Call of Duty players are frustrated, and it’s not hard to see why. Black Ops 7 didn’t just stumble at launch. It’s clear that Activision assumed the franchise’s name would be enough to make it a success. The cracks are starting to show.
How did a series as massive as Call of Duty end up here?
A Botched Campaign
The backlash starts with the story campaign. It’s made for multiplayer, where some tasks need at least four players to complete. Because the campaign is meant to be an online-only experience, CoD:BO7 needs a constant internet connection.
You can’t pause the game and it’ll even kick idle players out. Because there are no mission checkpoints, you need to go back to the beginning and start all over again.
AI Art Isn’t the Issue. Low Effort Is.
The game’s AI-generated calling cards set off another wave of anger. While I don’t have a problem with AI artwork used in games, the calling cards do look generic. The cartoony, Ghibli-inspired art style doesn’t match the gritty tone of CoD at all.
The backlash escalated to the point that Representative Ro Khanna called for regulation to protect human workers. In Black Ops 7’s case, the real issue is how Activision used it as a shortcut instead of a creative tool.
A Weak Launch Signals a Bigger Problem
As of this article being posted, Black Ops 7 has less than 100,000 concurrent players on Steam. In comparison, Modern Warfare III had a peak of around 491,000 players on Steam back in 2022. In 2024, Black Ops 6 had roughly 315,000 players on Steam.
Content creators like ImMarksman, Drift0r and Moistcr1tical have refused to play Black Ops 7. Even longtime fans say this is the first CoD title that made them question their loyalty.
Competition isn’t helping. Battlefield 6 and ARC Raiders have gotten more attention than Black Ops 7. CoD isn’t used to fighting for relevance, but this year, it has to.
Activision’s Real Mistake
The main problem here is that Activision is taking Call of Duty players for granted. The decisions behind Black Ops 7 don’t feel creative.
Activision expected players to accept repetitive missions, always-online connection, a campaign that’s miserable for solo players… the list is getting long. Instead, fans are drawing a line in the sand.
Will Activision Actually Respond?
Maybe not, but the backlash isn’t coming from a niche corner of the community. It’s widespread. Black Ops 7 shows what happens when a franchise stops listening. Players push back. Hard. And they should. Because if CoD wants to stay relevant, it has to earn back the trust it spent years burning through.
