Among plenty of other announcements, one of the most talked-about parts of the recent Xbox Games Showcase was the worldwide reveal ofCall of Duty: Black Ops 7. The reveal forBlack Ops 7came in the form of a brief but interesting trailer, giving some big indications of what players can expect to see from the upcoming game.
As expected, the reveal trailer forCall of Duty: Black Ops 7focused largely on the campaign of the title, revealing both its protagonist and antagonist alongside some mind-bending visuals. Nods were even given to the game’s Zombies plans toward the end of the trailer, sparking speculation about a potential TranZit remake. While there is no direct mention of multiplayer offerings in theBlack Ops 7reveal trailer, it can be assumed that much of the equipment, weaponry, and abilities that were shown in the cinematic will extend to the title’s online mode. This logic could be extended to the brief presence of an invisibility mechanic, which could create some huge challenges forBO7’s multiplayer balancing.
The reveal trailer forBlack Ops 7showcased someprecursor technology toBlack Ops 3with its portrayal of robotic humanoids, with the end of the trailer really reinforcing these futuristic themes with the presence of Optic Camouflage. While only brief, theBlack Ops 7trailer showed a soldier using Optic Camouflage to turn invisible, understandably raising questions about how this might work across the game’s campaign, multiplayer, or even Zombies mode.
This ability has previously appeared in the franchise, being aspecialist ability for Spectre inBlack Ops 3and4.Black Ops 7may not have the same specialist system as these past games, which could present some issues in terms of balancing a Spectre-like invisibility mechanic. In a multiplayer context, Optic Camo would allow a player to turn invisible for a brief time, probably in the form of a Field Upgrade, with this potentially being quite difficult to deal with for opposing players.
Past invisibility-tied specialist abilities inCall of Dutywere somewhat balanced by having the cloak break when firing a weapon, or when damaged, something thatBlack Ops 7could potentially emulate.
Call of Duty’s Modern Multiplayer May Be Too Competitive For a Sweeping Change Like Optical Camouflage
It is no secret that themodern multiplayer experience ofCall of Dutyhas only grown more intense with time. The advent of things like skill-based matchmaking, extensive weapon customization, and cross-platform gameplay have created a much more competitive environment overall. This, combined with the huge amount of weapons, equipment, and abilities that modernCoDgames now feature, already makes balancing a constant struggle for Activision. Buffs and nerfs often come like a tug of war with every in-game season as even more content is introduced to a given game.
A brief spurt of partial invisibility could potentially work inBlack Ops 7’s multiplayer, although the wide availability of Field Upgrades as opposed to Specialist-specific abilities could lead to Optical Camo dominating the game. This kind of mechanic always seems to be divisive at best in any multiplayer context due to how powerful it can be. That said,Black Ops 6was able to introduce an unusual ability through itsSleeper Agent Field Upgrade, which sees players briefly disguise themselves as an opposing player. This outlandish Field Upgrade is adjacent to what Optical Camo could offer toBlack Ops 7, and while some players don’t like it, it’s fairly balances, so there is a chance for a similarly positive outcome inBO7.
Such a balance could be found by adding things like perks that directly counter Optical Camo by making cloaked players more visible. Loadout space is finite, though, and fans will likely not want to waste a precious perk slot on something with such a unique use case. Additionally, if there are too many downsides or counters to the camo, it could end up feeling useless. While nobody wants to see a mechanic that feels cheap inthe twitchy metas of modernCall of Duty, the franchise should not lose its charm in terms of adding distinct and varied approaches to combat that suit each game’s setting. Hopefully, Optical Camo will be balanced correctly without the need for too many direct counters if it appears in multiplayer, as it could be a huge point of frustration if it’s deemed unfun.
WHERE TO PLAY
In Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, Treyarch and Raven Software are bringing players the most mind-bending Black Ops ever. The year is 2035 and the world is on the brink of chaos, ravaged by violent conflict and psychological warfare following the events of the fan-favorite titles Black Ops 2 and Black Ops 6. Wielding cutting-edge technology, the Black Ops team led by David Mason must fight back against a manipulative enemy who weaponizes fear above all else.
Squad up with friends or play solo in a thrilling and innovative Co-op Campaign, harness near-future weaponry in a signature Multiplayer experience packed with brand-new maps, and descend into the next twisted chapter of Round-Based Zombies in the heart of the Dark Aether.
