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I just got my hands on Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 and I have to say, I think we're in for a treat this year. I'm out at COD: NEXT right now, getting a glimpse into the future of Call of Duty and Warzone. I've played the incoming beta build of Black Ops 7 multiplayer and I'm impressed, both by how smartly Treyarch has built on the foundations of Black Ops 6 and how fresh the new 2035 setting makes everything feel.
There was always a risk that back-to-back Black Ops instalments would make Call of Duty feel a little stale. Thankfully, Activision and Treyarch have really dialled into the elements that made its COD games so legendary, positioning Black Ops 7 as both a love letter to the glory days of Black Ops 2 and a worthy sequel to Black Ops 6. Scorestreaks are brutal, Omnimovement has been refined, and the combat is electric – let's get into it, here are my 10 takeaways from playing Black Ops 7.
10. It's a true sequel to Black Ops 6
Black Ops 7 may be set some 40 years after its predecessor, but this is more refinement than revolution. Treyarch has gone to great lengths to introduce new weaponry (there are 30 in total, including 16 debuting for the first time in franchise history) and Scorestreaks which reflect the 2035 setting, as well as a suite of new maps and modes. But the truth is, Black Ops 7 does feel very much like a refocused version of Black Ops 6. That's a result of Treyarch pursuing the development of these two titles in parallel, with BO7 building off of its predecessor in some smart, albeit clearly iterative ways.
9. Match pace feels more tactical
So, if you found the speed and theatrics of Black Ops 6 multiplayer a little chaotic, then I'm happy to report that Black Ops 7 feels a little more tempered. There have been key refinements to Omnimovement, which certainly help deliver this more grounded experience, but the global TTK (time-to-kill) also feels more balanced. Are there still issues with players being able to wield sniper rifles equipped with greater utility (and firing rate) than your average shotgun? Sure, some things never change. But on the whole, Treyarch appears to have learned some sharp lessons over the last 12 months, wielding player data to finetune its core rhythms and recoil models in a way that's resoundingly positive.
8. Greater control over movement
Treyarch design director Matt Scronce insists that Omnimovement hasn't slowed between Black Ops 6 and Black Ops 7, but something has definitely changed. The game feels inherently more mellow than its predecessor, although this may largely be a result of Tactical Sprint being removed as a default movement option – a shift made in an attempt to get a better handle on multiplayer flow throughout Core 6v6 maps. Omnimovement is still outrageous; the ability to sprint, slide, and dive in any direction still brings new dimensions to even the most basic of combat encounters, although it feels more controlled in Black Ops 7. At least, it does until you start experimenting with some of the new mobility-focused loadout Perks.
7. Some previous move tech is now tied to perks
Tactical Sprint isn't the only ability which has been stripped from basic play. You're now unable to ADS on slides and dives either. Although you bring these abilities back into play through the Perks system, as well as plenty of other ways to make Omnimovement larger than life. Every loadout comes equipped with three Perk slots (a fourth too, should you take the necessary Wildcard) which can really help fine tune your preferred playstyle. I believe that the changes to Omnimovement are for the best, although they can be largely reversed by equipping Tac Sprinter (enables Tactical Sprint but reduces your normal sprint speed) and Dexterity (reduced weapon motion and full ADS on slides, dives, and wall jumps) at the cost of other obtaining other abilities.
6. Mixing and matching perk combat specialities now gives special bonuses
It's a great change, providing so much scope for locking in preferred playstyles.
Speaking of Perks, I should shout out a great new addition: Hybrid Combat Specialties. Black Ops 6 introduced Combat Specialty, where equipping three Perks of the same category would activate a specific bonus. A nice idea, albeit a little narrow. BO7 will now let you activate Hybrid Combat Specialties when pairing Perks of different categories. Scout (formed of Red and Blue Perks), lets you stay hidden from minimaps for five seconds; Tactician (Red and Green Perks) earns bonus score from kills for 10 seconds when you nail an assist; and Operative (Blue and Green Perks) unlocks a Field Upgrade charge from stealth kills. It's a great change, providing so much scope for locking in preferred playstyles.
5. You can chain wall jumps to reach greater heights
Arguably the biggest addition to the Omnimovement movement system are Wall Jumps. You're now able to kick off from vertical surfaces, chaining up to three jumps to increase your traversal capabilities in Black Ops 7 multiplayer. There's a clear loss in inertia between each jump, which helps maintain some degree of momentum balance. It's a neat concept, although I don't think the maps (at least those available in beta) are designed to make all that much use of the new featureset. I can't help but wish it were a Wall Run rather than a Wall Jump, although Call of Duty is clearly still bearing some baggage from the Advanced and Infinite Warfare fiascos that sent boots back to ground a decade ago.
4. Overclocking is a game defining new feature
One of the biggest changes that Treyarch is shouting about is a new Overclock system, which is designed to let you supercharge your gear during multiplayer. It's an exceptional addition. When creating a class, you'll have the ability to customize your Tactical and Lethal Equipment, Field Upgrades, and Scorestreaks – with effective unlocking up to two Overclock abilities. It's a really interesting tweak to multiplayer, once again furthering your ability to hone your playstyle. If you're running with the new Psych Grenade, for example, you can either increase the duration that enemies are stunned or enact DoT to anybody caught within its radius. It's a great system, although Black Ops 7 could do a better job of signalling when you're Overclocked and ready to go.
3. Black Ops 7's maps are tightly wound arenas
Black Ops 7 is launching with 16 core 6v6 multiplayer maps this fall, with six staggered through the open beta weekends. Treyarch has very much gone back to basics here, leveraging the legacy of Black Ops 2 to inspire the compositions of its battle spaces. Which is all to say that the Black Ops 7 maps that I played prioritize clear sight lines for short-to-medium length engagements, as well as a clear three-lane design that helps to funnel players towards the frontline. It's early days, and there's still so many maps that we need to see, although the pool does appear to have more solid foundations than the selection available at launch in Black Ops 6.
2. Lethal scorestreaks can make or break matches
Scorestreaks return for Black Ops 7 and for whatever reason, Treyarch has made them especially lethal. The studio has clearly taken feedback on board that the Scorestreaks (awarded to those of you who are able to chain certain actions together in a single life) in Black Ops 6 weren't powerful enough, with the 2035-inspired set proving to be absolutely brutal. Naturally, some old favorites return – the RC-XD is here, and BO7's take on the attack dog (DAWG, the Deployable Armored Weaponized Groundcraft equipped with a large caliber turret and rocket pod) is horrendously brutal. Given that Scorestreaks can also be Overclocked, boosting their utility or efficiency, I have a sinking suspicion that the pool will be rebalanced between beta and release, but we will see!
1. The beta will be a huge moment
The Black Ops 7 beta is split into two sessions. There's an early access component between October 2-5 for those who pre-order the game, and then an open-beta running for everybody else October 5-8. If you're paying attention, you've no doubt realised that this is right on top of Battlefield 6, which launches October 10. It does feel like Call of Duty has very real competition this year, which isn't something I've been able to say for a while now. Treyarch is clearly leveraging that pressure to deliver an excellent multiplayer experience, once which builds smartly on the legacy of Black Ops 2 and feedback received for Black Ops 6. There's still so much I need to see of the Black Ops 7 package, but my early hands-on with the incoming FPS has been exceptionally positive. Bring on the beta!
We've got a handy guide for how to access the Black Ops 7 beta. We'll see you online!
