Call of Duty NEXT: Black Ops 7 Beta, New Warzone Map, & Zombies

Did you miss Call of Duty NEXT? Don’t worry, we’re covering all there is to know from Activision’s premier event, especially everything that’s coming on November 14th, with the release of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7.      
      
Black Ops 7’s campaign is the foundation for everything else, so let’s set the stage: The story is set in 2035, ten years after the events of Black Ops 2, and David Mason and his team are on the hunt for warlord Raul Menendez, an antagonist that fans of the series will recognize. Their chase to catch him informs every layer of the game. Expect many familiar elements from Black Ops’ past, but with a lot of innovation and enhancement thanks to that alternate near-future setting.      
 

Black Ops 7 Multiplayer: Classic Maps, Wall Jump, and Overclock

When it comes to multiplayer, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 builds on Black Ops 6 with even more movement. Activision is bringing a Wall Jump mechanic into the game as well as reintroducing the freerunning flavor of the jetpack era. Whether sliding backwards down a flight of stairs to catch a nice timing on a reckless enemy or hitting a wall-bounce to slide out of danger, every decision you make should flow and feel crisp.

Map design is as important as any piece of the multiplayer puzzle, and Black Ops 7 is bringing back a trio of classic arenas: Express, Hijacked, and Raid. Players will feel right at home stepping back between the ropes in these familiar three-lane battlegrounds while getting up to speed on the other 13 new Core maps listed below:

● Blackheart      
● Colossus     
● Cortex      
● Den     
● Exposure      
● Express      
● Flagship     
● Hijacked      
● Homestead     
● Imprint      
● Paranoia     
● Raid     
● Retrieval     
● Scar     
● The Forge      
● Toshin

Maps aren’t the only classic feature returning. Weapon Prestige is back for the first time since Black Ops 4. Taking the plunge and entering Weapon Prestige 1 resets your progress back to Level 1 and locks all attachments (except Optics). You will have to grind out all of your progress again, but this time you’ll have access to a Prestige Attachment. These upgrades are unique to each gun, but offer a super-charged option to offset the risk of resetting your Weapon XP.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 | Launch Multiplayer Maps Flythrough

The brand-new Overclock system may be the biggest game changer of all. Everything in your loadout, including Lethals, Tacticals, Field Upgrades, and Scorestreaks, can now be Overclocked to produce additional benefits on top of their initial effect. For example, this means your VTOL Warship could sustain more damage before going down, or be enhanced with a one-time boost to escape enemy launcher lock-ons.

Overclock only becomes available after racking up enough ‘successful’ uses of each item. That criterion varies for each part of your loadout, but you can generally expect to unlock Overclocks for Lethals and Tacticals faster than for Scorestreaks or Field Upgrades.

Call of Duty: Warzone - New Resurgence Map, Verdansk POIs, and Blackout Returns

Warzone’s annual integration update is the beginning of a much bigger transformation, starting with the arrival of a new map:Haven’s Hollow. At first glance, this mid-sized Resurgence map looks like an enhanced and expanded version of Liberty Falls from Black Ops 6, similar to how Area 84 expanded on Nuketown a year ago.

So far, we’ve seen the research facility Haven’s Lab on the outskirts of town, and the paddleboat Haven’s Gamble, which sits around the southern bank. Otherwise, all the familiar locales around Main Street have a clean autumnal makeover.

New Warzone Map - Haven's Hollow Flythrough | Call of Duty: Warzone    

Big Map fans aren’t going home empty-handed either. Verdansk is getting two fresh POIs—including one that’s been dormant since Verdansk ‘84.

Signal Station: Brand new to Verdansk, this military complex sits on the frozen lake at the very Northern edge of the city. It’s filled with fun ways to traverse, allowing players to soar through the air on ziplines, snake their way through tiny crawlspaces, and make parachute plays to catch enemy squads off-guard.

Factory: This cluster of smokestacks changes the flow of the map for anyone playing around Superstore. Expect even more chaos as opportunistic players will vie for control of the main warehouse and the hangar, setting themselves up to pick off any stragglers.

On top of the two new POIs,Avalon, a long-rumored brand new Big Map, will be coming in 2026.

Last but not least, Black Ops 7 is rolling out a new Blackout-themed playlist that takes the game back to Call of Duty’s first attempt in the battle royale genre. Blackout, developed in Black Ops 4, dropped players into a true scrap for survival, with no loadout drops or pre-built classes and weapons, perks, attachments, and equipment scattered around the map. In the new Blackout playlist, expect a pared down but vicious race for survival.    

Black Ops 7 Zombies: Ashes of The Damned and Dead Ops Arcade

Zombies fans are eating good in Black Ops 7. Ashes of the Damned is the biggest round-based map in Zombies history. Only four of the six main locations were shown at NEXT, but that alone was enough to know this map is huge. So big that you’ll need superpowered wheels to maneuver through it safely. That’s where Wonder Vehicles come in.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 | Zombies Gameplay Reveal Trailer

Ashes of the Damned’s Wonder Vehicle is called Ol’ Tessie. This worn-down pickup truck will keep you safe as you fight your way through the endless hordes of undead, and if you take care to collect the right stuff, you can kit out your trusty steed with some helpful equipment - like a mounted turret - to make things that much easier. Pair her up with the new Wisp Tea perk which summons a ghostly friend to fight alongside you to help the Black Ops 6 crew take complete control of the Dark Aether-infused hellscape around them.

And that’s everything you need to know from the big reveal. The next step is the Black Ops 7 Beta, where players can get their very first taste of Multiplayer and Zombies action. The closed Beta portion runs from October 2nd to 4th for those who have pre-ordered the game, but the open Beta window gets underway on October 6th for anyone who wants to take the plunge into either mode.