The Call of Duty: NEXT Showcase revealed new details surrounding Black Ops 7, including a new game mode for multiplayer and changes to Zombies and PvP.
To set the global stage for the November 14 launch of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, Treyarch deployed the Call of Duty: NEXT event, which revealed a torrent of new information regarding the next chapter of the Black Ops series. The NEXT event gave creators and developers a chance to play the new game and discuss the major features coming to Black Ops 7 Multiplayer and Zombies. What’s interesting is, while detailing the changes, Treyarch brushed upon some of the changes it’s bringing to multiplayer games, zombie games, and the changes they’re aiming for when the title launches.
First and foremost, players got their first look at the new Overload game mode coming to the Beta and available at launch. Overload pits two teams against each other (like most other game types), who then fight for control of the Overload Device. This device must be picked up and carried into one of the enemy’s two control zones for a round. The device’s position is shown via HUD and Tac-Map, and any Operator carrying it receives extra intel. In some ways, the new mode feels like Gridiron from Gears of War, which deploys the same feel. The mode is coming to the newly announced Beta and to Black Ops 7 on launch.
Aside from the new multiplayer mode, Treyarch has heard complaints regarding multiplayer and has reinstituted the classic prestige system. Players who reach the military Level 55 can choose to enter “Prestige 1” and begin their prestige journey. Players have a total of 10 prestige levels to rank up to on the way to Prestige Master. Players will unlock Skins, Blueprints, and additional rewards along the way.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 will launch with 16 maps and it will feature 30 weapons at launch. 16 of these new weapons will be new to the franchise and play differently. As a series first, players will be able to share personalized weapon builds with other players via code. Even while sharing these codes, players will still have to unlock the parts in their own progression before they can use a weapon code that uses specialized equipment.
Speaking of weapons, Weapon Prestige also returns to Call of Duty for the first time since Black Ops 4. Each weapon will deploy with two Prestige levels per Weapon, followed by the Weapon Prestige Master title. This includes a total of 250 levels to grind through on the way to total Weapon mastery. For those who do like to grind, Black Ops 7 has the most Mastery Camos ever seen in a Call of Duty: 16 total.
The Zombies mode is also receiving an overhaul, with a new map called Ashes of the Damned. Ashes of the Damned is coined as the biggest round-based Zombies map in Black Ops history, and the Call of Duty: NEXT event showcased four of the six major locations. The event detailed a path starting in Janus Towers Plaza, then branching out to Blackwater Lake and Vandorn Farm before the path converged again in the ruins of the old Southern town known as Ashwood. Another new mode, Cursed, was announced as well. Players will “Start with a pistol and your wits in this new mode designed for players looking for a more dangerous Zombies experience,” according to Treyarch.
Aside from the new multiplayer and zombies mode, Treyarch noted their “vision for Multiplayer is to encourage fast, frenetic gameplay across vibrant maps designed in the classic Treyarch three-lane style with a deep connection to the narrative,” adding, “To improve pacing, there are more standard-sized maps with opportunities for players to meet head-on or push for the flank” as they seek to return the game to a more tactical approach.
While the entire Call of Duty Blog can be read here, fans will only have just over a month to wait as Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 launches on November 14.
