Call of Duty Made Its Bed, Now It Has to Lie In It

For as popular as Call of Duty is, one would think that it would be more universally beloved. But, as evidenced by the reaction to the Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 reveal trailer, the franchise is far from the industry darling it once was. At least, Black Ops 7‘s detractors seem far more impassioned than its supporters.

Black Ops 7‘s critics have myriad explanations for their ire, ranging from Call of Duty‘s overwhelming annual release schedule to the convoluted Black Ops narrative. But one particularly contentious trend adopted by modern Call of Duty is actually far more trivial: the inclusion of cartoonish, inauthentic character skins that many argue have turned multiplayer CoD into a farce. Indeed, ill-fitting operators like Nicki Minaj and Peter Griffin speak to a larger problem facing Call of Duty: the loss of its identity. Activision has addressed these criticisms in the past, and recently doubled down on its commitment to CoD‘s authenticity, stating in an August Community Update that “Black Ops 7 needs to feel authentic to Call of Duty and its setting,” and that cosmetics from Black Ops 6 multiplayer won’t Carry Forward into BO7, in service of this end. This is nice and all, but it feels like lip service at this point.

Why Black Ops 7 May Not Be an Authentic-Feeling Call of Duty Game

Black Ops 7’s Pre-Order Cosmetics Are Ill Portents

It’s hard to take the alleged commitment to Black Ops 7‘s “theme” seriously when they are juxtaposed with ludicrous pre-order cosmetics. These early unlockables, which include such Operators like Memory Reznov and the quirky automaton T.E.D.D., certainly don’t inspire much confidence about the “authentic” nature of Black Ops 7. Indeed, these skins seem to send the same message as the franchise’s earlier, much-maligned add-ons: that Call of Duty is a far cry from the grounded military shooter that it once was.

Whether this is good or bad is, naturally, a matter of opinion, but the assertions of authenticity feel strange in this context. Whatever Call of Duty‘s identity is meant to be, few would argue that it’s defined by a silly talking robot. Maybe these more outlandish cosmetics will be limited to the pre-order bonuses, and Activision will show restraint in the future, but that seems unlikely: Black Ops 7 is set against a loosely defined science fiction backdrop, with plenty of opportunities for over-the-top characters and narrative elements. This ties into a bigger problem, and the real reason why Black Ops 7 is unlikely to be authentic to the Call of Duty spirit.

At This Point, There Is No “Authentic” Call of Duty

It may sound harsh, but after so many games, released in so short a window, it’s hard to nail down what the Call of Duty spirit even is. Perhaps the games can still be united under the military shooter label, but only in the loosest sense. Yes, most of the series’ protagonists are members of military groups, but the far-flung settings of so many entries, coupled with the decidedly fantastical scenarios these so-called military operatives find themselves in, make the series feel much more like Destiny or Titanfall than Medal of Honor.

Perhaps Activision really will make Black Ops 7 consistent with what Call of Duty is meant to be, but that would require something much more momentous: the establishment of a well-defined series identity. Right now, Black Ops 7 seems to only be leading the series further away from its roots; perhaps it will lead it to a newfound, cohesive creative vision.