Among plenty of other announcements, one of the most talked-about parts of the recent Xbox Games Showcase was the worldwide reveal of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7. The reveal for Black Ops 7 came 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 for Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 focused 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 the Black Ops 7 reveal 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 for BO7's multiplayer balancing.
Call of Duty Black Ops 7 Might Be Stuck Between a Rock and a Hard Place
Although Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 will likely be big, there are a couple things stacked up against this shooter that may hold it back from greatness.
Invisibility in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Could Lead To a Stressful Multiplayer Balancing Act
The reveal trailer for Black Ops 7 showcased some precursor technology to Black Ops 3 with 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, the Black Ops 7 trailer 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 a specialist ability for Spectre in Black Ops 3 and 4. Black Ops 7 may 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 in Call of Duty were somewhat balanced by having the cloak break when firing a weapon, or when damaged, something that Black Ops 7 could potentially emulate.
Call of Duty's Modern Multiplayer May Be Too Competitive For a Sweeping Change Like Optical Camouflage
It is no secret that the modern multiplayer experience of Call of Duty has 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 modern CoD games 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 in Black 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 6 was able to introduce an unusual ability through its Sleeper 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 to Black Ops 7, and while some players don't like it, it's fairly balances, so there is a chance for a similarly positive outcome in BO7.
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 in the twitchy metas of modern Call 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.
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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
