In a groundbreaking move, the upcoming Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 will feature a campaign without traditional difficulty settings for the first time. This notable change is attributed to the game’s focus on cooperative gameplay, with capabilities for solo and up to four-player squads. Activision revealed the game earlier this year, teasing significant developments that include classic characters like David Mason and Raul Menendez returning.

Why Difficulty Options are Absent

During an event at Gamescom, associate creative director Miles Leslie explained that the decision to remove adjustable difficulty stems from the game’s cooperative nature. “We’ve built it for solo or four-player squads. You cannot pick a difficulty like past games. We’ve baked it in to ensure the campaign is both fun for individuals and appropriately challenging for groups of players.” He further emphasized the need for a balanced experience that encourages social interaction while maintaining the essence of gameplay.

In addition, Black Ops 7 will introduce a global progression system across all gameplay modes, allowing players to earn XP and engage with seasonal content through the campaign. Furthermore, the game promises an extensive PvE mode for post-campaign replayability.

Despite these enhancements, a recent trailer for the game has generated backlash, with many fans expressing dissatisfaction over the state of the franchise, reflecting concerns over microtransactions and content quality that could impact player retention.