Black Ops 7: Here are the big changes coming to Multiplayer

Multiplayer is my jam when it comes to Call of Duty. Black Ops 7 looks to be taking the franchise in the right direction, and today after gamescom, they revealed a lot of new intel. Below is all we've learned, along with our GamingTrend preview! If you want to know more about the campaign, click here.

Multiplayer: A Massive Offering

A Massive Offering: 16 signature 6v6 multiplayer maps at launch (13 all new maps and three returning Black Ops 2 classics) plus two new large-scale maps, all combining a new level of visual fidelity along with refined Multiplayer design for the most engaging Black Ops MP ever.

Near-Future Weaponry: Set in 2035, Multiplayer delivers an arsenal of new, near-future weaponry and gear, where all weapon systems have been overhauled down to the smallest detail to match the era.

Overclocked Gear: In Black Ops 7, your loadout is alive with possibility. For the first time, Scorestreaks, Field Upgrades, and Equipment can be upgraded with the new Overclock system, growing more versatile the more you use them. Every match becomes a step toward unlocking their full potential.

Perks and Hybrid Combat Specialties: On the Perks side, Hybrid Combat Specialties let you mix and match different Perks to unlock exciting and powerful Hybrid gameplay bonuses.

Next-level Omnimovement, including Wall Jumps and more, open-up creative possibilities and fresh dynamics to gameplay.

Skirmish is an all-new, 20v20 adrenaline-charged MP mode that blends a variety of objectives with new abilities like wingsuiting and grappling hooks, and intense vehicle warfare into a massive experience. Set across two launch maps, this is Black Ops large-scale combat, redefined.

Multiplayer in Black Ops 7 explodes out of the gate with 16 electrifying 6v6 maps and two 20v20 maps at launch, all beginning with a unified vision based on the 2035 setting, reimagining the world of Black Ops 2 10 years on.

This near future is rooted in modern-day realism, allowing the Multiplayer team at Treyarch to push the boundaries across Multiplayer, and ensuring the most balanced and entertaining game possible. It begins with the technology on offer to Operators dropping into combat:

Near-Future Weaponry and Live-Wire Loadouts

Expect in-world technological improvements to all the weapons available across Multiplayer — and therefore available in Co-Op Campaign and Zombies — with 30 new weapons at launch, including 16 that players will see in a Call of Duty for the very first time. The Black Ops 7arsenal strikes a balance between brand-new armaments and homages to fan-favorites, along with gameplay mechanics never seen before in the franchise. In Black Ops 7, your loadout is alive with possibility.

Black Ops 7 will also mark the return of Weapon Prestige, bringing depth of progression, mastery, and rewards to the Weapon Progression journey not seen since 2018. Additionally, players will be able to share their created Weapon Builds for the first time ever via Black Ops 7’s new Weapon Build Sharing and Build Code features. Check out the Global Systems section of this blog (below) for more details.

With the game taking place ten years after Black Ops 2, Treyarch’s Multiplayer team has unleashed its creativity to deliver a variety of exciting new Perks, weapon attachments, Equipment, Field Upgrades, and of course, a huge selection of Scorestreaks to utilize.

One of these new Scorestreaks is the Rhino, a bipedal death machine that drops from the sky, slams into the ground with enough force to crater the pavement and unleashes its heavy weapons in a player-controlled third-person rampage of precision and destruction.

Overclocking Your Equipment

For the first time in Black Ops, Scorestreaks, Field Upgrades, and Equipment can be upgraded using the brand-new Overclock System, meaning more than just your weapons will grow more versatile the more you use them. Every successful use of your Scorestreaks, Field Upgrade, and Equipment becomes a step toward unlocking their full potential as you enhance your arsenal over time, earning gameplay improvements and enhanced functionality. This is part of an overarching goal of deep Progression for gameplay content, but without needless or confusing complexity. The Overclock System puts even more agency and power into the hands of the player, allowing for more customization of your gameplay experience than ever before.

Let’s look at a few examples:

Lethal Equipment: Cluster Grenade: Last seen in Black Ops 4, the Cluster Grenade is a Lethal that scatters a group of smaller explosives when the main projectile detonates. Overclock it and you’re awarded the following upgrades:

First Overclock: Controllable Fuse: Adds the ability to cook the fuse over time.
Second Overclock: Tighter Packing: Adds one additional mini grenade to the projectile.

Field Upgrade: Drone Pod: Launch a Drone Pod and it deploys to the skies, expelling autonomous aerial drones which seek out enemies. Overclock it and you’re awarded the following upgrades:

First Overclock: Quick Launcher: This rapidly increases the speed at which drones are launched.
Second Overclock: Radar Link: Leaves a minimap icon at each drone’s detonation point.

Scorestreak: Rhino. Returning to the Rhino, a remotely controlled armored robotic soldier equipped with a deadly burst rifle Increase this Scorestreak’s potential still further with the following Overclocks:

First Overclock: Power Module: This extends the runtime for the Rhino, allowing for even more mayhem.
Second Overclock: Sonar Pulse: This reveals nearby enemy locations on the Rhino’s minimap and enhances both radar length and duration.

Scorestreak: D.A.W.G.: Introducing the Deployable Armored Weaponized Groundcraft: a quadrupedal Scorestreak featuring a large caliber turret and rocket pod designed to neutralize infantry targets. Overclock it for further devastating possibilities:

First Overclock: Large Battery: Enhances the active duration.
Second Overclock: Sentry Mode: Allows D.A.W.G. to hunker down, guarding an area and deploying a supply pack and integrated Trophy System.

Perks and Hybrid Combat Specialties

Experiment with your Perk builds like never before with the all-new Hybrid Combat Specialties. To activate a Hybrid bonus, you’re able to mix and match Perks from two different Combat Specialties (colors). Get ready to try out different combinations to find your favorites, whether you’re a stealthy slayer or an offensive support player.

Next-Level Omnimovement, Adjusting Tactical Sprint

Outmaneuver your enemies with a next-level Omnimovement system to gain the upper hand in combat. Execute swift Wall Jumps to evade or out-style your pursuers while increasing your traversal capabilities, and mantle high ledges for tactical advances. And in Skirmish, drop into action with Combat Rolls from steep falls to reduce fall damage. These new features open creative possibilities in the game space and on the frontline, adding fresh dynamics to gameplay.

Treyarch has also taken a close look at feedback and has made tuning adjustments across the board for a more controlled experience, including the removal of Tactical Sprint — a limited-duration boost of speed allowing faster movement than standard sprint — as a default movement option. Instead, expect this ability to be granted through an optional Perk in Multiplayer.

16 Signature Multiplayer Maps

From the futuristic Tokyo vistas to the frozen, unforgiving wilds of Alaska, every environment is brimming with danger and opportunity, and many are deeply connected to the narrative. You’ll fight through covert guild facilities in Japan, revisit David Mason’s childhood cabin, infiltrate a remote tundra installation where weapons of war are being secretly 3D printed, and even clash across a high-tech solar array in the Australian Outback.

This is a diverse slate of new maps at launch, with 13 all-new 6v6 maps, along with three legendary returning maps from Black Ops 2, including the infamous Raid, now reimagined as a once-tranquil Tokyo setting in near-future Japan.

From the start of development, player feedback has been infused into every angle of the game and building maps that reflect this in meaningful ways has been a key part of the process. Pushing the boundaries of design and combat flow, the Black Ops 7 Multiplayer maps are designed to breathe more, with enough space for players to fully explore the expanded Omnimovement system while still delivering the tight, cover-to-combat combat that defines Black Ops. Each map layout emphasizes clear lane definition, controlled sightlines, and tactical opportunities for creative flanking and positioning.

Whether your preference is to run-and-gun, tactically defend, or you thrive on movement and momentum, the Black Ops 7 Multiplayer maps are arenas built for you to learn, adapt to, and dominate. Maps are built with intention, designed to surprise you, and shaped by decades of collective design experience. The team is also committed to meticulously crafting a wide variety of unique and entertaining post-launch maps, often leaning into the themes of the Campaign.

Skirmish: Large-scale Combat, Redefined

In addition to the 16 6v6 Multiplayer Maps, Black Ops 7 launches with new large-scale maps paired with an all-new mode to the series called Skirmish: a 20v20 objective-focused experience where two teams clash across expansive environments.

What sets Skirmish apart compared to a 6v6 mode isn’t just its size, but the addition of the Wingsuit to Multiplayer. This gliding gear allows you to soar across terrain with fast, controlled aerial movement, and completely shifts how you approach combat and objectives. With the extra verticality and mobility, squads have the option to capture a zone, then launch across the map to contest the next — creating fast, fluid, and sometimes unpredictable momentum from objective to objective, where no two matches feel the same. Expect more information, including the vehicles you’re set to control, and the introduction of the legendary grappling hook to the mode, in the coming weeks.

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

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