It’s Call of Duty NEXT time again, which means the release of this year’s Call of Duty is fast approaching. I’m still not a fan of the COD NEXT format. There’s some great insight from developers, but it’s constantly overshadowed by repetitive advertisements (I do not want to eat photoshopped pizza with George Kittle) and constant jump cuts to different streamers, who may or may not be doing something interesting.
I’m yet to be convinced that the livestream style suits Zombies. Several creators were visibly frustrated by the way the show handled Zombies coverage. There has to be a better way to showcase the mode than sandwiching it between multiplayer and Warzone.
Information also explodes as soon as the show begins, with creators free to discuss their experiences and the details they’ve been told. It makes for a weird viewing experience at home because when I check social media, I’m getting the livestream spoiled by people who are part of the livestream itself.
I much prefer something like the Black Ops 6 or 7 Directs—documentary-style briefings that let you get a peek behind the curtain and hear from the developers while watching pre-prepared gameplay. But I understand that COD Next is about more than sharing information with the COD faithful. It’s an event designed to increase anticipation and engagement with Call of Duty. It’s about getting as many eyes on the upcoming game as possible. By that metric, NEXT was likely a success.
Core Memories
While Black Ops 7 is clearly paying homage to Black Ops 2, I felt a lot of Black Ops 4 vibes watching the multiplayer matches. Black Ops 4 is in my top three multiplayer Call of Duty games, so it stands to reason that I’m incredibly excited to get my hands on the beta and try it for myself.
Some would have you believe bright colours in a first-person shooter are illegal. I’m glad the art team at Treyarch pays them no mind. Every map on display popped, and despite the visual feast on the screen, it was still easy to spot enemies.
The multiplayer footage shown before NEXT really undersold the wall jump ability. I’m curious to see how it plays out because anyone who isn’t a fan of “boost jump” Call of Duty games may have an axe to grind. As long as players aren’t constantly flying over my head, it’s fine by me. I like a bit of parkour!
The mastery camos for all four modes (even Campaign!) look beautiful. Will this be the year I go 4 for 4? Probably not, but it’s nice to think about these things.
The UI and HUD both look snappy and fit well with Black Ops 7’s near-future aesthetic. It’s a shame that since Modern Warfare 2019, Call of Duty has tried to homogenise every little detail of its menus, but at least there’s a bit more style on show here than, say, Modern Warfare II.
Relax, Don’t Do It
One mode the 2035 HUD doesn’t suit is Zombies—especially when we’re playing in the Dark Aether! I’m holding off on writing it off until we see what the Zombies themes look like. You’d have to imagine they’ll radically change the ammo counter to something more Zombified. It’d be wise for Treyarch to show one sooner rather than later, as we’re almost certainly in for another year of pre-release HUD discourse.
I didn’t pay much attention to what was happening on the screen during the Zombies portion of NEXT, because I like experiencing a map as fresh as possible. I enjoyed hearing from Kevin Drew and Steve Bianchi, and the small tease of golden armour appearing in Cursed Mode was music to my ears. I’d hope there’s a Relic to turn armour off in the mode, but if not, golden armour will do.
Similar to last year’s COD NEXT, we got news of a new round-based map coming in Season 1, but that’s not all. Two Survival maps will also arrive at some point during the season. It’s an incredible statement of intent from Treyarch. Even if we don’t get a new round-based map every season, Survival maps will help fill the gap.
I appreciate that Cursed Mode is still largely being kept under wraps, but I’d love to know if we can expect a way to play Survival maps with unlocked modifiers at any point during Black Ops 7. I doubt it’s planned for launch, but if it’s possible, it’s something I think would be worth the effort to add post-launch.
Each point of interest in Ashes of the Damned seems to have its own little story, which makes sense since these locations have been ripped out of their timelines. The “famed horror director” of Blackwater Lake gave me the fear, however. It sounded suspiciously like Willard Wyler, the director from Infinite Warfare Zombies. I wasn’t a big fan of the mode, but I respected the creativity of Director’s Cut, and Zombies in Spaceland is a top-tier map.
Still, this is the absolute opposite of what Treyarch should be doing. The Dark Aether story transcends decades and dimensions; there is already so much we’re waiting on to be fleshed out. The last thing we need is a tie-in with a non-Treyarch story from 2016 that’ll only make the hardest of the hardcore clap.
Thankfully, that doesn’t seem to be the case. The cabin has posters of movies that don’t correlate with Wyler. Our murderous director appears to be called Dean Roth. Had I watched more of the raw gameplay, I’d have known that—blame my traditionalist tendencies.
I’m already sold on Black Ops 7 Zombies, so I didn’t want NEXT to give too much of the game away. The thirty-minute forced exfil and forbidden locations ensured that the secrets of Ashes of the Damned would remain hidden for at least a little longer. The Successful Exfil screen is more than enough to keep my head spinning until launch.
Back in Blackout
I’m not much of a Warzone player these days, but I like to check in and stay updated. The new Resurgence map, Haven’s Hollow, looks awfully familiar…
For a good minute or two, it sounded like the panel was about to ignore the Liberty Falls connection altogether, which would’ve been hilarious to watch. I’m not sure how the Warzone contingent will feel about it, but I’m looking forward to exploring more of Main Street, even if the town is stripped of Project Janus influence.
The question arises whether this map was initially intended as a larger-scale Zombies map set around Liberty Falls. It’s one of many Black Ops 6 mysteries that we may never get answers to.
A genuine surprise was the reveal that Avalon is coming to Warzone in 2026. The map had long been rumoured, but most assumed it had been cut and repurposed as the Endgame mode from the co-op campaign.
Treyarch couldn’t leave it there. Somehow, despite all the other features of Black Ops 7, a new version of Blackout (the greatest Battle Royale of all time) will also be arriving alongside Avalon. I have such fond memories of Blackout that I doubt Avalon will fully recapture them, but I’m over the moon nonetheless.
The amount of game in Black Ops 7 at launch is genuinely remarkable, although it does make Black Ops 6 look somewhat lacking in comparison. I’ve had a wonderful time with it, and I stand by my opinion that it was the strongest Day One Call of Duty experience in a long time. Let’s hope Black Ops 7 can stick the landing and deliver multiple seasons of meaningful content. If Treyarch keeps its word, the best is yet to come.
I’m not sure the same can be said for Call of Duty NEXT, because after four attempts, it still doesn’t move me.
