Activision Plans Surprise Release for Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, Mimicking Beyonce's Album Drop Strategy

Microsoft unveiled *Call of Duty: Black Ops 7* during its Xbox Games Showcase in June 2025—an unusually late reveal for the franchise. The debut trailer offered minimal gameplay details, instead teasing a cryptic narrative set in 2035 and introducing protagonist David Mason. This minimalist approach is no accident; it’s a deliberate part of Activision’s marketing strategy to make the game’s launch feel like a surprise drop akin to a Beyonce album release.

In an interview with Variety, Activision's marketing head Tyler Bahl explained the unconventional plan:

“Usually at this point in time, we would have teased everything that’s coming out. And I think in a lot of ways we’re setting this up more like a Beyonce album dropping; nobody’s going to know about it, or nobody’s going to see it coming.

The whole goal was to really do something different, and for us to zag and show up in a unique way. And one way of doing that is almost not doing any pre-promotion and giving it to players in a really unexpected way.”

Although Activision hinted at a larger reveal later in the summer, it may still keep most details under wraps, leaving fans to discover much of the game upon release later in 2025.

So far, what we do know is that *Black Ops 7* takes place in 2035—more than four decades after *Black Ops 6*—in a world teetering on global chaos following events from *Black Ops 2* and *Black Ops 6*. The co-op campaign makes a return after being absent in *Black Ops 6*, though solo play remains an option. Multiplayer will feature futuristic weaponry and brand-new maps. Meanwhile, the next evolution of Round-Based Zombies will center around the eerie Dark Aether.

> Wielding cutting-edge technology, David Mason and his team must fight back against a manipulative enemy who weaponizes fear above all else.

According to Variety, *This Is Us* star Milo Ventimiglia steps into the role of David Mason, replacing previous casting. Kiernan Shipka joins as Emma Kagen, CEO of The Guild, while Michael Rooker reprises his role as Mike Harper from *Black Ops 2*.

As for platforms, *Black Ops 7* will be available on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and PC via Xbox PC, Battle.net, and Steam. Like recent entries, it will be playable on day one via Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass. No mention was made of a Nintendo Switch 2 version. The title is being co-developed by Treyarch and Raven Software.

Notably, *Black Ops 7* marks the first time in the sub-series’ history that two entries are released in consecutive years, following *Black Ops 6* in 2024. While some fans speculate that this could position *Black Ops 7* as a placeholder title—similar to how *Modern Warfare 3* was perceived in 2023—Activision has emphasized that this game delivers “the full Call of Duty package for our players.”

Looking ahead, Infinity Ward is expected to return with a new *Modern Warfare* title in 2026, resetting the annual cycle of the franchise once again.

For more updates, check out everything announced at the Xbox Games Showcase June 2025.