Preview "Call of Duty: Black Ops 7" at preview event ahead of beta test, with details on multiplayer mode unveiled
Note: the original Japanese article can be found at:
https://www.4gamer.net/games/918/G091840/20251001046/
Writer: Katsutani Umi | 2025/10/01 10:34 (UTC)
On October 3, 2025 (Japan time), the beta test for “Call of Duty: Black Ops 7” (available on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, and Xbox One) will be officially launched across all platforms. Prior to its November 14 release, an early access period for purchasers will run from October 3 to 6, followed by a three-day open beta test accessible to everyone from October 6 to 8.
In conjunction with this, Activision held its annual preview event “CoD Next” on September 29 and 30 at Area 15, a multi-purpose commercial facility in Las Vegas, Nevada. We were also invited to attend the event.
Regarding the core multiplayer experience in Call of Duty, on September 22, official blog announcements (external link: https://www.callofduty.com/ja/blog/2025/09/call-of-duty-black-ops-7-multiplayer-deep-dive) revealed details on modes, maps, weapons, PERKs, field upgrades, the new overclock system, hybrid combat specialties, wild cards, scorestreaks, prestige progression, and more.
In short, upon launch, the game will feature 16 new 6v6 maps for multiplayer, plus two additional maps designed specifically for a brand-new 20v20 “Scramble” mode. Players will battle across diverse environments—ranging from futuristic Tokyo cityscapes to harsh Arctic terrains in Alaska—using cutting-edge weapons set in the near-future year of 2034, with an evolved omnimovement system featuring “wall jumps,” and progressing through gameplay via advancement systems.
Players earn level XP by playing multiplayer, zombies, Warzone, co-op campaigns, or “DEAD OPS ARCADE 4.” This game adopts a “Connected Progression” system where progression is shared across all these modes—meaning that regardless of which type you play, your progress accumulates uniformly.
As with the weapon prestige system described below, classic prestige returns, allowing players to reach Level 55 in military rank and an additional Level 10 in prestige.
By playing through any mode they enjoy, players can unlock a wide variety of rewards—such as new weapons, gear, scorestreaks, PERKs, wild cards, operators—and simultaneously level up their prestige (progression). The ability to materialize one’s dedication via “Camo Gliding” and collect various weapon camos is undoubtedly among the key reasons why many gamers remain deeply engaged with the CoD series.
The operators in multiplayer are elite agents from two major factions: “JSOC,” led by David Mason, and “The Guild,” a military contractor organization that nurtured Emma Keegan. At launch, players will be able to choose from 24 characters; during the beta test, however, eight operators—“50/50 (Fifty-Fifty),” “Forkner,” “Flad,” “Keegan,” “Mason,” “Fermark,” “Wei Lin,” and “Zavery”—will be playable.
This year’s CoD Next event brought together around 200 streamers from across the world, along with approximately 30 media representatives. Below is a summary of key information revealed at this event, combined with details recently published on the official blog.
Maps: Traverse Diverse Arenas Using Wall Jumps!
“Call of Duty: Black Ops 7” will launch with an unprecedented total of 18 maps—making it the largest content release in CoD series history. In addition to fan-favorite map themes such as “Den,” “Toshin,” and “Forge,” inspired by previous story campaigns, this installment also reintroduces “Reid,” “Hijacked,” and “Express,” reimagined with a Japanese twist—meaning one-third of the 18 maps are Japan-themed (see related article: https://www.4gamer.net/games/918/G091840/20250925072/).
Colorful and vibrant multiplayer maps for “Call of Duty: Black Ops 7” Thumbnail image No.004 / Previewing “Call of Duty: Black Ops 7” ahead of its beta test. Details of multiplayer mode revealed
One striking feature is how each map uses distinct color palettes to convey unique atmospheres. During the test play, “Toshin,” a playable map themed around a Japanese city center, stood out with its vibrant neon hues—lavender, cyan, and yellow—with cherry blossoms in pink dotting urban parks and flashy logos lining outdoor shopping streets, creating an almost explosive visual effect.
The layout includes narrow corridors connected by stairs, making surprise encounters with enemies common. For instance, descending a staircase could result in being instantly eliminated by opponents stationed on the second floor directly ahead.
Interestingly, this traversal style introduces a new omnimovement mechanic: “Wall Jump.” While the author struggled adapting to “wall running” in 2014’s Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, the wall jump in Black Ops 7 is highly contextual—simply charging into a wall almost automatically triggers the jump.
Of course, on certain maps like “Blackheart,” failing a jump can result in falling and dying. Additionally, some maps have more jumpable walls than others. On maps like “Den,” players can leap across vertical spaces beyond typical CoD map boundaries, creating an intensely vertical experience both inside and outside fortresses.
Moreover, the event revealed that wall jumps are limited to up to three per player, with each successive jump decreasing in power. This mechanic may help resolve the dilemma of becoming a prime target in mid-air by enabling unpredictable movements. It also allows for surprise attacks from unexpected diagonal angles—especially useful on complex maps like “Toshin.”
“Toshin - Downtown” is a medium-sized map that will be playable during the open beta test—a staggering number considering six out of eighteen maps are Japan-themed.
Additionally, the tactical sprint feature from previous entries has been removed as a default and now functions only as one of several PERK options. Developers explained this change reflects strategic trade-offs: players must decide whether they need tactical sprint in their loadout, while also preventing games from becoming too fast-paced if everyone uses it constantly.
This decision to remove tactical sprint—effectively returning to the style of BO2—was reportedly settled early on during Black Ops 7’s development process.
New Mode: “Overclock” Now Playable in Beta!
The multiplayer modes in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 include ten core experiences, excluding the new 20v20 “Scramble” mode. These are: “Team Deathmatch,” “Domination,” “Search & Destroy,” “Kill Confirm,” “Free-For-All,” “Hardpoint,” “Gunfight,” “Kill Order,” and “Control.” Additionally, the compact “Faceoff” mode—designed for smaller teams on shorter maps—is available for players to enjoy with “Team Deathmatch,” “Domination,” “Kill Confirm,” and “Kill Order.”
The newly introduced “Overclock” mode in BO7 Thumbnail image No.006 / Previewing “Call of Duty: Black Ops 7” ahead of its beta test. Details of multiplayer mode revealed
The new “Overclock” is a 6v6 game mode centered around capturing control of the “Overclock Device,” a crate-like object with prominent yellow frames. During this beta test, it will be available on two maps: “Exposure” and “Imprint.” In each match, only one such device exists at a time. It appears mid-match via halftime announcements—its location is displayed in both the HUD and TAC interface.
The team that secures the Overclock Device first must escort its carrier toward one of two designated zones near the enemy’s spawn point to score points. The opposing team attempts to stop them, making this mode akin to a variation of “escort” gameplay.
Players carrying the device can use personal radar to detect nearby enemies—making coordinated teamwork essential for success and victory.
Although not playable during this event, the 20v20 “Scramble” mode will feature gadgets like batwing gliders, grappling hooks, vehicles, and more. Thumbnail image No.007 / Previewing “Call of Duty: Black Ops 7” ahead of its beta test. Details of multiplayer mode revealed
According to the official blog, players in the beta will be able to experience: “Team Deathmatch,” “Domination,” “Kill Confirm,” “Hardpoint,” and “Overclock.” However, during this event, playable maps included not only the two for “Overclock”—“Exposure” and “Imprint”—but also: “Blackheart” (for Team Deathmatch), “Forge” (for Domination), and “Toshin” and “Cortex” (for Hardpoint).
Additionally, a “Practice Mode” will be available during the beta for players to hone their traversal techniques or get comfortable with weapon handling.
Weapons: 30 at Launch. Weapon Prestige Returns After Seven Years
The CoD series features six main weapon categories: assault rifles, shotguns, light machine guns, submachine guns, marksman rifles, and snipers. At launch for Black Ops 7, a total of 30 weapons will be available—including the default secondary pistol—16 of which are brand new.
Given that this game is set in the same era as BO2’s campaign, iconic weapons like the “Peacekeeper” assault rifle from that title also make an appearance. Thumbnail image No.008 / Previewing “Call of Duty: Black Ops 7” ahead of its beta test. Details of multiplayer mode revealed
One new feature is the “Weapon Build Sharing” system: players can now share their preferred loadouts using a “build code.” Although these codes are 10 digits long—making manual entry on gamepads somewhat cumbersome—the community’s creative use of them remains highly anticipated.
Additionally, after seven years since Black Ops 4, the “Weapon Prestige” system is returning. Like player prestige, it’s usable across multiplayer, zombies, Call of Duty: Warzone (Season 1), and co-op campaigns—allowing players to unlock unique attachments and weapon camos by mastering specific weapons.
Each weapon has a two-tiered prestige progression system from Level 1 to 50. Upon reaching “Weapon Prestige 1,” players unlock one unique “Prestige Attachment” per weapon, plus the ability to permanently remove one attachment of their choice.
As a reward for achieving this milestone, they also gain a unique weapon camo usable across other weapons—and the weapon is automatically saved as a “Prestige Build” with all permanent attachments and camos applied.
Upon entering “Weapon Prestige 2,” players begin the second cycle at Level 50. At that point, an additional attachment can be permanently removed, and they unlock a new weapon camo plus a “Weapon Charm.”
The weapon camos earned as “Weapon Prestige Master” are truly special—offering unique visual flair—and can even be applied to other weapons after acquisition. Thumbnail image No.009 / Previewing “Call of Duty: Black Ops 7” ahead of its beta test. Details of multiplayer mode revealed
After completing the two prestige cycles, players reach “Weapon Prestige Master,” which continues leveling up to Level 250. While weapon levels remain unchanged, new camos unlock at milestones of Level 100, 150, 200, and 250—totaling four distinct “Mastery Camos” across multiplayer, zombies, Warzone, and co-op campaigns (16 total). Additionally, all attachments on owned weapons become permanently unlocked.
Although not captured in photos during the event, some of these mastery camos were showcased: “Molten Gold”—a molten gold finish for Multiplayer Level 100—and “Infestation,” a eerie black-veined look for Zombies at Level 250.
Progression through “Weapon Prestige Master” is faster than the previous two stages. Using double XP weapon tokens can accelerate grinding by twice as much—making this feature especially appealing to collectors of weapon camos, who now have even more incentive to dive deep into Call of Duty: Black Ops 7’s Camo Grinding system.
Loadouts: New Feature “Overclock”
The loadout menu in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is nearly identical to that of BO6—rather than inheriting the full CoD series style, it’s essentially a refined version of its predecessor. The layout features six clearly labeled blocks: “Primary,” “Secondary,” “Melee,” and “Tactical,” “Lethal,” “Field Upgrade,” “PERK,” “Combat Specialty,” and “Wild Card.”
A highly familiar loadout screen—yet familiarity isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Thumbnail image No.010 / Previewing “Call of Duty: Black Ops 7” ahead of its beta test. Details of multiplayer mode revealed
Loadouts determine an operator’s weapon, equipment, field upgrades, and PERK capabilities. Players can customize up to 10 loadouts with custom names and adjust them during matches as needed—allowing real-time adaptation based on combat situations.
The new standout feature is the “Overclock” system: players can now customize and upgrade their weapons, tactical gear, lethal equipment, field upgrades, PERKs, and scorestreaks.
List of lethal equipment Thumbnail image No.011 / Previewing “Call of Duty: Black Ops 7” ahead of its beta test. Details of multiplayer mode revealed
By effectively utilizing these loadout items, players unlock up to two “Overclock Abilities” during a match. These abilities provide battlefield advantages such as reduced scorestreak costs, shortened field upgrade recharge times, and increased lethal effectiveness.
For example, the tactical equipment “EMP Grenade”—which disables enemy gear or scorestreaks—can be upgraded in one of two ways: “Increased area-of-effect” or “Charging before throwing releases an additional EMP burst.”
Similarly, for a lethal item like the “Point Turret,” options include: “Improved fire rate” and “Can now be placed on walls and ceilings.”
In BO7, a new finishing move has been added—“Body Shield Grenade Finisher,” where players can throw grenades at enemies using shields. Though not unique (seen in games like Gears of War), it promises satisfying gameplay.
The scorestreak “D.A.W.G.” available in the beta test will either add a “Sentinel mode” that protects an area by crouching on the floor, or extend the effective firing time. For full details, refer to the official blog post (related article: https://www.callofduty.com/ja/blog/2025/09/call-of-duty-black-ops-7-multiplayer-deep-dive).
During the beta, one tactical item—“Hunter Bot”—is currently hidden. This drone hovers above the player and protects them by colliding with enemy field upgrades or scorestreaks.
Additionally, a new field upgrade called “Mute Shield,” which silences an operator’s footsteps—offering effects comparable to the PERK “Ninja”—has been added. It temporarily hides the player from enemy mini-maps and prevents them from becoming targets of scorestreaks. This feature will be available at launch.
PERK: Introducing the New “Hybrid Combat Specialty”
As detailed in a recent blog post (related article), the PERK system—responsible for enhancing an operator’s mobility, weapon handling, stealth, defense, and intelligence gathering—has also seen updates.
Black Ops 7 features three PERK slots. Each slot contains nine distinct PERKS categorized into three types: “Red” (Enforcer), “Blue” (Recon), and “Green” (Strategist).
In BO6, to activate a unique “Combat Specialty,” players had to match all three PERK slots by color. In contrast, Black Ops 7 now allows mixing any two colors—such as Red + Blue, Red + Green, or Blue + Green—enabling the use of a new hybrid system called “Hybrid Combat Specialty.”
An example of building up one of the Hybrid Combat Specialties: “Operative” Thumbnail image No.014 / Previewing “Call of Duty: Black Ops 7” ahead of its beta test. Details of multiplayer mode revealed
Combining Enforcer and Recon yields “Scout,” enhancing offensive stealth by making enemy mini-maps hide for 5 seconds after a kill. Pairing Enforcer with Strategist unlocks “Tactician,” which grants bonus points via ammunition kills when assisting allies.
Meanwhile, combining Recon and Strategist creates “Operative,” a hybrid of stealth and support that enables players to charge field upgrades using stealth skills.
Regarding “Wild Card,” three options will be available during the beta: “Gunfighter” (gaining 3 additional attachments), “Overkill” (equipping two guns—one in each primary and secondary slot), and “PERK Grind” (adding one extra PERK).
At launch, there will be nine Wild Cards. One especially notable option is the return of “Specialist,” previously seen in BO6. This replaces standard PERKS with a system where scorestreaks can unlock three additional PERKS—allowing players to obtain all PERKS at 1,200 points.
Wild Card features nine total options. Excitement builds for abilities like “Overkill” (dual-wielding) and “Specialist” (dedicated to unlocking scorestreaks). Thumbnail image No.016 / Previewing “Call of Duty: Black Ops 7” ahead of its beta test. Details of multiplayer mode revealed
At Tokyo Game Show 2025, early access codes were distributed even to those who didn’t pre-order—meaning many Japanese players will participate in the open beta. Although no official reveal of campaign modes (including co-op) was scheduled for this preview event, a detailed article on zombie mode will be published soon—so stay tuned.