For the first time in franchise history, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 will launch without difficulty options in its Campaign. Treyarch Studios and Raven Software are introducing this major change to support the game’s new co-op structure, which allows up to four players to experience the story together.
Why Black Ops 7 Won’t Have Difficulty Options
Black Ops 7 was officially revealed during the Xbox Games Showcase earlier this year, confirming that it will serve as a direct sequel to 2012’s Black Ops 2. Returning characters like David Mason and Raul Menendez are back, but this time the Campaign has been reimagined as both a solo and multiplayer co-op experience.
During Gamescom Opening Night Live, Treyarch shared more details alongside a fresh trailer. Speaking to IGN, associate creative director Miles Leslie explained why difficulty options are no longer part of the Campaign:
“We’ve built it for solo or four-player squads as well. You cannot pick a difficulty like past games. We’ve baked it in because you have to approach a co-op campaign differently, and we wanted to make sure the missions felt right for solo players — we’re not forgetting about you, we love you — but also because it is a social experience we want to make sure it’s fun, but the right amount of challenging for two, three, and four players as well.”
In other words, the Campaign difficulty is now pre-balanced for all player counts, rather than adjustable through traditional settings.
Major Features Beyond the Campaign
Difficulty settings aren’t the only long-standing Call of Duty staple being reworked. Black Ops 7 also introduces several firsts for the series:
- Global Progression Across All Modes — Players can earn XP, level up, and progress through seasonal Battle Passes in Campaign, Multiplayer, and beyond.
- Endgame Mode — After finishing the Campaign, a large-scale PvE mode unlocks, featuring 32 players battling in Avalon with evolving missions designed for replayability.
These additions mark a significant step toward blending Campaign and live-service content into a single progression system.
A Rocky Start With Fans
Despite these ambitious changes, Black Ops 7 has faced early backlash. The most recent trailer has been heavily criticized, amassing nearly 400,000 dislikes on YouTube. Fans are voicing frustration over ongoing issues like unrealistic cosmetics, hackers, microtransactions, and weak post-launch support. Some comments even encourage pre-ordering Battlefield 6 instead.
With excitement for new features clashing against player fatigue from industry trends, Treyarch faces the challenge of convincing fans that Black Ops 7 can deliver both innovation and longevity.
