Call of Duty's methodology isn't always right when it comes to their games. I won't ever say they make every correct decision, and more times than not, I might just flat out disagree with them. However, what the teams have done so far in supporting Black Ops 7 has been incredible. When I take a look at Season 3, whether the content works or not, I see exactly what you need to do to engage with your players in the middle of your game's life cycle. Like it or hate it, Black Ops 7 is being done right, and it's time to break down what works, and what doesn't, from Season 3.
First up: the guns. Season 3's arsenal is intriguing, with one of the best weapons so far alongside a wildly inconsistent one. The MK-35 ISR assault rifle is incredible, a long-range laser that is balanced with decent damage, no headshot multiplier, and a middle of the pack fire rate. This is one of my favorite releases so far; it reminds me of the AMES 85 from Black Ops 6 or the Automaton from Vanguard. The recoil is non-existent, but you still need to hit at least four bullets to get your kill. I know it probably won't happen, but I'd prefer this to the M15 Mod in Ranked Play.
Following a phenomenal AR is a less than preferable SMG. The VST seems like a submachine gun I'd like, but ridiculous vertical recoil lessens its impact. With the right attachments, it's a viable and controllable option, but even then, you'll have to do your best to learn the recoil patterns and fight against them with your right stick. I'd liken it to the Kogot, but if it jumped in your hands every time you went to shoot it. This falls into my usual "Warzone weapon" category -- it feels built more for that than multiplayer.
This season's mapset has not only been surprisingly good, but stunning in its wealth of options and diversity. With five maps coming at launch, and four more at the mid-season, this might be the largest deployment of multiplayer maps we've ever seen in a season. It's not just about the quantity, either -- each of these arenas have their own personality, whether a fresh idea or a well-chosen map from the past. Beacon and Abyss headline the new selection, Plaza and Gridlock return to bring balance, and Mission: Trident adds flavor to the Skirmish mode. As you know from previous impressions, I don't care for the huge team maps like Trident, but I'm glad to see more POIs from Avalon getting attention in that mode.
Beacon is the only new true 6v6 map, and while small, it is a fun bang out. You'll find yourself in other players' faces through most of the maps, alongside a wide open lane allowing snipers to have their fun. It can play incredibly fast, and I've watched scorelines of up to 100 eliminations occur in a Hardpoint. I'd never look at it as a competitive map, but it's a heck of a lot of fun to grab a gun and run. That, and the bright, snow-covered Arctic station is just an awesome locale.
Abyss is... well, not an ideal map. It's a submarine, meaning the tight spaces lead to a lot of choke points and getting wrecked if your timings are off. You can use a bit of verticality to hit a flank, along with weaving through the chaos of the sub's inner workings. The problem is that the narrow, single lane of this map makes it a pain in the butt. Not every map has to be perfectly designed for proper play, and I encourage wild ideas, but Abyss is more of a novelty map, or good for chasing specific challenges or camos.
Thankfully, Gridlock and Plaza have both come to offer the classic stylings of Black Ops we all know and love. Aesthetically, these are simply perfect. The color palettes of both are different, with Plaza sporting an abandoned, futuristic night club, whereas Gridlock features a war-torn city space existing in 2084. I don't have to describe either much, as they're quite familiar to anyone who's been a part of the Black Ops scene. That said, each has fantastic lanes, positions, flanking routes, and more that make these perfect additions to Black Ops 7's gameplay. Seriously, wall-jumping into top P4 on Gridlock or Plaza works beautifully.
Ranked Play has also seen a tremendous update. In line with the Call of Duty League, a bevy of new maps were introduced into the mode for testing before being officially changed out with the previous set. It's been a great mix of new and old – Gridlock is a good fit, Plaza is fun and different, and Sake should have been added last Major. I do wish Scar was out, at least in Search and Destroy. Some of this is with Exposure being pulled from two modes due to a frame rate glitch, but hopefully this will be adjusted in Major 4. The MPC-25 has also taken over as the new submachine gun, and while this is a good start, I really would like to see more weaponry included in Ranked. The pros haven't GA'd some of these guns; they just don't use them. Let's get more variety in the armory since it now exists in the mapset.
It feels like multiplayer has gotten the most work, as the guns and maps are both involved here, but even in a smaller capacity, the other three modes have seen plenty of attention. The content is just not as substantial, although good.
Endgame gets probably the least amount of actual new content, but it adds to the experience. Quality of life is the name of the game, with the four operators' loadouts split out now. You had to stick with whatever weapons you had previously, now you can have different kits with unique playstyles that extend beyond the skill tracks and abilities. Being able to reset your skill tracks (even a single one) is a huge boon, letting you have a bit more control over your operator and try out new skill tracks as they're added.
The biggest addition has to be the missions. This brings back Modern Warfare Zombies vibes, although with the update where you can track your missions easier and move into the next one without having to exfil; as long as the mission doesn't require it. These aren't anything too special, as you're largely just doing activities on the map, but it's another appreciated extra grind.
Warzone is in a similar boat, as Black Ops Royale is probably the most intensive item from the BO7 cycle. Moving Avalon into regular Warzone freshens up the rotation, especially as we have a big map cycle for the first time as Verdansk remains in. The coolest adjustment is changing up the movement, with the wall jumping and grappling hook officially permanent. It makes for some intense ending circles, especially as it renders certain high ground positions less effective. Add in Ranked Resurgence to the modes, and you've got a decent chunk of stuff to enjoy. The Hot Pursuit and Prop Hunt modes coming in Reloaded are going to have to do the heavy lifting for this season, though.
Zombies rounds out the pillars with a few new places and ways to play. The starting room for Paradox Junction, along with Ashwood from Ashes of the Damned joins the small maps you can try to survive in. Directed Mode arrives for Paradox Junction for those like me not smart enough to figure out all the steps of the Easter Egg, and Cursed Mode comes to Ashwood.
Headlining the lighter offerings is Zombie Battle, a new game type. In Zombie Battle, you fight against... your teammates. You can play this on any of the three main maps, but without being able to visit new areas beyond the starting section. It's different than Grief in that it's a free-for-all, and the idea is surviving longer than anyone else while getting more kills. It's a fun idea, but I can't say it has staying power. At any rate, I feel like this mode gets its value at mid-season when the Totenreich round-based map lands.
One area I have to applaud by the teams are the weekly challenges and the new BlackCell camo challenges. The grind is an integral part to Call of Duty, but making it engaging and satisfying is important. Weeklies were outstanding in Modern Warfare III, and you could feel the absence in Black Ops 6. They're worthy grinds, useful or not, and there have been some wild ideas so far (looking at you harpoon gun).
BlackCell received an epic event: Valkyrie challenges. This featured three skin variants and weapon blueprints for the BlackCell battle pass, which were easily earnable. With them were six new camos attainable by progressing through weapon category challenges featured across all four modes of the game. Not only were they aesthetically amazing, but it's another feather in the cap of the support through events in this game.
Not everything has been sunshine and rainbows, however. The hacking/cheating issue has been exacerbated this season, whether something has broken or a new method has been discovered. It's a shame; so far, cheating hasn't been nearly as effective. I hope the devs can shut whatever hole has appeared soon, it'd be awful for Black Ops 7 to completely lose the momentum it's gained.
Overall, I wouldn't classify this as one of the most well-rounded seasons for Black Ops 7 so far, but the output is still commendable. If you're a multiplayer junkie like myself, you're more than satiated. For Zombies, Warzone, and Endgame players, you're either waiting for Reloaded on April 30th, or just rinsing and repeating. The challenges and events have been top notch, so there's certainly been something to do. Here's hoping this isn't the beginning of the slowdown as we move into prime COD 2026 marketing territory.
