Bloody Hell, Black Ops 7's Great Purge: Are We Finally Ditching the Unicorn Skins?
AI Gaming News Author · Game Rant ·
Activision's making some bold, potentially game-changing moves for *Call of Duty: Black Ops 7*, ditching the 'Carry Forward' feature for cosmetics and tightening up on cheaters – a desperate-looking but potentially positive attempt to restore the franchise's 'authenticity' and maybe, just maybe, fix what's been broken.
Right then, gather 'round, mates, because Activision just dropped a rather spicy truth bomb that's got the Call of Duty community – and yours truly – scratching their collective heads and wondering if we've accidentally stepped into an alternate timeline where corporate behemoths actually listen.
Turns out, *Call of Duty: Black Ops 7* (that's the one hitting us like a tactical nuke on November 14th) is doing something… unexpected. They're ditching the 'Carry Forward' feature. You know, that magical little spell that let you lug your favourite Operators, weapon skins, and whatever else from the previous game into the new one. Poof! Gone. Well, mostly.
Now, before you go chucking your controller across the room in a fit of rage, let's unpack this a bit, shall we? This isn't just some random hiccup; it feels more like Activision, after accidentally conjuring a few too many rainbow-coloured mishaps, is trying to un-cast a whole lot of spells.
**The Great Cosmetic Cleanse: A Plea for 'Authenticity'?**
For a while now, *Call of Duty* has been in a bit of an identity crisis, like a wizard who can't decide if they're a wise old sage or a sparkly pop star. We've seen *Black Ops 6* – and other recent entries, let's be fair – get absolutely swamped with crossover cosmetics that, bless their cotton socks, just didn't fit. I'm talking about things that made a gritty, tactical shooter look more like a cartoon carnival. Fans, quite rightly, were not best pleased. The *Black Ops 7* campaign trailer even got hit with a dislike bomb bigger than a tactical nuke. Not a great start, eh?
Activision, to their credit (or perhaps their absolute horror after checking the quarterly fan sentiment report), has acknowledged this. And their solution? A complete content reset for *Black Ops 7*. "*Black Ops 7* needs to feel authentic to Call of Duty and its setting," they've declared, adding that bundles and items will be "crafted to fit the Black Ops identity." They even said, "We hear the feedback. We need to deliver a better balance toward the immersive, core Call of Duty experience."
Now, I'm all for self-reflection and course correction, but forgive my gentle skepticism here. Did they just *discover* that tone and immersion matter in a military shooter? It feels a bit like finding out your fire spell actually burns things. Still, if this means a return to a more grounded, less... eccentric aesthetic, then fair dinkum, I'm cautiously optimistic. It's a huge shift, effectively telling players, 'Yeah, all those bits you paid for last year? Stay in *Warzone*.' (Which, to be clear, *Black Ops 6* content *will* remain in *Warzone* – a crucial detail, that.) The only exceptions for Carry Forward are Double XP tokens and GobbleGums, because, you know, some magic just can't be contained.
From a player's perspective, this is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it's frustrating to lose cosmetics you've invested in. On the other, if it genuinely means a more cohesive and immersive experience for *Black Ops 7*, free from the visual clutter of cartoon characters fighting alongside elite soldiers, then it might just be a necessary evil. It's a bold play, mate, especially in an era where live service games constantly try to get you to carry your loot forward. It's almost like they're admitting they went a bit overboard with the monetization spells.
**Tackling the Digital Demons: The Cheater Conundrum**
But wait, there's more! Activision isn't just doing a spring clean of the cosmetic wardrobe; they're also finally trying to exorcise another persistent demon that's plagued *Call of Duty* for far too long: the bloody cheaters.
Starting with *Black Ops 7*, PC players will need to enable Secure Boot and TPM 2.0. Now, for the non-digital wizards out there, these are security features built into modern PCs that make it much harder for nefarious software (i.e., cheats) to run undetected. Activision reckons this will let them "block cheats at the system level." They're also promising "new detection and mitigation systems" to kick cheaters "earlier and harder." Sounds like they're ready to deploy some seriously powerful anti-magic runes.
This is a big deal. Cheating has, frankly, made some *Call of Duty* experiences utterly unplayable. If they can genuinely make a dent in this problem, it'll be a massive win for the legitimate player base. Of course, there's always a slight wince when companies start asking for deeper system-level access, even for anti-cheat. It's a necessary discussion, but if it truly cleans up the mess, it might be a worthy trade-off. They're even testing some of these anti-cheat capabilities during the *Black Ops 7* open beta – which kicks off with early access on October 2nd (for pre-orders and Game Pass Ultimate/PC Game Pass folks), before opening up to everyone on October 5th through October 8th.
**What's Next for the Black Ops Spellbook?**
All these changes are coming hot on the heels of the *Call of Duty NEXT* event on September 30th, where we're promised more details on multiplayer and Zombies. Reckon that'll be a tell-all session, won't it? It's where we'll see if these promises of 'authenticity' and 'better balance' actually translate into something tangible and exciting, rather than just more corporate speak.
So, what does this all mean? Activision seems to be doing a hard reset, hoping to recapture some of that old *Black Ops* magic. Ditching the Carry Forward feature is a risky move, but if it leads to a more focused, tonally consistent, and – crucially – cheater-free game, then perhaps it's a gamble worth taking. It's a fascinating turn, especially from a studio often perceived as being slow to react to player sentiment. Are they finally finding their way back to the core experience, or just casting a distraction spell while they figure things out? Only time, and a whole lot of playtime, will tell.
*This article was repurposed from original reporting by Dalton Cooper for Game Rant.*
Tags: Call of Duty, Black Ops 7, Gaming News, Activision, Game Development
Original article: Game Rant