Call of Duty Changing Forever After Black Ops 7 Release, Free Play Added

With the recent launch of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 having somewhat of a rocky start, it seems as though its creators are on a mission to bring the magic back to the beloved franchise.

Released back in November, Black Ops 7 marked the 22nd instalment in the Call of Duty franchise and the eighth main entry in the Black Ops sub-series.

Put simply, it arrived off the back of some incredible releases that stretched back over two decades, making it perhaps unsurprising that it had some big shoes to fill. Praised for its multiplayer and Zombie modes, the new title was criticised for its short and underwhelming single-player campaign, as well as its use of generative AI. As a result, it found itself a victim of review bombing on Metacritic.

Now it seems as though Treyarch, Raven Software and Activision itself have been coming up with ways to turn the tide on Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 almost a month on from its release.

Activision

In a recent blog post shared on the official website, a message has been shared from the Call of Duty team.

“First off, thank you for all for the feedback we have received over the last few months,” it reads.

“Call of Duty has enjoyed long-standing success because of all of you, a passionate community that demands excellence and deserves nothing less.

“We also know that for some of you, the Franchise has not met your expectations fully.

“To be very clear, we know what you expect and rest assured we will deliver, and overdeliver, on those expectations as we move forward.”

So what changes are about to be implemented?

Big Call of Duty Changes Are Coming

First and foremost, the blog post announces that players will have the opportunity to check out Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 for free next week, allowing them the chance to check out both the Multiplayer and Zombie modes alongside a Double XP weekend.

“We would like you to experience the game firsthand and decide for yourselves,” the statement continues.

Additionally, the team reveals that it will no longer be doing back-to-back releases of Modern Warfare and Black Ops games in the future.

This is in an aim to ensure “a unique experience” every year.

This is reassuring as it can be safely said that multiple Call of Duty entries being released each year has not done the franchise any favours.

“Good. Take some time to make an actually good game,” one user said over on r/xbox.

Hopefully these changes will have a positive effect on the beloved franchise going forward, and its free week of gameplay will give those unsure about Black Ops 7 the chance to make up their own minds.

Fingers crossed.