October was a very interesting month for the gaming scene multiplayer. The 10th is out Battlefield 6an attempted revival of the series with a partial return to its origins that was very well received, with a peak of almost 750 thousand concurrent players on Steam alone. Then on the 30th, it was the turn of ARC Raiders, a title that surprised everyone and which continues to beat its own records, always positioning itself in the list of products with the most connected users on the Valve platform. In this decidedly complex panorama, what should be one of the titans of the genre arrived on November 14th, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7. And the reception given to him by the public was lukewarm to say the least.
Five days after its release, on Steam – where we remember, various games are included under the heading “Call of Duty”, including the battle royal mode Warzone -, the number of players connected simultaneously on all titles has barely exceeded 100 thousand. And despite the high ratings given by the sector press, the users’ judgment was merciless. Currently, reviews sit at “Average”, with only 41% positive. On Metacritic, it is the chapter of the saga with the lowest player ratings ever. And the controversy raged on social media. Much criticism has been directed at the countrysideplayable in cooperative mode, which always requires an online connection, cannot be paused and expels players who stay still for too long, exactly like in a game of multiplayer. In addition to the technical aspects, it was also the story that came under fire which, just from what can be seen in the various videos that have emerged online, is something surreal for a Call of Duty, and not in a good way. To quote several internet users, it looks like a Fortnite event.
And in addition to all this, the case ofintelligence artificial generative used for various Calling Cards, aesthetic elements for the profile of the players created with a style similar to that of Studio Ghibli, which even reached the US Congress thanks to the California Democratic MP Ro Khanna. The latest blow came from sales figures for physical copies in UK shops, which were lower than 61% compared to those of Black Ops 6.
These numbers are partial, as are those of contemporary users on Steam which do not cover console players and those who tried the title thanks to Game Pass, but they paint a decidedly serious picture compared to the past for the Activision Blizzard franchise. Has Call of Duty fatigue finally arrived?