To the surprise of no one, Call of Duty is back this year with the recently announced Call of Duty: Black Ops 7. That’s right, as revealed during the Xbox Games Showcase during the Summer Game Fest 2025 schedule, we’re going straight into Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 from last year’s Black Ops 6, and it marks the franchise’s return to a futuristic setting. Welcome back, David Mason.
We know that last year’s installment was the biggest release in the franchise’s history, so it seems the Xbox and Activision teams were on to something when they decided to release two new Black Ops entries back-to-back. This also signals Black Ops 7 might have been in the works for nearly as long as BO6 at Raven Software and Treyarch. No, this new game won’t be handled by a different set of lead studios. What’s new in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, though?
Beyond new weapons to level up and an all-new campaign with the option to play in co-op, what should we expect from this return to BO2’s dark future and legacy characters? As its Fall 2025 launch gets closer, we’re collecting everything we know here. So read on for all the information that you need to know about the Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 release window, trailer, gameplay, and more!
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 release date speculation
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is set to launch in late 2025. This big news came our way during Summer Game Fest, and all of us FPS fans couldn’t be happier.
Xbox and Activision have yet to confirm a release date, and we’re expecting to get the full answer at the reveal event coming later this summer. If we examine Call of Duty’s traditional release windows, it’s logical to expect Black Ops 7 to arrive between the late October period and mid-November. Stay tuned for updates.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 platforms
At launch, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 will be on Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, and PC via Xbox PC, Battle.net, and Steam. Of course, with Activision now being in the Xbox family, Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers will get it day one. But a potential release on the Switch 2 hasn’t been discussed.
Despite the cutting-edge tech involved in the most recent Call of Duty games (BO6 used the IW 9.0 engine with current-gen-specific optimizations), the powers that be aren’t ready to let go of last-gen consoles yet. Don’t expect an optimal experience on 12-year-old hardware, though.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 trailer
At this stage, we’ve only received one look at Black Ops 7. It arrived right at the end of June 2025’s Xbox Games Showcase and mostly consisted of a CG cutscene establishing the in-universe tech advancements in line with what we saw in 2012’s Black Ops 2. It’s an intriguing 3-minute teaser, though.
At the very end, we get quick glimpses of what appears to be in-game action, including multiplayer maps, campaign sections, and this year’s Zombies mode. Of course, there’s a new menace that needs to be taken down, and David Mason is back in action. Watch out for a surprise comeback, too.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 story and setting
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is set “more than 40 years” after Black Ops 6, meaning it happens a whole decade after Black Ops 2, which took place in 2025 outside of its late-Cold War sections. If the ‘numbers situation’ of this sub-franchise doesn’t make sense to you, know that you’re not alone. It’s the result of jumping all over the timeline in a very non-linear way and deciding to bring back numbered entries after Black Ops: Cold War.
Before we dive any deeper into Black Ops 7’s story and setting, here’s a rundown of the chronological order of the Black Ops sub-franchise: World at War (yes, it’s connected to the series), 1, Cold War, 6, 2, 7, 4, and 3. Two important notes: If you want to avoid a bunch of spoilers, it’s recommended to play 2 before 6 due to its late 1980s flashbacks, which have an impact on what comes after. Second, Black Ops 4 is skippable as it’s the franchise’s only multiplayer-only installment… and just isn’t good overall.
With that whole mess out of the way, let’s go back to Black Ops 7. Yes, it’s set in 2035, and the world is “on the brink of chaos” yet again. At this point, it’s important to bring up that Black Ops 2 offered several endings depending on a couple of player choices and whether the optional Strike Force missions were completed or not before reaching the end of the campaign.
We’ve yet to receive confirmation on which ending has been chosen as ‘canon’ to shape the state of the world and the main characters when Black Ops 7’s story begins, but the twisted bad guy Raul Menendez is back somehow. Many will instantly say he’s not dead, but the Black Ops series is known for loopy twists and a focus on psychological warfare, so he could be back but not alive (think of The Joker’s presence in Batman: Arkham Knight). Is he alive, dead but living rent-free in David Mason’s head, or just part of an advanced AI system? All the options make sense in the Black Ops universe, so we’re not ruling anything out.
Little else is known about the actual plot of the campaign, although the teaser trailer provides some clues: peace has been restored (or is in the process of being restored) thanks to an organization called The Guild. During the events of Black Ops 6, this group is involved in weapon trafficking and smuggling. 40 years later, it’s evolved into a seemingly huge global weapons manufacturer led by CEO Emma Kagan. They’re offering to protect the world from itself thanks to all sorts of automated weapons, drones, and robots.
Needless to say, David Mason and his team will have a hard time believing The Guild, and Raul Menendez might be key to uncovering a new conspiracy.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 gameplay
This is Call of Duty we’re talking about, so we’re not expecting any major shake-ups to the winning first-person shooter formula that’s kept the franchise at the top of the food chain for so long. However, we must assume a number of additions introduced in 2024’s Black Ops 6 – namely, the omni-movement system – are being kept around alongside refreshed mechanics from Black Ops 2 due to the return to its futuristic setting. All the specifics are expected to be revealed when the Black Ops 7 event happens this summer.
What we do know already is the story campaign, developed by Raven Software, will be playable in co-op for the first time since Black Ops 3 (2015). “Round-based Zombies in the heart of the Dark Aether” are also back, meaning that Activision and Treyarch aren’t messing with the core structure for the foreseeable future. Again, we’ll be learning more soon.
Can you pre-order Call of Duty: Black Ops 7?
Pre-orders for Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 aren’t available yet and likely won’t go live until we have a firm release date.
Expect this to change later this summer. Meanwhile, you can continue to grind through Black Ops 6’s seasons or go back and replay every Black Ops game, some of which are in our best Call of Duty games list.
For more future outings, read our pages on all the upcoming Xbox Series X games and upcoming PS5 games on the way.
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