A series of images were accidentally leaked through the Xbox Call of Duty app, and they revealed a particularly interesting multiplayer mode coming to Black Ops 7. The mode in question is called Skirmish, and it features 20v20 combat where two teams will fight to complete objectives across an expansive map, which can be traversed via wingsuits. These objectives will reportedly include capture points, destructible payloads, and data transmission nodes. Ultimately, this addition sounds less like Call of Duty and much closer to Battlefield’s long-standing Conquest mode.
Meanwhile, Battlefield 6 is scaling back. After Battlefield 2042's 128-player mess, DICE is reportedly returning to 64-player lobbies with tighter maps. This makes Call of Duty: Black Ops 7’s Skirmish mode a serious problem for DICE because the main appeal of the Battlefield experience used to be its large-scale chaos across control points and vehicle zones. Now, Call of Duty is aiming to fill that void with its bigger player base and an engine that has proven more stable, meaning Battlefield has to fight back in a different way. Fortunately, its battle royale leak could help it fight fire with fire.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Leak Reveals New Game Mode
An improbable gaffe results in Activision leaking the first details of a previously unannounced Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 game mode.
Call of Duty’s Skirmish Mode Blatantly Rips Off Battlefield
Battlefield’s Conquest mode has always been built around large, open maps where two teams compete to control multiple zones. Players work in squads, use vehicles, and capture and hold objectives scattered across the map. Victory depends on holding territory and making smart pushes, not just running and gunning. Now, Call of Duty is going to be doing the exact same thing. Black Ops 7’s Skirmish mode also features large teams, rotating objectives, and huge maps designed for coordinated pushes and area control.
Even the traversal system is familiar, as wingsuits were first introduced in Battlefield 2042 with the Specialist Sundance, and are now being added to Call of Duty multiplayer for the very first time through the Skirmish mode. In Battlefield, Sundance used the wingsuit to glide over enemy positions, reach rooftops, and reposition fast across the large map. Black Ops 7’s wingsuits will apparently serve the same function; they allow for fast flanks and vertical repositioning.
Battlefield's Tactical Play Is Still Its Edge
One thing Call of Duty likely won't replicate, even with a bigger map or more players, is Battlefield’s class-based squad system. In Battlefield, every player picks a role with a specific function. Assault soldiers push the frontlines and deal damage, Medics revive teammates and keep squads alive, Engineers repair vehicles and place anti-tank mines, and Support classes supply ammo and suppress enemies. A squad without a Medic is far more likely to fall apart, and a push without Engineers gets wiped out by tanks. The class system forces players to think beyond just their own kills. For now, the Black Ops Skirmish mode doesn’t seem like it will offer this type of synergy. Even with 20v20 and objectives, each player is still building their own loadout and playing solo. There’s no revive chain, no role-based teamwork, and no built-in system to coordinate.
Battlefield Needs to Introduce Its Own Battle Royale Mode
With Black Ops 7 now pushing into traditional Battlefield multiplayer space, Battlefield would be wise to go after Warzone’s control over the battle royale space. Battlefield previously tried its hand at battle royale with the Firestorm mode, but it failed. It was locked behind a paywall, lacked regular content updates, and its core mechanics felt half-baked compared to what Warzone offered from day one. Now, there are credible reports that DICE is developing a new battle royale mode for Battlefield. If it learns from Firestorm’s missteps and builds a fully free-to-play experience with consistent content updates, Battlefield could finally compete.
Battlefield has always done large-scale combat better than Call of Duty, long before Warzone even existed. What the series needs now is to transfer that quality into a battle royale mode that can stand on its own. Battlefield’s class-based squad system could be a real advantage here. Instead of Warzone’s mostly loadout-driven gunfights, a Battlefield battle royale could lean into team roles, with Medics focusing on health regeneration, Engineers setting traps, and Support classes looting and managing resources. Leaks also mention a new Oversight system, where eliminated players can help teammates by controlling drones, turrets, or cameras. This would offer a smarter, more tactical alternative to Warzone’s Gulag and would keep players active even after death. If executed well, this mode could finally put Battlefield back in the fight, even when Call of Duty is aiming to steal its bread and butter.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 66 /100 Critics Rec: 34%
- Released
- November 14, 2025
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Drugs
- Developer(s)
- Treyarch, Raven Software
- Publisher(s)
- Activision
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. David Mason leads an elite JSOC team on a covert mission to the sprawling Mediterranean city of Avalon. While there, they discover a sophisticated plot that won’t just plunge the world into chaos, it will pull them into their own haunting pasts.
Squad up or go solo in an innovative Co-Op Campaign that redefines the Black Ops experience. Take on high-stakes challenges across a wide spectrum of environments, from the neon-lit rooftops of Japan to the Mediterranean coast, and even into the deepest corners of the human psyche.
Multiplayer explodes out of the gate with 16 electrifying 6v6 maps and two 20v20 maps at launch. From futuristic Tokyo vistas to the frozen, unforgiving wilds of Alaska, every environment is brimming with danger and opportunity. Master a cutting-edge arsenal and outmaneuver your enemies with an evolved Omnimovement system.
In Treyarch’s legendary Round-Based Zombies mode, the nightmare begins where reality ends. Trapped in the heart of the Dark Aether, the crew is thrust into a vast, ever-shifting hellscape. This isn’t just survival. It’s a descent into madness.
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op
- Franchise
- Call of Duty, Call of Duty: Black Ops
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
