6 to carry ahead, because it has completed with earlier entries, and given Black Ops 7 instantly follows final 12 months’s Black Ops 6. Explaining the resolution, Activision mentioned Black Ops 7 “wants to really feel genuine to Call of Duty and its setting.”
“That’s the reason Black Ops 6 Operator and Weapon content material is not going to carry ahead to Black Ops 7. Double XP tokens and GobbleGums will nonetheless carry ahead, as a result of we acknowledge your time and development are essential.”
(This alteration applies solely to Black Ops 7. Call of Duty: Warzone shouldn’t be affected, and all of your Black Ops 6 content material stays usable there.)
What impression will this have on Black Ops 7? It implies that at launch, a minimum of, you gained’t see all these goofy skins operating round Multiplayer. It feels like Multiplayer will appear to be Black Ops 7, a minimum of at the begin of issues.
The place will Activision go from right here? Its group put up suggests it’s prepared to tone down the goofiness for Black Ops 7’s whole lifecycle, though it’s price stating we don’t have specifics right here.
“We all know there’s been rather a lot of dialog lately about the identification of Call of Duty,” Activision mentioned. “Some of you’ve gotten mentioned we’ve drifted from what made Call of Duty distinctive in the first place: immersive, intense, visceral and in some ways grounded. That suggestions hits residence, and we take it critically. We hear you.
“All through growth, Treyarch and Raven’s north star has been to ship a non secular successor to Black Ops 2 whereas taking some massive swings. You’ll see it throughout Black Ops 7’s Multiplayer, Zombies, Co-Op Marketing campaign (together with Endgame), and even Lifeless Ops Arcade 4.
“Over the years, we’ve had a spread of video games and experiences that followers have loved from the Fashionable Warfare sequence to the Black Ops sequence and past. Immediately, we wished to share with you some of the methods we’re approaching issues with Black Ops 7.”
Activision went on to say that Black Ops 7 bundles and objects “can be crafted to match the Black Ops identification.” “We hear the suggestions,” the mega writer added. “We want to ship a greater steadiness towards the immersive, core Call of Duty expertise.”
If Activision actually leaves goofy skins behind, then it’s leaving rather a lot of cash on the desk. The corporate wouldn’t launch Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle and Nicki Minaj skins in the event that they didn’t make masses of cash. Maybe, with the launch of Battlefield 6, Activision felt it had reached a tipping level, and it wanted to take drastic motion to reply.
No matter the case, response is a combination of shock, pleasure, and frustration. There’s shock that Activision truly canceled carry ahead for Black Ops 7, pleasure about getting again to Call of Duty’s roots, however for some a frustration that the time and in lots of instances cash spent incomes beauty objects in latest months die with Black Ops 6.
There’s additionally a spot of scepticism from some inside the Call of Duty group, who suspect Activision could maintain the line for Black Ops 7’s first few months of life, however ultimately retreat into goofy pores and skin territory as soon as once more.
Activision ended its group replace by promising extra data on all points of Black Ops 7 quickly. Battlefield 6 comes out October 10, with Black Ops 7 following in November. It’s going to be actually fascinating to see how this all shakes out.
We have lots extra Black Ops 7 protection popping out of gamescom 2025, together with Treyarch shrugging off “lazy” accusations and the menace of Battlefield 6.
Wesley is Director, Information at IGN. Discover him on Twitter at @wyp100. You possibly can attain Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.