Black Ops 7 beta gets huge change with low-SBMM playlist

With plenty joining the fight with the beta open to all now, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 got a major update yesterday. Beyond new maps and modes – of which there were several like Imprint and Zombies coming live recently – a new "Open Moshpit" is available. This is a low skill-based matchmaking playlist, something we haven't seen for the franchise in quite some time. Check out the details below, along with our hands-on preview from COD: NEXT!

The Call of Duty Black Ops 7 Open Beta is here. If you’ve been with us since Early Access, we hope you’re having a blast. If you are just jumping into Multiplayer or Zombies Survival for the first time, we’re excited you’re here – and we look forward to hearing from you.

Sharing your experiences is critical to making Black Ops 7 the best it can be, and we’ve been hard at work making real-time changes based on Early Access feedback. Keep the feedback coming.

Today we’re excited to raise the Beta level cap from 20 to 30 with more Weapons, Perks, Field Upgrades, Scorestreaks, Beta Rewards and more to unlock in-game. We’re also adding more options for Open playlists where skill consideration is drastically reduced when matchmaking. These playlists provide more varied match experiences and outcomes. For those of you who have been asking, Search and Destroy arrives today and Hardcore is back.

Multiplayer

Here’s what’s coming to the Open Beta in a playlist update later today:

Modes

Moshpit
Open Moshpit (JUST ADDED)
Open Hardcore Moshpit (NEW) - Classic matchmaking where skill is minimally considered, featuring Team Deathmatch and Domination, Hardcore rules enabled.
Open Search & Destroy (NEW) - Classic matchmaking where skill is minimally considered, featuring Search & Destroy.

Maps

The Forge
Cortex
Exposure
Imprint
Blackheart (NEW)

Zombies

It’s been incredibly rewarding to see the community dive into Vandorn Farm during Beta. Based on your feedback we’ll be extending Zombies Survival for the remainder of the Open Beta. For those of you joining the Beta today for the first time, we do not recommend any attempts to pet the bear.

Progression

The Beta level cap increases from 20 to 30 today. Here is what will be available to unlock across Multiplayer and Zombies:

Level 21: Progression Unlocks (Master Sergeant III)
- Shadow Rift (Zombies, Ammo Mod)
  - Bullets deal Shadow damage. Each bullet has a chance to spawn a black hole on a normal or special enemy, warping some way and dropping others from the air.
Level 22: Progression Unlocks (Master Gunnery Sergeant I)
- CODA 9 (Secondary Weapon, Pistol)
  - Full-auto pistol. High damage and rate of fire, but high recoil and shorter effective ranges.
- Watchdog Helo (Scorestreak)
  - Close air support escort chopper that pings and attacks enemies in your area.
- Guardian (Perk, Strategist)
  - Faster healing while capturing and holding objectives. Revive downed teammates faster.
Level 23: Progression Unlocks (Master Gunner Sergeant II)
- Beta Reward
  - “Beta Survivor” Loading Screen.
- Bruiser (Perk, Enforcer)
  - Melee kills and Finishing Moves replenish health and earn extra Score.
- LT53 Kazimir (Zombies, Tactical Equipment)
  - Creates a small singularity that pulls in and kills enemies.
Level 24: Progression Unlocks (Master Gunner Sergeant III)
- Psych Grenade (Tactical Equipment)
  - Explodes on impact with the ground, releasing a lingering cloud of hallucinogenic gas.
- Mangler Cannon (Zombies, Support)
  - All the ballistic power of a Mangler, at your fingertips.
Level 25: Progression Unlocks (Second Lieutenant I)
- Razor 9mm (Primary Weapon, SMG)
  - Full-auto submachine gun. Extreme rate of fire, but limited range and slower handling.
- Engineer (Perk, Recon)
  - See enemy Equipment and Scorestreaks through walls and Scorestreaks on the minimap. Aim at them to see target information.
Level 26: Progression Unlocks (Second Lieutenant II)
- Needle Drone (Lethal Equipment)
  - Small flying drone that explodes on impact. Toggles between auto or manual control.
- Hunter’s Instinct (Perk, Enforcer)
  - Killing an enemy marks the direction of the next closest enemy on your minimap.
- Perk Greed (Wildcard)
  - Equip an extra Perk.
Level 27: Progression Unlocks (Second Lieutenant III)
- Beta Reward
  - “Beta Conqueror” Calling Card
- Vendetta (Perk, Recon)
  - On Respawn, mark your killer’s last known position for a short duration. Get bonus score for killing that enemy.
- Brain Rot (Zombies, Ammo Mod)
  - Bullets deal Toxic damage. Each bullet has a chance to temporarily turn a normal or Special enemy into an ally.
Level 28: Progression Unlocks (Lieutenant I)
- Echo 12 (Primary Weapon, Shotgun)
  - Rechambering double-barrel shotgun. Great range and high damage potential with back-to-back shots.
- Squad Link (Field Upgrade)
  - Deployed device that boosts score and improves effectiveness of allied Operators and gadgets in range.
- Ninja (Perk, Recon)
  - Move more quietly.
Level 29: Progression Unlocks (Lieutenant II)
- Looper (Perk, Enforcer)
  - Gain the ability to re-earn Scorestreaks in the same life.
- Aether Shroud (Zombies, Field Upgrade)
  - Phase into the Dark Aether and become temporarily hidden from enemy detection.
Level 30: Progression Unlocks (Lieutenant III)
- Beta Reward
  - “Beta Legend” Weapon Blueprint – M15 Mod 0
- RHINO (Scorestreak)
  - Remotely control an armored robotic soldier equipped with a deadly minigun.

Be sure to keep an eye out on our official Black Ops 7 Trello Board. Tag us @Treyarch with your feedback and follow @CODUpdates for the latest information.

We’ll see you in the lobby!

October 4

We have an exciting Day 3 of the Black Ops 7 Early Access Beta coming later today, including some important Multiplayer playlist changes. Let's get into it!

MULTIPLAYER

Matchmaking and Open Moshpit

Like all things in Beta, our collective goal is to gather critical in-game data and feedback to make Black Ops 7 the best experience possible.

We’re engaging with the community discussion about matchmaking and will be making some updates to our playlist plans.

Today, we’ll have two playlists available: Moshpit, and a new option – Open Moshpit.

In Open Moshpit, skill consideration is drastically reduced when matchmaking, with the goal of providing more varied match experiences and outcomes. This playlist will match players with and against players of more varied skill differences than in the current Multiplayer matchmaking system.

The maps and modes in both playlists are the same:

Maps

Imprint
Cortex
Exposure
The Forge

Modes

Team Deathmatch
Domination
Hardpoint
Kill Confirmed
Overload

We will continue testing throughout the remainder of the Beta, so jump in and see what you think!

Maps

Permanently opened several doors throughout The Forge and Cortex. (See the mini-maps below for specific callouts.)
Increased the time that automatic doors remain open before closing from 2 seconds to 4 seconds.
Increased the range at which doors will open automatically when approaching.

UI

Increased visible range of the minimap by 15%.

Movement

Increased allowable angle for side Wall Jump to reduce accidental forward Wall Jumps.

Spawns

Adjusted spawn logic for enemy player influence on nearby spawns.

Progression

Increased Weapon XP earn rates for both Multiplayer and Zombies.
Increased Overclock earn rate for the Skewer Scorestreak.
Increased Overclock earn rate for the Drone Pod Field Upgrade.

Stability

Addressed server stability issues with Training Course.
Addressed a stability issue related to turrets.
Addressed potential server stability issues when playing Overload.
Addressed server stability issues with the Gravemaker.
Addressed server stability issues with the Skewer.
Addressed server stability issues with the Vigilance Perk.

Zombies

Resolved an issue that prevented the Rampage Inducer from affecting gameplay after Round 55.
Addressed an issue in Training Course that could prevent players from reattempting Training Station 2.
Addressed a stability issue related to Toxic Growth.
Addressed some stability issues related to Exfil.
Addressed some stability issues when leaving a match.

Known Issues

Players are temporarily unable to complete an Exfil in Zombies Survival and Training Course playlists. Solo players are still able to Save and Quit to selectively end their match.

Stay tuned to GamingTrend for more Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 news and info!

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