The pushback to Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 has been severe, with its Gamescom trailer showered with dislikes after its debut. Though there are some concerns about Black Ops 7's content, such as the extraction shooter campaign finale Treyarch is planning to introduce, the primary reason for the game’s hate has nothing to do with the gameplay itself. Instead, players wanting a gritty military FPS have had enough of its goofy skins, growing weary of absurd appearances like Beavis and Butthead or American Dad. Upon hearing that these BO6 skins would carry forward into BO7, frustrated players made their voices heard, so much so that Carry Forward has been scrapped for BO7. However, this has left the other half of the player base frustrated, and I can certainly see their point of view.
On a base level, it’s upsetting to be told that cosmetics you have paid for will be unusable in an upcoming game after being promised that the opposite was the case. While it’s certainly true that a majority of Call of Duty games have not used the Carry Forward system, so players shouldn’t expect it, the issue is that they had already been told their skins would be making the jump to this new game. At least some players will have purchased bundles after getting word Carry Forward was returning before it was suddenly removed, and with the system used for the last instance of back-to-back subseries releases (MW2 to MW3), many had likely assumed it would be back regardless. However, this is only the beginning of the problem, as the Zombies fan base—of which I’m proudly a part of—is set to struggle with Carry Forward's removal more than any other group of players.
Only CoD Zombies’ Gobblegums and 2XP Tokens will carry over into BO7.
Black Ops 7’s Carry Forward Could Have Been a Huge Win For CoD Zombies
If Black Ops 7 had stuck to its guns in regard to Carry Forward, then the Zombies community could have benefited from less grinding and more fresh ideas. With the system removed, it can be assumed that Treyarch will be drip-feeding the same old Perks across its post-launch seasons, which is a shame, since had perk-a-colas carried over, new or forgotten beverages could have filled the seasonal slots instead. Additionally, if all the Perks are slowly re-introduced without progress carried over between the two titles, players will likely have to level up all of these Perks again to get their augments back, which feels largely unnecessary. Perks are just the tip of the iceberg, too, as the following content may be impacted by no Carry Forward:
- Field Upgrades will likely be drip-fed similarly to perks instead of having a variety of options right at launch. They would probably need to be leveled up again, too, assuming Augments return.
- Ammo Mods would likely follow in the footsteps of Field Upgrades and Perks.
- Mastery camos that players spent hours upon hours grinding for won’t be usable in BO7, whereas if Carry Forward had stayed, they could have been equipped on any returning guns.
- Killstreaks players unlocked through BO6 events and leveling up will have to be re-acquired if they do make a return.
- Exclusive Easter egg reward skins for Operators could have given players options for characters like Grey and Weaver on day one, but now they'll just need to buy or unlock more outfits for the same crew. Similarly, though Wonder Weapons such as the Ray Gun are sure to return, players will need to get more skins for it if they don't want the base look.
Needing to redo the exact same grind, even if some Augments are altered or new ones are introduced, feels like an insult to the series’ most dedicated players. I’ve maxed out every Augment, gotten every Calling Card, and I’m just now nearing the end of the Nebula grind for all the launch weapons. I’ve loved chasing BO6 Zombies’ Easter Egg rewards, as they’re a nice incentive to complete the main quests (even though I would have done them anyway). Sadly, none of this work will matter in a few months’ time, and while it’s not out of the ordinary for Call of Duty grinds to be one and done, it is frustrating when all the pieces were already in place for Carry Forward. However, a new grind isn’t the worst part of this change by any means.
Throughout Black Ops 6’s lifespan, more and more iconic Zombies weapons have been added to the game. The FAMAS, now the FFAR, is one such gun, as is the Olympia. The PPSh-41 is part of this club, too, as it's a vital part of Zombies' DNA thanks to its presence in World at War and big reappearances like in Gorod Krovi. Unfortunately, these guns and many others will no longer be featured in Black Ops 6 at launch, and possibly not ever. Since they would have to be re-added post-launch, taking up slots that could instead be filled by weapons players hadn’t just used in the previous game (and guns that suit a 2035 setting), they're highly unlikely to come back in BO7. This is a genuine shame, as players could have had guns like the PPSh-41 to use in BO7 Zombies on day one had Carry Forward been kept.
Killing Carry Forward Wasn't the Only Way For Black Ops 7 to Address the Criticism
Though there are legitimate downsides to Carry Forward that players have pointed out, such as overstuffed menus full of content, too many weapons to balance, and a lack of identity for each release, a more considerate approach could have been taken with Black Ops 7. The go-to suggestion from everyone frustrated has been a skin filter that grants mil-sim enjoyers the opportunity to turn off all unrealistic cosmetics, and I’m inclined to agree, as all sides could have gotten their wish this way. Alternatively, Carry Forward could have been Zombies-only, with the mode given special treatment like Warzone so that players keep their BO6 quest rewards, augment progress, and so on. The Mystery Box would also be jam-packed with guns, too.
Instead, it feels like Call of Duty has given in to the loudest voices, when in reality, there was a similarly large portion of the community who wanted Carry Forward to stay as much as BO7’s detractors did not. As a die-hard CoD Zombies fan, I certainly would have appreciated it, as I would have gotten more value out of the content I purchased and—more importantly—earned while playing BO6.
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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
