Apparently all is not well in the world of Call of Duty. Black Ops 7 appears to have struggled with sales and players, given stiff competition from games like Battlefield 6 from EA and Arc Raiders from Embark Studios, and it will be released just a year after Black Ops 6. Microsoft has not yet announced player numbers or sales numbers for Black Ops 7, nor has it provided a detailed breakdown of the Game Pass subscriber growth as a result of its launch. Apparently he did not live up to expectations.
Last month’s sales data suggested that Black Ops 7 was more than just a competitive shooter Battlefield 6but also last year’s Black Ops 6. Gaming business reported that during the European launch of Black Ops 7, opening week sales dropped by 63% compared to Battlefield 6 over the equivalent launch periods of each shooter, and Black Ops 7 also dropped by more than 50% compared to Black Ops 6. All in all, Black Ops 7 had a “terrible” launch, Game Business chief Chris Dring said in a social media post.
Then, in a shocking development, Activision promised to never release Black Ops or Modern Warfare games again. In a statement attributed to the “Call of Duty team” (Treyarch, Sledgehammer, Infinity Ward, Raven Software and company), Activision admitted that “for some of you, the franchise did not fully meet your expectations. To be clear, we know what you expect and we are confident that we will meet and exceed those expectations in the future.”
Activision continued: “We will not be releasing any more Modern Warfare or Black Ops games. The reasons are many, but the most important is that we deliver an absolutely exceptional experience every year. We will make innovations that are meaningful, not incremental. While we are not sharing these plans today, we look forward to doing so when the time is right.”
Fast forward to this week, and Xbox Game Studios head Matt Booty painted a slightly rosier picture. Asked about Black Ops 7 performance by DiversityBooty replied that it was one of the most played games on Xbox today and that he was proud of what the development team had achieved. He went on to say that Call of Duty is “in its own category” due to Activision’s ability to release content on a seasonal model, so the launch doesn’t mark the end of the Black Ops 7 story.
Here is the quote in full:
“It’s one of the most played games on Xbox right now. I’m really proud of what the team has done in terms of functional innovation, pushing the franchise forward. Delivering a major franchise like clockwork every year is a really difficult task, and I’m really proud of what the team has done to push the franchise forward in this way.”
“The interesting thing about Call of Duty is that I think as an IP it’s really well-positioned to continue to deliver content for players in the future, which is the seasons system. And it’s not just about the launch, but it’s its own unique category and opportunity in terms of how the team delivers content throughout the year. So we’re really happy with where we’ve gotten.”
Amid this doom and gloom, Microsoft announced that Call of Duty (overall) finished 2025 as the number one series on Game Pass in terms of total players and hours for the year, which is perhaps not that substantial of a surprise considering this is Call of Duty we’re talking about. But it goes to show that even if Call of Duty is having a bad year compared to previous games in the series, it is still hugely popular compared to other games.
Xbox game series tier list
Xbox game series tier list
Call of Duty is currently at a crossroads. The 2026 Call of Duty game is almost certainly a sequel to Modern Warfare from Infinity Ward, but what will 2027 bring? Black Ops 8? Activision’s failure to create a third Call of Duty sub-brand means it has become overly reliant on Modern Warfare and Black Ops to keep the franchise in line with player numbers. Could Microsoft take the drastic step of giving Call of Duty a year off to recover from its recent struggles? Considering Microsoft paid $69 billion for Activision Blizzard, this seems unlikely.
As for the here and now of Black Ops 7, Activision promised “unprecedented seasonal support,” saying it “will not rest until Black Ops 7 takes its place as one of the best Black Ops games we’ve ever made.”
Wesley is the news director at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. Wesley can be reached at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
