Treyarch design director Matt Scronce denied holiday matchmaking adjustments for Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, refuting fan theories about skill-based system changes. The statement addresses mounting criticism of the game's competitive multiplayer systems during a challenging launch period.
Black Ops 7 sales dropped 50 percent compared to Black Ops 6 in opening week performance, according to multiple industry reports. The game faces criticism for its single-player campaign and overall reception, with Metacritic user scores marking the lowest in franchise history, reportedly reaching 1.8.
Battlefield 6 emerged as direct competition, selling over 7 million copies within days of its October launch. Electronic Arts' shooter reached 700,000 concurrent Steam players and currently leads 2025 sales charts in the U.S. market.
ARC Raiders, Embark Studios' extraction shooter released October 30, captured additional market share with its accessible PvPvE design. The $40 title won Best Multiplayer Game at The Game Awards earlier this month.
Call of Duty's traditional November dominance faced unprecedented challenges this year. The franchise maintained its 18-year streak as top-selling November release but saw significant year-over-year decline.
Treyarch introduced open matchmaking to Warzone on December 4, providing an alternative to skill-based systems. Many players reportedly returned to Standard Moshpit queues, claiming the implementation differed from beta testing.
Ranked Play arrives in early 2026 alongside Season 2, featuring Call of Duty League-inspired competitive settings. The mode restricts certain weapons, attachments, and equipment to prioritize gun skill and teamwork over loadout advantages.
Hardpoint and Search & Destroy return as core competitive modes, joined by new objective-based Overload. Early meta likely centers on M15 Mod 0 AR and Ryden 45K SMG weapons with carefully tuned configurations.
Skill Rating progression determines division climbs and seasonal rewards. Objective performance and match victories contribute to advancement in the structured competitive environment.
Activision reportedly announced it will no longer release back-to-back entries in Call of Duty subseries following Black Ops 7's performance, according to social media reports. The publisher committed to "meaningful, not incremental" innovation for future annual releases.
Industry analyst Christopher Dring noted Battlefield 6 and ARC Raiders arrived weeks before Black Ops 7 with stronger reception. Both competitors implemented extensive community testing programs that generated pre-launch momentum.
Circana senior director Mat Piscatella confirmed Battlefield 6 leads 2025 U.S. sales and may break Call of Duty's lengthy franchise dominance. Black Ops 7 remains commercially successful but underperforms relative to recent series entries.
The Season 1 Reloaded update in January brings Fallout cosmetics to Black Ops 7. Treyarch continues supporting the game despite competitive pressures and player retention challenges.
Call of Duty maintains its position as one of gaming's bestselling franchises with over 500 million lifetime copies sold. The series faces renewed competition but retains substantial player investment and brand recognition.
Development studios now focus on delivering distinct annual experiences rather than iterative subseries entries. The shift responds to market feedback and evolving player expectations in the competitive shooter landscape.
