Fans Slam Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Reveal Trailer as Dislike Ratio Soars

The hype around Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 took a sharp hit at Gamescom 2025. Activision’s big gameplay reveal for the latest Black Ops entry is already drawing heavy criticism online, with the official trailer on YouTube racking up 75,000 dislikes compared to just 23,000 likes at the time of writing.

For a series that usually dominates the conversation with blockbuster announcements, the negative reception has shocked many. A quick scroll through the comments shows fans turning their attention elsewhere—many saying they’re now more excited for Battlefield 6.

A New Chapter in the Black Ops Saga

Activision confirmed Black Ops 7 will directly follow Black Ops 6, marking the first time the franchise has run consecutive entries in the same sub-series. Set in the year 2035, forty years after Black Ops 2, the campaign sees David Mason leading a new squad against an enemy that uses fear and psychological manipulation as their primary weapons.

Treyarch and Raven Software are billing this as the “most mind-bending Black Ops ever,” with players able to take on missions solo or in co-op.

Key features include:

• A near-future campaign with advanced weapons and tech
• 18 multiplayer maps at launch (including fan-favorite Raid from Black Ops 2)
• The return of round-based Zombies, continuing the Dark Aether storyline

Marketing Push Continues

The new trailer builds on a cinematic teaser released in June, which teased both campaign and Zombies content. Tyler Bahl, Activision’s head of marketing, emphasized that the campaign to keep the franchise in the Black Ops sub-series was intentional, creating a seamless transition from Black Ops 6 live seasons into Black Ops 7.

The game is confirmed for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and PC (Battle.net, Steam, Xbox PC), with day-one access on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. A release date has not yet been announced.

The Community Pushback

Despite the ambitious direction, fans are clearly unimpressed. Top-voted comments on YouTube call out the franchise for becoming repetitive, comparing it to sports titles like Madden, while others feel the new tone leans too heavily into Fortnite-style “goofiness” instead of returning to the gritty realism that defined Call of Duty’s golden years.

One highly-liked comment summed up the sentiment:

“The fall of Call of Duty has to be studied.”

Others simply pointed to Battlefield 6 as the game they’ll be buying instead.

MainEvent.News | Backstage Take

The backlash around Black Ops 7 shows how fragile even a powerhouse franchise can be when fans feel disconnected from its direction. While Activision is pushing for a continuous Black Ops timeline, the early reception suggests that longtime players are hungry for change. If Battlefield 6 delivers on its promise, EA could seize momentum at exactly the moment Call of Duty looks most vulnerable.

Watch The Full Trailer Below 👇