They said Call of Duty was too big to fail. That even if Activision-Blizzard messed something up, it would „sell anyway”. Well… we’re now watching the moment reality says: let’s see.
Black Ops 7, the latest entry in the iconic series, is suffering a serious drop in popularity. Trailers are drowning in dislikes (thumbs down). (The launch trailer collected over 563 thousand thumbs down against just 72 thousand thumbs up), Steam interest is falling by 60-70%, and physical sales in the UK are 61% lower than a year ago for Black Ops 6. The industry’s biggest „sure thing” is even losing to Battlefield 6 at launch.
Trailers under fire
Gamers have shown no mercy since the trailers first dropped. The launch trailer has become one of the most disliked in the series’ history, on a level comparable to Infinite Warfare from 2016. The multiplayer trailer? Also a bad ratio, with thousands of negative reactions. Players complain about a lack of innovation, AI slop and the feeling of „a $70 DLC”.
The numbers don’t lie: a sales catastrophe
- UK physical sales: -61% vs Black Ops 6. Did not beat the Battlefield 6 launch.
- Steam concurrent players: Peak ~81-100 thousand vs 306 thousand for BO6 – a drop of 73%.
- Steam reviews: „Mostly Negative” – players are leaving after a few days.
The previous installment, Black Ops 6, cost Microsoft $300 million in losses in sales through Game Pass. It was the „better-selling one”. If that was a disaster, what can be said about the new BO7?
Budgets? Hundreds of millions – for Cold War, around $700 million USD (including marketing). The result? It looks like „leftover ideas made after hours”.
Competition steals the show
Gamers have a choice:
- Battlefield 6: The best-selling shooter of 2025, breaking records set by COD MW2 (2022).
- Arc Raiders: An unexpected hit, outpacing BF6 and BO7 on Steam (179k vs 100k).
Fatigue, not hate
This isn’t anger – it’s logic. How many times can you pay $70 for „barely a DLC”? Gamers are voting with their wallets. There will always be fans, but the signal is clear: enough laziness.
A reset for the series
This isn’t a drama. It’s a reset. For the first time in years, CoD is getting a clear message: „Either start making games, or everyone will go elsewhere”. The numbers show that many already have. The market has changed – better, cheaper, more ambitious titles are winning. CoD must evolve, because „too big to fail” is already a myth.
