Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Puts the Cart Before the Horse, But It May Still Reach Its Destination

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 recently made a massive adjustment following fan complaints, as Carry Forward has been removed from the upcoming release. This is an unprecedented win for a large portion of the Call of Duty community, as they’ve celebrated being heard when it comes to complaints about ridiculous cosmetics ruining immersion—though some CoD fans are upset about the sudden Carry Forward shift. Regardless of where fans fall on this big decision, there are still other criticisms and concerns about BO7, including some that pertain to the campaign.

Specifically, Black Ops 7 fans are worried about the campaign being more comparable to the disastrous Modern Warfare 3 (2023) than last year’s Black Ops 6, and it’s not hard to see why. Treyarch’s own wording about players constantly returning to Avalon between the trippy sequences caused by Menendez’ red mist immediately evokes thoughts of open combat missions, with the community being well aware that Avalon was originally meant to be a Warzone map. Add on four-player co-op and an extraction shooter finale and there’s good reason to be concerned that the storytelling of BO7’s campaign just isn’t a priority, though oddly enough, multiplayer could be a saving grace for lore aficionados.

Black Ops 7 Has at Least One Lore-Heavy Multiplayer Map

Treyarch has tried to give each of its multiplayer maps a proper backstory since Black Ops Cold War, with experiences like Deprogram standing out because of their ties to the overarching narrative. It seems like Black Ops 7 will do this as well with at least one of its maps, which Treyarch revealed during the deep dive that dropped after BO7’s controversial Gamescom trailer. Though it lacks an official name (leaks suggest it could be called Homestead), this map explores something that fans have wanted to know more about for well over a decade: Alex (and David) Mason’s personal life.

Much of Alex Mason’s personal life has gone unexplored in the Black Ops franchise, with players only knowing that he grew up in the Alaskan wilderness and gained hunting skills through this upbringing. Clearly, his son David grew up under similar circumstances, as one of the BO7 multiplayer maps will be taking place at the Mason family cabin in Alaska. While the icy backdrop and northern lights hanging in the sky above the log building make for a stunning arena, it should be fascinating to get a look inside the building once the game releases, as it could pull back the curtain on what the Masons were like when off the battlefield. Potential reveals include:

• A look at young David Mason’s interests, as assuming that the cabin had been abandoned following his father’s death, his room should be how it was when he was a child.
• An image of, or notes from, David Mason’s mother. Currently, players know little about David’s mom, only that her vague cause of death is a result of Alex “going back to the army.” It’s unclear whether she and Alex remained together until his death at the hands of Raul Menendez or were divorced/separated as a result of their issues. Her name and appearance are also a mystery.
• An idea of Alex and David’s home life. With Alex out of David’s life since he was a young boy, it’s unclear if he had a close bond with his son prior to his death/disappearance, or if David and Alex were a bit distant (the latter seems more likely given David blaming him for his mom’s death). Props around the house could help answer that question one way or another.

Black Ops 7 Can’t Let The Mason Family Home Do All The Heavy Lifting

Though doing battle around the Mason family’s place of living all-but-guarantees some good environmental storytelling, as pictures of Alex and David are the bare minimum of what it should offer, though hopefully this isn’t the peak of the game’s storytelling. Black Ops 7 is seemingly focused more on making a more replayable campaign via co-op and the extraction shooter end mission, which in the eyes of singleplayer fans is the wrong approach, as telling an engaging story should come first. Hopefully, Treyarch has managed to weave some genuinely good dialogue, twists, and cinematics throughout its campaign missions, as for many, the Black Ops subseries has always been a reliable place to go for some solid FPS stories. On the bright side, even if the campaign falls short of expectations, this multiplayer map is poised to provide some exceptional lore for those who care to stop and smell the roses when they’re not racking up scorestreaks.