The recent reveal trailer forCall of Duty: Black Ops 7has caused quite a stir among the franchise’s community, with the pre-release routine for 2025’sCoDentry now being in full swing. This trailer came as the final announcement for the recent Xbox Games Showcase event, giving fans a brief glimpse into the world ofBlack Ops 7while confirming its place on the wide-spanning and at times confusing timeline forBlack Opsas a whole.
From the reveal trailer, it is known thatCall of Duty: Black Ops 7will act as a direct sequel to 2012’sBlack Ops 2, with the cinematic showcasing past characters like David Mason and Raul Menendez, and the game itself being set in the 2030s. As expected, this near-future setting lends itself to some advanced technology compared to what fans have seen recently fromCall of Duty, taking one step closer to the potential return of the kinds of fully futuristicCoDentries that have been so divisive in the past.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7’s Futuristic Setting Could Be a Sign of Things to Come
TheCall of Dutyfranchise has explored a huge range of settings over the years, with the franchise’s earliest roots as a series of WW2 shooters giving way to other distinct eras over time. The evolution into portraying modern combat was an ambitious but revolutionary change for the series. It only makes sense that Activision would go on to push the boat further and further with subsequent titles in the hopes of replicating this, or at the very least, keeping things fresh.
Away fromthe gritty and grounded gameplay of entries likeWorld at War,Call of Dutywould go on to dive headfirst into futuristic science-fiction settings. The likes ofAdvanced Warfare,Infinite Warfare, and evenBlack Opsentries like3and4were defined largely by their outlandish settings. While some of these games were well-received by sections of theCoDcommunity, the futuristic era of the franchise is seen as quite divisive. With that in mind, the confirmed setting ofBlack Ops 7could mark a big step in terms of Activision slowly returning to this gameplay premise going forward.
Black Ops 7is also confirmed to have co-operative campaign functionality, as well as a round-based Zombies mode that will continue the Dark Aether storyline.
Black Ops 2did extremely well to balance science-fiction alongside a grounded storywith its at-the-time near-future portrayal of 2025.Black Ops 7is set around the 2030s as a direct sequel toBO2. It seems as ifBlack Ops 7can operate in the same zone of believability asBlack Ops 2originally did in 2012 through this kind of setting, although there are some signs to suggest that the game may be going a step further.
History Could Be Repeating Itself With Black Ops 7’s Near-Future Focus
For example,the end of the reveal trailer forBlack Ops 7includes an invisibility ability being used by a solider. Elements ofBlack Ops 6’s code even suggest that wall-running may return toBlack Ops 7as a major movement mechanic. This should not be enough to bring back the same level of division that defined past futuristicCall of Dutyentries, although it could get the ball rolling for full-future entries to once again stamp their mark on the IP going forward.
Current rumors suggest that2026’sCall of Dutywill be a direct continuation from 2023’sModern Warfare 3, reportedly being set in South Korea, but the franchise’s future beyond this is a relatively open book, as things stand. Rumors were circulating about a sequel to 2014’sAdvanced Warfarebeing in the works not too long ago, and withBlack Ops 7dipping its toes back into futuristic gameplay elements, it seems as ifCoDcould be bracing itself for another major thematic shift in the near future.
