Catch up on Black Ops story in new lead up

We're in the week of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7. With that in mind, it's been a moment since Black Ops 2 released, and this is "technically" a sequel. The timeline is a tad scattered, and the Call of Duty Blog has recognized that. Below is all the intel you need to be ready for launch!

Get up to speed on the Black Ops narrative so you’re ready to go when the Black Ops 7 Co-Op Campaign goes live at game launch on November 14. Read on for more insight on the major plots and players in motion at the start of the adventure.

The year is 2035 and the world is on the brink of chaos. In Call of Duty®: Black Ops 7, players will embark on the next chapter of the Black Ops narrative, facing returning threats in the form of infamous villain, Raul Menendez, alongside new challenges brought on by The Guild, a global tech giant born out of the chaos bred by Menendez and his populist movement. 

With the launch of Black Ops 7 only days away on November 14, let’s take a closer look at the story leading up to this moment. 

The Story So Far

In the world of Black Ops, the past never dies, and every action has consequences. It starts with Menendez, the Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 villain who has returned with a chilling broadcast, threatening to plunge the world back into darkness.

How We Got Here: Raul Menendez

“Once again, you shall know fear.” — Raul Menendez

In Black Ops 2, players are first introduced to Raul Menendez in 1986 as the leader of the Menendez Cartel. The Nicaraguan arms dealer has captured CIA operative Frank Woods and left him for dead in a shipping container on the Cubango River in Angola. When Alex Mason learns of his friend’s peril, he steps out of retirement to save Woods, leaving his son David behind.

Following the daring rescue mission, Woods yearns for revenge. After tracking down the cartel leader’s whereabouts, the CIA greenlights a mission on Menendez’s home. In the heat of battle, Woods throws a grenade intended for Raul inside the house, instead killing his sister, Josefina. She and Raul Menendez are declared dead by the CIA.

Menendez’s Revenge

Fast forward to 1989. Woods and Mason are in Panama during the American invasion, seeking a target known as Nexus One. The target’s identity is obscured, a bag secured over their head. Over comms, under threat by Menendez, captured operative Jason Hudson lies to Woods, telling him that Nexus One is Raul Menendez and to take the shot. Woods falls for the bait and shoots Nexus One, only to discover that he has been tricked into executing his friend Alex Mason. The sinister villain reveals himself and blasts Woods in both knees, crippling him.

As Menendez suffers, now too shall Woods, the cause of his pain.

From Arms Dealer to Populist Leader

In his burning hatred for the United States, working under the pseudonym Ulysses, Menendez forms the political movement Cordis Die, using social networks to spread propaganda depicting the organization as a fighter for the globally impoverished. Menendez is hailed as the “Messiah for the 99%” while covertly using the group’s military arm to incite a second Cold War through the instigation of riots, financial upheaval, and cyber warfare.

The hunt for Menendez becomes a multi-generational manhunt, taken up by Alex Mason’s son, David. With the help of Frank Woods, who helped raised him after his father’s death, he is finally able to put a stop to Menendez’s plan to hijack America’s drone fleet. Following blackouts, the threat of open war, and financial uncertainty, Mason puts the villain to rest… or so he thinks.

The Next Frontier: The Guild

Menendez is back, and as the world recoils at news of his return, The Guild, a global tech giant led by CEO Emma Kagan, rises to the challenge of defending humanity. A former crime syndicate born in the Mediterranean principality of Avalon, The Guild promises peace through security, utilizing the company’s advanced brand of tech to safeguard citizens and stand in open defiance against Menendez and his forces.

The Fight Continues: David and JSOC

Although David Mason would like nothing more than to see Raul Menendez finally disposed of, he harbors doubts about The Guild and their promise of salvation. It’s up to him and his cohort of elite JSOC Operators — including Mike Harper, Leilani “50/50” Tupuola, and Eric Samuels — to get to the truth of it all, including reports of a weapon engineered to turn fear into an instrument of chaos. 

Will the team uncover the real motives behind Menendez’s reappearance and The Guild’s rise to power, or will they lose their grip on reality in the attempt? With help from some old friends including Commanding Officer Colonel Troy Marshall from Black Ops 6, “Specter One” moves out to find answers. As the world spirals into chaos once more, David must learn to face enemies both old and new.

Intel Incoming: Co-Op Campaign and Endgame

After completing the first 11 Co-op Campaign missions, players will unlock Endgame, tasking JSOC with exploring the vast landscapes of Avalon, dismantling The Guild’s remaining Command Centers while battling exposure zones leaking a mysterious toxin into the city. 

Expect a Dev Talk, and a Deep Dive Blog with a detailed overview of the Campaign Endgame, coming tomorrow, Monday November 10. 

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