Activision admits Black Ops 7 wasn’t what players wanted

Activision has acknowledged that Black Ops 7 didn’t live up to expectations in every area, with the publisher promising to address player feedback in Modern Warfare 4.

Black Ops 7 arrived in 2025 as the second consecutive entry in the Black Ops series, following Black Ops 6 the previous year. It continued a trend that had already seen Modern Warfare 2 and Modern Warfare 3 released back-to-back in 2022 and 2023.

The decision to stick with familiar sub-series has been a major talking point, with Activision now admitting that players were looking for something different.

Speaking to The Game Business, Activision chief marketing officer Tyler Bahl reflected on the reception to Black Ops 7.

“I don’t think we were happy with every aspect of last year’s game, and we heard the feedback loud and clear,” he said.

Modern Warfare 4 aims to address Black Ops 7 criticism

Although Bahl didn’t identify specific problems with Black Ops 7, he suggested that the direction of Modern Warfare 4 has been influenced by the response.

“With Modern Warfare 4, we’ve tried to adjust based on that feedback. It’s getting back to a grounded military shooter. Making it cinematic, making it authentic, and bringing that edge back that Call of Duty is known for,” he explained.

Activision

Bahl also acknowledged that releasing direct sequels in consecutive years hadn’t delivered the change of pace some fans wanted.

“It was not something that our community was looking for,” he added. ”They wanted something fresh, and even though there were different time settings, and ways to play the game with new features, that tonal shift is something that they were looking for.”

Activision is looking to address these concerns by introducing a new Call of Duty sub-franchise in 2027, although there’s no word yet on when it will be set.