Activision has announced an upcoming free trial for Call of Duty Black Ops 7 and outlined a significant change to the franchise’s long term release strategy, according to a statement published by the Call of Duty development team.
The company confirmed that players will be able to access Black Ops 7 multiplayer and Zombies modes at no cost for a limited time starting next week. The trial period will also include a Double XP event, allowing participants to earn progression rewards at an accelerated rate. Activision did not specify the exact start and end dates of the trial in the announcement.
The update comes amid ongoing community feedback regarding the direction and quality of recent Call of Duty releases. In its message, the development team acknowledged that portions of the player base felt the franchise had not consistently met expectations, stating that feedback received over recent months is influencing current and future decisions.
Black Ops 7 is positioned internally as a continuation of the design philosophy established by Call of Duty Black Ops 2, one of the franchise’s most commercially and critically successful entries. While the studio emphasized its confidence in the new title, it stated that players would ultimately determine the game’s success by playing it themselves.
In addition to the free trial, Activision reiterated its plans for ongoing post-launch support. The company described Season 01 of Black Ops 7 as the largest initial live service season in the series to date. The studio stated that future seasonal updates would be shaped in part by community feedback.
The most substantial announcement in the update concerns a change to Call of Duty’s annual release approach. Activision confirmed it will move away from releasing Modern Warfare and Black Ops titles in immediate succession. According to the company, the decision is intended to allow development teams more time to create distinct gameplay experiences rather than incremental variations between yearly releases.
Activision also alluded to broader plans for what it described as the next era of Call of Duty, but declined to provide further details. The statement did not include timelines, platforms, or confirmation of which studios are leading future projects.
Call of Duty remains one of the industry’s highest-profile annual franchises, and changes to its release strategy represent a notable shift for a series long associated with predictable yearly launches. Whether the updated approach results in measurable improvements will likely depend on execution and sustained player engagement over time.
