It sounds like all change for Call of Duty with the release of Black Ops 7, amid pressure from Battlefield 6 and its commitment to “gritty realism.”
Call of Duty’s foray into goofy skins territory is not a new phenomena, although recent releases have certainly amped up the conversation around them. With the likes of Beavis and Butt-Head and American Dad hitting the game this year shortly after weed-obsessed bundles starring Seth Rogen, some fans have said they’ve had enough of what they call the ‘Fortnite-ification’ of their beloved Call of Duty, and have pleaded with publisher Activision to return to its mil-sim roots.
Enter Battlefield 6, a game EA is pitching as having a “gritty realism” aesthetic. Developer DICE has indicated it has no plans to release crossover skins that would break the aesthetic Battlefield 6 is going for, and promised the developers were listening to fan feedback.
In a recent interview with DBLTAP, Battlefield 6 design director Shashank Uchil doubled down on EA’s commitment to grounded realism, and even pointed to Call of Duty’s infamous Nicki Minaj skin as something Battlefield 6 doesn’t need.
“It has to be grounded,” he said. “That is what BF3 and BF4 was — it was all soldiers, on the ground. It’s going to be like this,” Uchil said, pointing at the key art featuring soldiers in soldier gear looking out over a wartorn New York City.
He added: “I don’t think it needs Nicki Minaj. Let’s keep it real, keep it grounded.”
With Battlefield 6 set to go up against Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 later this year, Activision has now issued a community update that indicates it’s ready to make significant changes to the types of bundles it releases for the game.
But there’s perhaps even more significant news here: Activision confirmed that Operators, Operator Skins, and Weapons from Black Ops 6 will no longer carry forward into Black Ops 7.
This comes as a big surprise to players who had expected content they’d bought for Black Ops 6 to carry forward, as it has done with previous entries, and given Black Ops 7 directly follows last year’s Black Ops 6. Explaining the decision, Activision said Black Ops 7 “needs to feel authentic to Call of Duty and its setting.”
“That is why Black Ops 6 Operator and Weapon content will not carry forward to Black Ops 7. Double XP tokens and GobbleGums will still carry forward, because we recognize your time and progression are important.”
(This change applies only to Black Ops 7. Call of Duty: Warzone is not affected, and all your Black Ops 6 content stays usable there.)
What impact will this have on Black Ops 7? It means that at launch, at least, you won’t see all those goofy skins running around Multiplayer. It sounds like Multiplayer will look like Black Ops 7, at least at the start of things.
Where will Activision go from here? Its community post suggests it’s ready to tone down the goofiness for Black Ops 7’s entire lifecycle, although it’s worth pointing out we don’t have specifics here.
“We know there’s been a lot of conversation recently about the identity of Call of Duty,” Activision said. “Some of you have said we’ve drifted from what made Call of Duty unique in the first place: immersive, intense, visceral and in many ways grounded. That feedback hits home, and we take it seriously. We hear you.
“Throughout development, Treyarch and Raven’s north star has been to deliver a spiritual successor to Black Ops 2 while taking some big swings. You’ll see it across Black Ops 7’s Multiplayer, Zombies, Co-Op Campaign (including Endgame), and even Dead Ops Arcade 4.
“Over the years, we’ve had a variety of games and experiences that fans have enjoyed from the Modern Warfare series to the Black Ops series and beyond. Today, we wanted to share with you some of the ways we’re approaching things with Black Ops 7.”
Activision went on to say that Black Ops 7 bundles and items “will be crafted to fit the Black Ops identity.” “We hear the feedback,” the mega publisher added. “We need to deliver a better balance toward the immersive, core Call of Duty experience.”
If Activision truly leaves goofy skins behind, then it’s leaving a lot of money on the table. The company wouldn’t release Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle and Nicki Minaj skins if they didn’t make loads of money. Perhaps, with the release of Battlefield 6, Activision felt it had reached a tipping point, and it needed to take drastic action to respond.
Whatever the case, reaction is a mix of shock, excitement, and frustration. There’s shock that Activision actually canceled carry forward for Black Ops 7, excitement about getting back to Call of Duty’s roots, but for some a frustration that the time and in many cases money spent earning cosmetic items in recent months die with Black Ops 6.
There’s also a spot of scepticism from some within the Call of Duty community, who suspect Activision may hold the line for Black Ops 7’s first few months of life, but eventually retreat into goofy skin territory once again.
Activision ended its community update by promising more information on all aspects of Black Ops 7 soon. Battlefield 6 comes out October 10, with Black Ops 7 following in November. It’s going to be really interesting to see how this all shakes out.
We’ve got plenty more Black Ops 7 coverage coming out of gamescom 2025, including Treyarch shrugging off “lazy” accusations and the threat of Battlefield 6.
Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at [email protected] or confidentially at [email protected].
