This guide covers all the important information for Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, from pre-launch prep to progression systems and mode breakdowns. New players and returning veterans alike will find everything needed to hit the ground running.
Pre-Launch Preparation
Pre-Loading the Game
Pre-loads are live across all platforms right now. Get your download started early, especially if your internet connection isn't the fastest. Finishing the bulk of the install ahead of time means you can jump straight into the action the moment servers go live.
Understanding Launch Times
Console and PC players have very different launch schedules, so plan accordingly.
Console Launch (PlayStation and Xbox)
Consoles use a rolling midnight release based on local time zones. New Zealand players get in first, and the unlock moves westward from there. For US players, that means 6:00 AM Eastern (3:00 AM Pacific) when New Zealand hits midnight.
PC Launch (Steam and Battle.net)
PC gets a single global launch time instead of a regional rollout:
- 9:00 PM Pacific on the 13th
- Midnight Eastern on the 14th
- 5:00 AM GMT
- 9:00 AM GST
- 2:00 PM in Korea and Japan
- 4:00 PM in Sydney, Australia
- 6:00 PM in New Zealand
This creates a weird situation where New Zealand console players are first in, but New Zealand PC players are among the last.
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Early Access Method
You can potentially access the game earlier by switching your region to New Zealand. The steps vary by platform:
This method depends on the infrastructure staying the same and may not work if changes are made before launch.
Day One Update
No specific day one patch has been announced yet, but Call of Duty games almost always have an update waiting at launch beyond the pre-load content. Any additional download should be much smaller than the full install.
Available Platforms and Hardware
Supported Platforms
Black Ops 7 launches on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and PC through Steam and Battle.net.
PC Specs
PC players have minimum, recommended, and competitive/4K ultra spec tiers to consider. Your target framerate and resolution will determine what hardware you need. Console players get uniform performance across everyone running the same platform version.
Rewards and Progression Carryover
Launch Day Rewards
You'll have immediate access to several reward categories when you boot up the game:
Vault Edition Items (if purchased)
Weapon blueprints, GobbleGum packs for Zombies, Operator packs, a permanent unlock token, the Guild Override camo, and a Black Cell Season 1 token that activates when the season begins.
Other Earned Rewards
Beta participation rewards, Twitch Drops from beta, and any retailer-specific bonuses.
XP Token Carryover
All your XP tokens from Black Ops 6 carry forward to Black Ops 7. This is one of the few things that transferred between games this year. Players who saved up tokens will have a major head start on ranking up both their soldier level and weapons. These tokens also apply to Battle Pass progression once Season 1 starts.
GobbleGum Carryover
Zombies players keep their GobbleGums from Black Ops 6. You'll have access to your full stockpile right away.
Campaign Overview
Co-Op Campaign Structure
Black Ops 7's campaign works differently than previous entries. The whole thing is built for co-op play with linear, story-driven missions. There's no traditional difficulty selector.
Endgame Mode
After finishing the main campaign, you unlock Endgame. This mode blends elements from DMZ, Modern Warfare Zombies, and traditional campaign gameplay into something new.
Zone Difficulty
Four zones with escalating danger, Zone 4 being the deadliest. Your skill track progress directly impacts how manageable these tougher areas become.
Access Requirements
The party leader needs campaign completion to enter Endgame. Everyone else in the party can join without finishing the story first. The narrative elements here work as an epilogue or bonus chapter rather than teasing future games. You don't have to engage with these story beats to enjoy Endgame activities.
Campaign Progression
Weapon levels now carry across all four modes: Campaign, Multiplayer, Zombies, and Warzone (after integration). This means progress in Campaign counts toward your weapons everywhere else. The mode also has its own dedicated co-op camos and mastery camos to chase.
Multiplayer Breakdown
Complete Weapon Arsenal
Black Ops 7 launches with weapons across every category:
| Category | Count | Weapons |
|---|---|---|
| Assault Rifles | 6 | M15 Mod Zero, AK-27, MXR-17, X9 Maverick, DS20 Mirage, Peacekeeper Mk1 |
| Submachine Guns | 6 | Ryden 45K, RK9, Razer 9mm, Drak 45, Carbon 57, MPC-25 (MSMC returns) |
| Shotguns | 3 | M10 Breacher, Echo 12, Akita |
| Light Machine Guns | 2 | MK78, XM-325 |
| Marksman Rifles | 3 | M8A1, Warden 308, M34 Novaline |
| Sniper Rifles | 3 | VS Recon, Shadow SK, XR3 Ion |
| Pistols | 3 | Jagger 45, V-Lock 5.7, Kota 9 |
| Launchers | 2 | Arrow 109, Arc M1 |
| Melee | 2 | Combat Knife, Flatline Mk II |
Weapon Prestige System
Black Ops 7 brings back weapon prestige with a deep progression track:
Max out a weapon's base level to unlock all attachments. Enter Prestige 1 and receive a unique prestige attachment for that specific weapon. Continue to Prestige 2 for more rewards. Enter Master Prestige to unlock levels up to 250 (compared to the base max of around 43-45).
Unique prestige attachments at Prestige 1, camos tied to each prestige tier, weapon charms, and at Master Prestige level 250, throwback classic camos that work on any weapon regardless of its prestige status.
Prestige Attachments
Every weapon except launchers and melee has a unique prestige attachment at Prestige 1. Some of these attachments are genuinely powerful and can become core parts of your loadout. Others are situational or gimmicky.
Weapon Build Codes
A new feature lets you share loadouts through codes. Each attachment combination generates a unique code you can give to friends for instant replication. Two players running identical builds will have the same code even if they never talked to each other.
There are some limits: the person using your code needs the attachments unlocked already. Cosmetics, blueprints, and camos don't transfer. Only base attachments are included.
Firing Range
The firing range returns for testing builds. It's mostly a reskin of previous versions with updated stat displays, nothing revolutionary.
Overclock System
Overclocks let you customize scorestreaks and field upgrades in new ways. You might choose faster earn rates or recharge times, or go for increased power and effectiveness. Each path changes how that streak or equipment performs in matches.
Complete Perk List
Perks fall into three categories: Enforcer, Recon, and Strategist. Each has perks for slots 1, 2, and 3.
Scavenger, Tac Sprinter, Gung-Ho, Bankroll, Assassin (now includes Vendetta), Close Shave (now includes Bruiser), Lightweight, Looper
Blast Link, Cold-Blooded, Ghost, Tracker (now includes Hunter's Instinct), Engineer (now includes Shadow), Ninja
Tac Mask, Fast Hands, Flak Jacket, Charge Link (now includes Quartermaster/Gear Head), Guardian
Several perks got combined this year. Bruiser folded into Close Shave, Hunter's Instinct into Tracker, Vendetta into Assassin, Quartermaster into Charge Link, and Shadow into Engineer.
Combat Specialties
Combat Specialties are back with a new hybrid option. Take two of the three main perks from the same category (not counting Perk Greed) and you unlock a hybrid specialty. Go for all three perks from one category and you get that category's core specialty.
All Launch Maps
6v6 Core Maps (16 total)
Blackheart, Colossus, Cortex, Den, Exposure, Express, Flagship, Hijacked, Homestead, Imprint, Paranoia, Raid, Retrieval, Scar, The Forge, Toshen
Skirmish Maps (20v20)
Mission Edge and Mission Tide. These are larger sections of the Avalon area built for the bigger player count.
All Game Modes
Team Deathmatch, Domination, Search and Destroy, Kill Confirmed, Free-for-All, Hardpoint, Kill Order, Control, Overload, Face Off (with Mosh Pit variants), Skirmish (20v20), Gunfight
Core and Hardcore variants are available for applicable modes.
Zombies Overview
Launch Content
Ashes of the Damned
The main Zombies experience is a large-scale, checkpointed map. Think TranZit from Black Ops 2 in terms of structure, with multiple connected areas you progress through.
Van Dorn Farm
A standalone survival mode using a small section of Ashes of the Damned. This is traditional wave-based gameplay focused on surviving as long as possible. The tight, claustrophobic layout makes reaching high rounds a real challenge.
Curse
An additional mode with different gameplay approaches. Specific details will come at launch.
Dead Ops Arcade
The arcade-style top-down mode returns.
Season 1 Zombies Content
XP Tips and Strategies
Getting More XP Per Match
Several methods stack together for faster leveling:
Play Hardcore
Lower health means one-shot kills, which award bonus medals. Long shots become easier to land, and multi-kills happen more often. You're playing roughly the same way as Core but earning more XP per engagement.
Get Objective Kills
Kills on Domination flags or inside Hardpoints give bonus XP. Going on streaks while playing objectives compounds your rewards.
Run Non-Lethal Streaks
UAV, Recon Pulse, and Advanced UAV (HARP) earn you assist points whenever teammates get kills using your intel. You're generating passive XP while also making your own gunfights easier.
Use Tactical Equipment
Stuns and other effect grenades give assist points when teammates finish off affected enemies.
Stack Double XP Tokens
Combine all the above while a token is active. Since tokens run in real time, only pop them during serious play sessions.
Weapon Leveling
Weapon XP works on similar principles. Kills are your main source, but headshots and long shots give bonuses. Capturing objectives with a weapon equipped applies XP to that gun. Progress counts across all four modes.
Level Meta Weapons First
Cross-Mode Leveling
Unified progression means you're never wasting time. Campaign gives a relaxed environment for weapon XP. Zombies offers consistent gains without PvP stress. Endgame contributes to everything. Pick whatever mode you enjoy and your weapons still level up.
Camo Grinding Strategy
Using DLC Weapons as Replacements
Each season adds new weapons that can substitute for base game weapons in camo requirements.
How It Works
If mastery requires 30 completed weapons and the game launches with 30, you'd normally need to do them all. When Season 1 adds new guns, those can replace weapons you don't want to grind.
This approach takes longer since you're waiting for seasonal content. But Season 1 comes relatively soon, and most players won't have finished all base weapons by then anyway.
Season 1 Preview
Multiplayer Maps
Six 6v6 maps confirmed for Season 1: Fate, Utopia, Odysseus, Standoff, Meltdown, and Yakai.
The "and more" phrasing suggests additional content beyond just maps, possibly events, weapons, or other updates.
Warzone Integration
Season 1 brings a new Resurgence map and all Black Ops 7 weapons to Warzone.
What Carries Forward
- XP tokens (all types)
- GobbleGums for Zombies
- Carryover is very limited compared to previous years
- Most progression elements don't transfer
Launch Day Checklist
- Finish your pre-load before launch to skip download delays
- Know your platform's launch time (console midnight local vs. PC global time)
- Check that your earned rewards are available (Vault Edition items, beta rewards, tokens)
- Look at your XP token inventory and plan when to use them
- Pick your starting focus: Campaign for story and relaxed progression, Multiplayer for competitive play, or Zombies for wave survival
- Identify strong weapons early for priority leveling
- Review prestige attachments to decide which guns to prestige first
No matter how you prefer to play, Black Ops 7's unified progression system means you're always making progress. Campaign, Multiplayer, Zombies, and eventually Warzone all contribute to your weapon levels and overall advancement.