Call of Duty’s Smartest Decision In Years Is A Divisive One

As great an impression as Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 left at launch, it’s clear that developers Treyarch and Raven Software divided its audience by introducing goofy unlockable skins. From Ninja Turtles and American Dad, to Beavis and Butthead and Seth Rogan in a pastel plaid suit, the game has become barely recognizable compared to prior entries, and it’s clear some fans aren’t happy about it.

In response to the vocal backlash, Treyarch and Raven have confirmed that skins purchased and unlocked in Black Ops 6 will not carry over to Black Ops 7. And while that does mean the next Call of Duty game will cut back on the novelty crossovers that upset players, it also walks back a feature the developers confirmed just weeks ago.

“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 dev team wrote in a Community Update. “In Black Ops 7, bundles and items will be crafted to fit the Black Ops identity. We hear the feedback. We need to deliver a better balance toward the immersive, core Call of Duty experience.”

While cosmetics will not carry over, progression items like double XP coins and GobbleGums will be transferable. The development teams said they would address the decision and the future of Call of Duty cosmetics in more detail in the weeks before launch.

This couldn’t have been an easy decision. For one, it represents a U-turn from what was confirmed just last week. When Black Ops 7 was revealed during Gamescom, the teams confirmed that all Black Ops 6 skins would carry forward into the new entry, similar to how Modern Warfare 2 carried over into the following year’s direct sequel. This was an uncharacteristically customer-friendly move for the franchise, which typically wipes the cosmetic slate clean every year.

In the last few months, however, Call of Duty has become a punchline for its ugly and disjointed multiplayer. It’s bizarre to jump into a match and see Jay and Silent Bob dressed as cannabis-themed superheroes, standing alongside the most visually garish, legally distinct mutant you’ve ever seen. The Call of Duty branding has lost its identity, and even the most casual fan has to admit that Black Ops 6 escalated things beyond reproach. Even developers for Battlefield 6, the Call of Duty competitor eager to snatch the FPS crown, confirmed that it won’t follow in Call of Duty’s cartoonish footsteps when it launches later this year.

But while this is a major victory for those who want the series to take itself seriously again, it’s a bummer for those who wanted their skins to have a bit more value. Call of Duty skins aren’t cheap: purchasing all of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, for example, meant shelling out $80. The American Dad skins set players back $25. Beavis and Butthead was a $30 bundle. I have my issues with Activision charging its players this much, but I can’t help but feel for the fans who love these cosmetics being told that they’d get to use them in the next game, only for the developer to go back on that decision because part of the fanbase pressured them into it.

You can argue that either letting players keep their skins or wiping the slate clean was the right move, and regardless of which one Treyarch went with, they were going to upset parts of the fanbase. But it’s clear an 11th-hour decision wasn’t part of the plan. Pre-order bonuses already include some outrageous skins that would fit in just fine with Black Ops 6’s directionless multiplayer art. Those hoping the new game would be free of robotic soldiers and bulky warriors from the future aren’t totally in the clear, as remnants of this divisive era will linger thanks to the series’ most dedicated and money-flush fans.

However you slice it, Black Ops 7 will be a stranger annual entry than usual. Its campaign seems to take place partly in an over-the-top world where players are hallucinating environments. The developers have also confirmed that the game’s final mission will integrate multiplayer and campaign in a way no other entry has. It’s a big swing, and I‘m curious to see how this creative idea will go over with fans at a time when they’re pining for the series to ground itself.

Black Ops 7 will release on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC on November 14.