The efficiency of Name of Obligation: Black Ops 7 is beginning to come into focus, with gross sales information suggesting it’s struggling not simply towards rival shooter Battlefield 6, but additionally final yr’s Black Ops 6.
The Sport Enterprise reported that Black Ops 7’s European launch noticed opening week gross sales down 63% versus the blockbuster Battlefield 6 throughout the equal launch durations for every shooter. Black Ops 7 can be down by greater than 50% versus Black Ops 6, The Sport Enterprise stated.
There is a vital context that should be thought-about when discussing Black Ops 7 gross sales. For instance, there are Black Ops 7 gross sales made throughout varied on-line shops that make it onerous to take information from one retailer solely, comparable to Steam, and use it to make a name on a sport’s success both manner (Name of Obligation releases on Battle.internet, for instance).
And naturally Black Ops 7, like all Microsoft video games, launched day one on Sport Move. Downloads made through subscription providers are usually not tracked right here, and Microsoft has but to announce any important increase to Sport Move on account of Black Ops 7’s launch. For all we all know, Black Ops 7 hit its targets when it comes to Sport Move subscriptions. And what even is success for Name of Obligation lately within the context of Sport Move?
In the meantime, a lot is fabricated from Steam concurrents, the place Black Ops 7’s launch seems to have fallen flat in comparison with Black Ops 6’s. Final yr, Black Ops 6’s launch propelled the Name of Obligation app on Steam to a peak participant rely of 315,000 on Steam. Black Ops 7 boosted the Name of Obligation app to only above 100,000 concurrents. However Steam, too, doesn’t paint the complete image of a sport’s playerbase, given neither Microsoft nor Sony make participant numbers public.
After all, Black Ops 7 has had a giant challenger this yr from Battlefield 6, and it does certainly appear to be the tide has turned, no less than at launch. Battlefield 6 secured the largest opening ever within the Battlefield franchise, promoting over 7 million copies in simply three days. Microsoft — or Activision Blizzard — has but to announce a gross sales quantity for Black Ops 7, nor has it introduced a participant quantity and even imprecise engagement stats, which is extra shocking. Final week, Activision launched a press release thanking gamers for his or her “nice response” to the sport, which was presumably extra about Multiplayer and Zombies than it was the Marketing campaign.
Thanks to our group and builders. That is simply the beginning #BlackOps7 🔥 pic.twitter.com/dWDt6Jvpx0
— Name of Obligation (@CallofDuty) November 17, 2025
Including to the brutal competitors is the breakout hit that’s Arc Raiders, which is doing fantastically nicely, too. Embark Studios’ extraction shooter has bought over 4 million copies worldwide and had a peak of over 700,000 concurrent gamers throughout all platforms since its launch in late October 2025. Arc Raiders Steam concurrents are literally rising, suggesting gross sales are persevering with at a gentle tempo.
All in all, Black Ops 7 had a “horrible” launch, The Sport Enterprise’ chief Chris Dring stated in a put up on social media. Oh, and that down greater than 50% determine on Black Ops 6 is in reality down greater than 60%. Anecdotally, there’s definitely a sense amongst some Name of Obligation gamers that Battlefield 6 after which Arc Raiders stole Black Ops 7’s thunder. Getting in forward of Black Ops 7 was essential for Battlefield 6, and there are a lot of Name of Obligation followers who jumped ship after which skipped Black Ops 7 consequently. However it should be remembered that Name of Obligation stays a gaming behemoth, often tops participant quantity charts, and it’s come by means of gross sales disappointments (Vanguard and Infinite Warfare say hello) earlier than. All eyes are on U.S. gross sales information for November, the place we’ll hopefully get extra proof of Black Ops 7’s gross sales efficiency domestically.
Ideas now flip to 2026’s Name of Obligation. It appears unlikely that Microsoft and Activision will give the annualized franchise a yr off, so will we see one other Fashionable Warfare sport? A return to World Warfare 2? Or one thing fully totally different? With the specter of GTA 6’s November 2026 launch date casting a shadow over Name of Obligation and the whole lot else that dares to go up towards it subsequent yr, issues aren’t going to get any simpler for Activision.
Wesley is Director, Information at IGN. Discover him on Twitter at @wyp100. You may attain Wesley at [email protected] or confidentially at [email protected].