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Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Launches to Strong Early Scores and Backlash Over Always-Online Campaign

Early reactions split between praise for mechanics, frustration with an online-only, non-pausable story.

Overview

  • Black Ops 7 is out now on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and PC, bringing a near-future setting with campaign, multiplayer and Zombies modes.
  • The campaign requires a constant internet connection, cannot be paused, lacks checkpoints and offers no AI squadmates or selectable difficulty, leading to widespread criticism from solo players.
  • Early critic aggregation sits around a Metacritic 84 and narrowly tops Battlefield 6’s score, though outlets note the small sample size and Forbes warns the rating is likely to fluctuate.
  • Steam user reviews are currently Mixed, with reports of AFK kicks in campaign, performance issues such as stuttering and crashes, and frustration with mission design.
  • Reviewers highlight tight gunplay, refined movement and a large launch package that includes the new Endgame PvE mode, Zombies updates and 18 multiplayer maps, though some balance concerns persist.