As expected, the recent Xbox Games Showcase capped things off with the worldwide reveal ofCall of Duty: Black Ops 7, with the game’s announcement coming alongside an interesting trailer that corroborated a lot of the theories that have existed around the project for quite some time. While brief, the trailer did well to showcase the general themes and characters involved inBlack Ops 7, confirming that the game will act as a direct sequel to 2012’sBlack Ops 2.
This trailer forCall of Duty: Black Ops 7featured fan-favorite characters David Mason and Raul Menendez, furthering its direct links toBlack Ops 2, while also partly anchoring itself to the wider narrative of the recentBlack Ops 6through its portrayal of the organization known as The Guild. Away from these nods to the general premise ofBlack Ops 7’s campaign, the trailer even had a brief moment dedicated to the franchise’s iconic Zombies mode, with this being an exciting indicator of just how important Zombies is likely to be for the upcoming title.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Has Boldly Stated its Zombies Ambitions Early On
The recently revealed trailer forCall of Duty: Black Ops 7largely focused on the semi-futuristic organizations and technology that its 2030s setting will foster, with the cinematic also leaning heavily into the mind-bending psychological themes that have defined some of theBlack Opsfranchise’s most memorable sequences. The very end of the trailer squeezed in a lot of interesting visuals, ultimately signing off with a brief glimpse at a horde of zombies being startled by the headlights of a vehicle. While this tease offered very little insight into whatBO7Zombies will be like, and essentially just confirms its existence, it is exciting nontheless.
Wall-running mechanics were recently found in the files ofBlack Ops 6, potentially indicating howBlack Ops 7’s near-future setting might alter the movement mechanics that fans have seen in recent years.
It has been confirmed thatBlack Ops 7is being headed by Treyarch and Raven Software, drawing some concerns over rushed content givenTreyarch’s recent heavy involvement inBlack Ops 6, yet there is still a lot of excitement surrounding the upcoming project as a whole. Of course, Treyarch is the founding company ofCall of Duty’s iconic Zombies experiences, which first came with 2008’sWorld at War, with the mode growing to become one of the most anticipated and enjoyed elements of the usualCoDcontent cycle.
The identity ofCall of DutyZombies has shifted a lot in recent years, with 2020’sCold Warseeing the mode experiment with a more divisive open-world formula, althoughBlack Ops 6won over many fanswith its commitment to returning to traditional round-based experiences with a core cast of characters. This approach has worked well throughout the lifecycle ofBlack Ops 6, with it already being confirmed thatBlack Ops 7will continue with a round-based approach “in the heart of the Dark Aether.”
As always, Zombies fans are dissecting every teaser Treyarch provides. Some players feel as if the headlights and what appears to be either a windmill or pylon in the background of the footage is hinting at a long-rumored TranZit remake, this time set within the Dark Aether. This is purely speculation about a very brief and dark teaser, though it will be interesting to see if the vehicles lights actually belong to the TranZit bus once more is revealed aboutBO7.
It Seems That Treyarch is Building On Black Ops 6’s Zombies Approach For Black Ops 7
In the past, fans have had to wait quite a while for dedicated Zombies announcements, with the mode left somewhat in the shadow of campaign and multiplayer marketing forCall of Dutyreleases, yet the prominent appearance of Zombies-imagery inBlack Ops 7’s first trailer is an excellent sign of the attention that Treyarch could be giving the mode within 2025’sCoDentry.Black Ops 6has placed a similar importance on its Zombies offerings, with enemies from the mode even appearing in one of its most memorable campaign missions, and it seems just as likely that a similarcrossover between Zombies and campaigncould exist withinBlack Ops 7.
The scale and following that Zombies has amassed over the years has become a phenomenon that rivals any other mode thatCall of Dutyhas featured over the years, and it seems that Treyarch’s latest entry in the franchise will pay great respect to this aspect of the IP. IfBlack Ops 6and the reveal trailer forBlack Ops 7is anything to go by, then it seems as if players are in for rapid reveals and huge content plans forBlack Ops 7’s portrayal ofCall of DutyZombies.
