Activision Admits Call Of Duty: Black Ops 7 Isn't Good Enough

"The shock of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 having stumbled out of the gate has clearly hit publisher Activision hard. Reports that the latest entry in the annual franchise has seen a slump in player numbers are seemingly confirmed by a statement the publisher put out late last night, in which it was stated that "the Franchise has not met your expectations fully," and that as a result there will no longer be "back-to-back releases of Modern Warfare or Black Ops games.""

"For over 20 years, the Call of Duty franchise has been the backbone of Microsoft-owned Activision's sales, more often than not the best-selling game of a given year, and routinely bringing in in excess of $2 billion. But in 2025, that run seems to have once more faltered. Observable player numbers are way down, user reviews are extremely bad, and old rivals like Battlefield have reappeared and eaten its lunch."

"To be completely clear, Black Ops 7 isn't a disaster! It will likely make a solid profit, perhaps be one of the best-selling games of 2025, but the issue likes in Activision's colossal expectations for the series. Anything short of record-breaking popularity is perceived as failure, given how much of the company's financial claims will have been predicated on such success."

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 launched with a notable slump in player numbers and poor user reviews despite likely turning a profit. Activision acknowledged that the franchise did not meet expectations and announced it will stop back-to-back Modern Warfare and Black Ops releases. The franchise has historically been a major revenue driver for Microsoft-owned Activision, often exceeding $2 billion annually. Renewed competition from rivals like Battlefield and extremely high internal expectations contributed to the perception of failure. Activision offered a free multiplayer and Zombies week and pledged improvements aimed at both players and shareholders.

Read at Kotaku