Black Ops 7 u-turns on Black Ops 6 Carry Forward just days after announcing it because of the massive backlash
In an unprecedented move, Activision won’t be moving forward with a key feature of Black Ops 7 after what seems to have been an overwhelmingly negative response.
Image credit:Treyarch, Raven Software, Activision.
Activision has made a major announcement regarding a particular feature in this year’s Call of Duty, Black Ops 7 . The game, which had its full reveal at gamescom just one week ago , will no longer support Carry Forward.
Carry Forward is a feature that allows players to bring Black Ops 6 weapons, operators, skins and other cosmetics with them to the new game. Unfortunately, that’s made it more difficult for players to be excited about the upcoming game.
While Carry Forward is something that would typically be celebrated for respecting the players’ legacy and time spent, it has gained an especially negative connotation. Over the course of Black Ops 6’s lifespan, Activision continued to deviate from the original art style and look of the game by introducing more cross-over and cartoony skins, which have practically turned it into Fortnite .
Since it was confirmed for Black Ops 7, fan reaction online has been overwhelmingly negative. The decision to drop the feature just a week after it was announced was made in a blog post that specifically points to that fan response. It also acknowledges that the series may have deviated from that cohesive look.
“We know there’s been a lot of conversation recently about the identity of Call of Duty,” the post reads.
“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.”
I wouldn’t call this the most ‘authentic’ either… |Image credit:Treyarch, Raven, Activision.
What that means in practice is that Black Ops 6 weapons, operators - and crucially, operator skins, will not be available for use in Black Ops 7. This won’t affect Warzone , however, as the battle royale mode will continue to have continuity with previous games. Double XP tokens and GobbleGums are exempt from this, and will be the only items to carry forward to the new game.
The blog post also confirms that Black Ops 7 store bundles will be “crafted to fit the Black Ops identity.”
“We need to deliver a better balance toward the immersive, core Call of Duty experience,” it adds.
Before Black Ops 7’s launch on November 14, we’re getting a new edition of Call of Duty: Next on September 30, where multiplayer will be shown off for the first time. A few days afterwards, the Black Ops 7 beta will kick off.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7
PS4 , PS5 , Xbox One , Xbox Series X/S , PC
Next Fest |Watch Call of Duty: Next here for the big Black Ops 7 multiplayer and Zombies reveal
Watch Call of Duty: Next here for the big Black Ops 7 multiplayer and Zombies reveal
Image credit:Treyarch, Raven Software, Activision.
Though this continues to look like it may not be another year of total Call of Duty domination, there’s definitely a lot of excitement for Black Ops 7 . This year’s game is bringing a lot to the table, even if you can clearly tell the 2025 shooter mindshare belongs to Battlefield 6 .
If you’re a diehard Call of Duty player, however, few occasions command the same level of anticipation as Call of Duty: Next , the big everything-will-be-revealed event Activision hosts almost every year.
Call of Duty: Next returns this month to deliver the one-two punch of finally revealing Black Ops 7’s multiplayer , as well as its Zombies mode . Both modes are changing this year, which is all the more reason to tune in and see how Treyarch and Raven will be able to sell us on the upcoming game.
What is Call of Duty: Next and what to expect?
As with every CoD: Next, the event will feature dozens of content creators who will all be livestreaming their Black Ops 7 gameplay to the world. This goes for multiplayer, as well as Zombies. Before content creators get to run around the maps and play with the new movement and weapons of Black Ops 7, however, the developers will walk us through what’s on offer, and go deeper into this year’s game than any of the previous reveals .
How to watch Call of Duty: Next
On Tuesday, September 30 , all of us will be swimming in several hours of Black Ops 7 content. If you don’t tune in to your favourite YouTube or Twitch streamer, you’re probably going to have the main broadcast on.
Like last year, tonight’s event will kick off at 9am PT, 12pm ET, 5pm BST . This is the usual time slot for major Call of Duty reveals, so that’s not surprising.
As for where you’ll be able to catch it live, you can do so on Call of Duty’s official YouTube and Twitch channels - and we’ve embedded both below.
What comes after Call of Duty: Next
Once CoD: Next wraps up, the next major event to look forward to is, of course, the Black Ops 7 beta . The beta’s Early Access portion kicks off October 2, just two days afterwards. A lot - if not all of - the beta content will be part of Next, so we’re going to get a much better idea of what we can expect when the beta goes live during Next.
While Activision hasn’t said whether tuning in to Next will offer players a chance to get an Early Access beta key, it’s worth keeping the livestream on in the background, as you may even earn some in-game rewards, if not a beta key.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7
PS4 , PS5 , Xbox One , Xbox Series X/S , PC
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