The Call of Duty series manages to sell a record-breaking number of copies every year as Activision pumps out new Modern Warfare and Black Ops games. However, the conversation around the series has drifted heavily into it being plagued with operator skins resembling celebrities or fictional characters from crossover events, with more and more fans comparing the experience to Fortnite. Now, Activision has made a community update post acknowledging it and promising changes.
The August 2025 Community Update from the Call of Duty team says that it has heard the fan feedback loud and clear regarding the identity of the franchise.
"We know there’s been a lot of conversation recently about the identity of Call of Duty," begins the statement. "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."
It continues on to say that for Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, the installment that"s supposed to release later this year, development studios Treyarch and Raven have taken inspiration from Black Ops 2. These elements will be seen across multiplayer, zombies, co-op elements, and other areas, per the development team.
Another major change in Black Ops 7 will be the lack of Operator and Weapon content being carried forward from 2024"s Black Ops 6. Going back on a previous announcement, the team says that this change is due to it wanting to make the newest entry feel "authentic to Call of Duty and its setting." Players were assured that Double XP tokens and GobbleGums will still carry forward though.
This sudden change comes only days after EA revealed that it is committing to keeping Battlefield 6 grounded when it comes to skins, similar to Battlefield 3 and 4. "I don’t think it needs Nicki Minaj. Let’s keep it real, keep it grounded," said Battlefield 6 design director Shashank Uchil.
While the change to Call of Duty may have Black Ops 7 launch with skins and cosmetic options that are not so flashy, we will have to wait and see how the game"s post-launch seasonal content and store purchases shake things up.