Black Ops Division

The ghosts who fight the wars that history will never record.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is the twenty-second main installment in the franchise and the eighth entry in the Black Ops sub-series, released on November 14, 2025. Co-developed by Treyarch and Raven Software, this first-person shooter is set in 2035, a decade after the events of Black Ops 6. The narrative centers on David Mason leading a JSOC unit to investigate the alleged return of deceased terrorist Raul Menendez. Unlike previous entries focused solely on single-player, this campaign supports co-op play. The title faced mixed critical reception and player backlash, ranking as the fifth best-selling game in the United States for 2025.

Lore & Background

Set in June 2035, the story follows JSOC Commander David "Section" Mason and his unit, Specter One, as they investigate a doctored video of Raul Menendez claiming his attacks were just the beginning. Deployed to the Mediterranean city-state of Avalon by Colonel Troy Marshall, the team infiltrates a laboratory but is ambushed and exposed to a hallucinogenic toxin called "the Cradle." Their survival depends on cybernetic enhancements that allow them to navigate vivid shared visions.

These hallucinations force the operatives to confront past traumas: Mason faces an apparition of Menendez in Nicaragua; Samuels battles a corrupted, plant-monster version of his mentor Frank Woods, who admits to accidentally killing David's father, Alex Mason. The team eventually discovers that "the Guild," led by CEO Emma Kagan, fabricated the Menendez video using deepfake technology to frame him while planning to unleash the Cradle for profit and control.

Reader's Guide

Black Ops 7 features three main modes: a 11-mission co-op/single-player campaign, multiplayer, and round-based Zombies. The campaign unlocks an "Endgame" mode for up to 32 players in Avalon with time-limited objectives; death results in gear loss, though skill trees grant retainable buffs. Multiplayer pits two teams of six (6v6) against each other as "JSOC" or "The Guild," with a 20v20 option called "Skirmish." Movement is omnidirectional with wall jumps, but the core "Tactical Sprint" has been moved to an in-game perk.

Progression uses XP for loadouts and three "combat specialties," plus new "hybrid combat specialties" for mixed perks. Weapons and players can "Prestige" up to ten times after reaching level 55. Zombies offers five maps continuing the Black Ops 6 storyline, featuring currencies like Essence and Salvage, and modes including "Survival," "Dead Ops Arcade 4," and "Cursed," which uses "Relics" for difficulty.

Did You Know?

Black Ops 7 was green-lit for development at the same time as Black Ops 6.
Raul Menendez's return in the story is revealed to be a deepfake created by Emma Kagan.
Black Ops 7 ranked as the fifth best-selling game in the United States for 2025, the lowest ranking since 2008.