In an unexpected statement today, Activision made a dramatic announcement that Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 will no longer allow players to transfer any Black Ops 6 characters, weapons, or skins to Black Ops 7. Many are taking this as a sign that Activision doesn’t want Black Ops 7 to be overrun with the wacky skins that Call of Duty has become known for against a backdrop where competitor Battlefield 6 will only include “grounded” cosmetics.
In a blog post, Activision said it is aware of the “conversation” happening online about “the identity of Call of Duty” and the perception from some that it’s “drifted” away from its identity.
“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,” the company said.
Activision added that Black Ops 7 developers Treyarch and Raven have been guided by the goal of making a spiritual successor to Black Ops 2 while at the same time “taking some big swings.”
The company had previously said Black Ops 7 would included the franchise’s Carry Forward feature that allows content from the past game to move forward to the next one. However, Black Ops 7 is doing away with this, and now, operators, skins, and weapons from Black Ops 6 will not carry forward to Black Ops 7.
“Black Ops 7 needs to feel authentic to Call of Duty and its setting. That is why Black Ops 6 Operator and Weapon content will not carry forward to Black Ops 7,” the developer said. This only applies to Black Ops 7, as previous content will continue to carry forward to Call of Duty: Warzone.
Activision made this key announcement not long after Battlefield 6’s big reveal, during which developers stressed that the game’s cosmetics would feel “grounded.” An EA developer even name-checked Nicki Minaj, which was no doubt a reference to Call of Duty’s DLC that allows people to play as her.
Design director Shashank Uchil told DBLTAP that, “It has to be grounded. That is what BF3 and BF4 was–it was all soldiers, on the ground. It’s going to be like this.” Uchil went on to say, “I don’t think it needs Nicki Minaj.” Instead, Uchil said the aim for Battlefield 6’s skins is: “Let’s keep it real, keep it grounded.”
Call of Duty games over the years have featured all manner of outlandish skins, including stoner sloths and licensed skins from franchises like The Boys, TMNT, King of the Hill, Beavis and Butt-Head, and I Know What You Did Last Summer. Many people enjoyed and embraced these skins, some of which included their own special modes, while others said they are a blight on the overall Call of Duty experience.
The Call of Duty in-game store no doubt is a big-time money-maker, fueled in part by the kind of outlandish skins previous games have offered. It remains to be seen what kind of extra cosmetic content Activision will up-sell in Black Ops 7, or if the statement today will have any bearing on that.
Black Ops 7 launches on November 14 for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC. A multiplayer beta begins in October.
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