Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is shaping up to be the boldest move Treyarch has made in years. It’s still firmly a CoD game at its core—fast-paced gunplay, twitch reflexes, and multiplayer grind intact—but with more experiments baked in than we’ve seen in over a decade. Launching on November 14, 2025, it’ll release on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.

Notably absent is the Nintendo Switch 2, despite Microsoft’s much-publicized 10-year deal to bring Call of Duty to Nintendo platforms. Activision confirmed that development is ongoing, but Switch players shouldn’t expect Black Ops 7 on day one. That leaves PlayStation, Xbox, and PC as the primary ecosystems, with full cross-play and progression expected.

Here’s the deep dive into everything we know so far.

Campaign: Black Ops Goes Extraction

Historically, Call of Duty campaigns have been tightly scripted, cinematic rollercoasters. Fun? Absolutely. Replayable? Not so much. Treyarch is taking a different approach with Black Ops 7, making its story mode something closer to a living mode with long-term replay value.

The narrative itself takes place in 2035 and directly follows the events of both Black Ops 2 and Black Ops 6. Returning is David Mason, son of franchise icon Alex Mason, alongside the reappearance of fan-favorite villain Raul Menendez, tying Black Ops 7 to some of the series’ most iconic storylines. For lore fans, this is huge—it suggests Treyarch is closing loops first opened over a decade ago.

But it’s the gameplay structure that changes everything. For the first time, the campaign supports four-player co-opthroughout, letting squads play through the story together. And at its climax, the campaign shifts into an extraction shooter finale. Players build custom loadouts, drop into a large map full of threats, objectives, and secrets, and attempt to exfil alive. The catch? Fail to extract, and your progression for that run is completely wiped.

This risk-reward setup pulls directly from extraction shooters like Escape from Tarkov and DMZ. It’s a radical departure for a CoD campaign but one that could make it the most replayable single-player/co-op mode the franchise has ever had. Combined with multiple endings, branching objectives, and a progression system unique to this mode, Treyarch clearly wants the campaign to have staying power long after the credits roll.

Multiplayer: Skirmish Mode, Prestige Return, and Shared Loadouts

Multiplayer has always been the backbone of Call of Duty, and Black Ops 7 keeps that tradition alive with a mix of classic and experimental content.

At launch, players can expect 16 maps for the traditional 6v6 core modes like Team Deathmatch, Domination, and Hardpoint. But the headline addition is the brand-new Skirmish Mode. Here, 20 players are split into squads of four, and each match features rotating objectives scattered across large, layered maps. Think of it as a hybrid between the intensity of Hardpoint, the chaos of Ground War, and the tactical push-pull of Battlefield.

Prestige is also back in its classic form, a huge nod to longtime fans. Players can reset their level cap progression in exchange for exclusive cosmetics and bragging rights. Unlike recent years where Prestige was watered down, Black Ops 7 restores the original grind that players loved, keeping the pursuit of mastery alive.

Another major quality-of-life feature is shared loadouts. For the first time, players can share their weapon builds directly with friends, allowing squads to sync their setups and experiment with metas together. This might sound small, but for competitive players, it’s a big deal—streamers, esports squads, and casual groups alike can easily trade and test builds without painstakingly copying settings.

Overall, Black Ops 7 multiplayer looks like it wants to hit both sides of the fanbase: traditionalists who want their core modes intact, and innovators who crave new ways to play beyond the 6v6 loop.

Zombies: Tranzit Reinvented and Dark Aether Expands

Black Ops 7 wouldn’t feel like a true Treyarch game without Zombies, and the studio is leaning heavily on nostalgia while also pushing the story forward.

At launch, Zombies will feature one map, but it’s not just any map—it’s a reimagining of Tranzit. Players will move between multiple interconnected zones, each with unique objectives, while still adhering to the classic round-based survival structure. It’s a balance between the old-school pacing fans have demanded and the larger, exploratory gameplay Treyarch experimented with in Outbreak.

On the lore side, Zombies will continue the Dark Aether storyline, which has become the backbone of the mode in recent years. Expect more cryptic Easter eggs, hidden quests, and narrative breadcrumbs that the community will obsessively decode within hours of release. Treyarch knows the Zombies fanbase thrives on mystery, and Black Ops 7 looks to keep feeding that hunger.

For veterans, the return of Tranzit’s DNA is a major nostalgia play. For newer players, the shuttling between zones introduces variety without overwhelming complexity. Combined with the continuation of the Dark Aether arc, this might be the most balanced launch Zombies map in years.

Preorders, Editions, and Beta Access

With the release date fast approaching, Activision has opened preorders for Black Ops 7, offering two main editions for players eager to jump in early. The Standard or Cross-Gen Edition, priced at $70, includes the full game, the Reznov Challenge Pack, and early access to the open beta. For those willing to spend more, the $100 Vault Edition bundles everything from the Standard package with a full season of BlackCell, an Operator Collection, a Mastercraft Weapon Collection, an Ultra GobbleGum Pack for Zombies, and a permanent unlock token. While the added content may appeal to dedicated players, the biggest incentive across all editions is the early beta access, giving fans the chance to try out multiplayer, experiment with weapon builds, and possibly even test the new Skirmish mode before launch.

The open beta is the main draw for preorder players, offering early hands-on access to multiplayer and possibly Zombies before launch. For hardcore fans, this is the chance to test out Skirmish mode, explore the weapon-sharing system, and see how Treyarch’s new progression hooks feel in practice.

Why Black Ops 7 Could Redefine CoD

Black Ops 7 is releasing in a year where competition is fierce—Battlefield 6 is on the horizon, and extraction shooters continue to eat away at the FPS market. But instead of playing it safe, Treyarch is swinging big.

By turning the campaign into a co-op extraction hybrid, they’re redefining how players interact with Call of Duty’s single-player content. By reviving Prestige and adding Skirmish mode, they’re giving multiplayer new depth while respecting its roots. And by reworking Tranzit for Zombies and continuing the Dark Aether saga, they’re ensuring one of CoD’s most beloved modes remains central.

For lore junkies, Mason and Menendez’s return ties the past and future of Black Ops into one cohesive thread. For grinders, Prestige is back. For co-op fans, the campaign finally feels worth replaying. And for the Zombies community, Black Ops 7 is another puzzle box waiting to be cracked wide open.

If Treyarch delivers, Black Ops 7 won’t just be another yearly installment—it could mark a turning point where Call of Duty proves it can innovate, surprise, and still dominate the FPS landscape.