A lot of discussion is predictably taking place following the recent announcement of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, with the reveal standing as one of the biggest announcements to take place at the Xbox Games Showcase. Coming in the form of a fairly brief trailer, the reveal of Black Ops 7 gave a good overview of what the title will eventually have in store, particularly in terms of its single-player narrative.
From the trailer, it was confirmed that a lot of the early rumors around Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 were true, with the characters and themes of the cinematic painting the project as a direct sequel to 2012's Black Ops 2. Being set in 2035, Black Ops 7 has already shown the advanced semi-futuristic technology that will be at the heart of its single-player and multiplayer modes, with iconic characters like Raul Menendez even making an appearance in the reveal trailer. However, the most prominent figure in the trailer was David Mason, the protagonist of Black Ops 2, with it indicating that Treyarch is fully moving past the successful era of games that instead saw Alex Mason at the helm of the franchise.
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David Mason is Back in the Driver's Seat with Call of Duty: Black Ops 7
One of the most ambitious elements of 2012's Black Ops 2 was the way in which it split its story between a more traditional historic setting and a semi-futuristic 2025 storyline. Crucially, the game's 2025-set narrative was led by Alex Mason's son, David Mason. This direct link to the franchise's roots allowed Black Ops 2 to feature a truly unique and ambitious setting while still anchoring itself to the wider Black Ops storyline, with David's role being a big part of what made BO2's story so well-received.
As a direct sequel to Black Ops 2, it is no wonder that David Mason will once again find himself as a protagonist throughout the events of the upcoming Black Ops 7. Clearly, Treyarch still feels that there is a lot of narrative potential that David and the semi-futuristic Black Ops storyline has to offer. It seemed for a while as if Treyarch was unwilling to lay the consistent appearances of Alex Mason across the Black Ops franchise to rest, yet Black Ops 7 is shaping up to finally signify this changing of the guard.
The Black Ops and Modern Warfare franchises have been defined by the wide range of iconic characters that belong to both sub-franchises, with there not being many CoD figures that stand out more than Alex Mason. As the major protagonist of the original Black Ops, Mason is largely considered the face of the series. With Alex Mason going on to play major roles, it is clear that David's new stint in the spotlight has a lot to live up to.
David Mason Could Be the Key
One of the toughest parts of Black Ops 7's story from Treyarch's perspective will be deciding on the canon consequences of Black Ops 2's multiple story paths, although Black Ops 6 has already settled one of the most divisive. Black Ops 6 confirmed to players that Alex Mason did die during the events of Black Ops 2, being accidentally killed by Frank Woods due to the deception of Raul Menendez. Alex Mason's timeline is now quite rigid in terms of what Treyarch can do with the character, making now the perfect time for David to step up to the plate.
Alongside this new canon, it appears as if Black Ops 7's story will be centered around the Black Ops 2 ending in which David Mason executes Menendez. With this triggering the Cordis Die movement to carry out global riots, mass civil unrest is likely the lifeblood of BO7's narrative.
This confirmation makes it extremely unlikely for Alex Mason to appear in any significant capacity in future Black Ops titles, even through historically-set games. Ultimately, it seems as if Treyarch now has its eyes firmly set on the futuristic era of the franchise's narrative. The 40-year gap between Black Ops 2 and Black Ops 3's stories seems like a setting that can go far beyond just Black Ops 7 if Treyarch chooses to continue the sub-franchise. With David Mason being the logical protagonist for these future potential projects, he could easily forge an overall legacy similar to his father's.
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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
