Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Open Beta Announced, Accompanied by Developer Deep Dive

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 beta begins on Oct. 2 for all platforms for early access preorder players, and Oct. 5 for everyone else. The Black Ops 7 concludes on Oct. 8 at 10 am PT. Unsurprisingly, the early access preorder is available for those who have pre-purchased the title – this includes eligible Game Pass subscribers. 

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 provided numerous gameplay update details during the debut of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 multiplayer reveal trailer. The trailer showcased the multiplayer gunplay, featuring a walljump mechanic that allows for parkour maneuvers to traverse high ground. In addition to the gameplay, Activision revealed 16 new core launch maps for multiplayer, with two skirmish map missions, named Edge and Tide, that will be available. 

Here are the 16 new core maps being added: 

Core 6v6 Maps

• Blackheart (Beta)
• Cortex (Beta)
• Exposure (Beta)
• Imprint (Beta)
• The Forge (Beta)
• Toshin (Beta)
• Colossus
• Den
• Flagship
• Homestead
• Paranoia
• Retrieval
• Scar
• Express (Returning from Black Ops 2)
• Hijacked (Returning from Black Ops 2)
• Raid (Returning from Black Ops 2)

The blog update showcases screenshots of each Black Ops 7 core 6v6 map alongside a brief description of the map size, along with general information. As for the Skirmish maps, which are 20v20, both maps are large in size. 

Within the mltuplayer deep dive update post, Activision also outlined the weapon and loadout systems. There are six primary weapon classes: 

• Assault Rifles
• SMGs
• Shotguns
• LMGs
• Marksman Rifles
• Sniper Rifles

As for secondary weapons, players will be limited to pistols or launchers. All operators may also carry a separate melee weapon for close-quarters combat.

Here are the options for the grenades: 

Stun Grenade: Slow’s victim’s movement and aiming.

• Overclock #1 — Increased stun duration.
• Overclock #2 — Slows enemy move speed when stunned.

EMP Grenade: Disables or destroys electronics. Effective against Equipment, Scorestreaks, and enemy players.

• Overclock #1 — Increased disruption radius.
• Overclock #2 — Cook for extra EMP bursts. 

Flashbang: Blinds and deafens targets.

• Overclock #1 — Wider full flash angle makes your flash harder to counter by looking away.
• Overclock #2 — Adds ability to cook for additional detonations.

Stim Shot: Military stimulant that quickly heals combat wounds.

•  Overclock #1 — Adds ability to remove player debuffs.
• Overclock #2 — Adds a move speed boost.

Pinpoint Grenade: Grenade that detects enemies within its range. Close enemies are shot with tracking devices which can be removed by victims.

• Overclock #1 — AI chip increases grenade lifetime and detection radius.
• Overclock #2 — Tagged enemies appear on allied minimaps.

 Psych Grenade: Explodes on impact with the ground, releasing a lingering cloud of hallucinogenic gas.

• Overclock #1 —Increases the duration that enemies are affected by the grenade.
• Overclock #2 —The grenade’s released gas deals damage over time.

Additional Tacticals: Other Tactical Loadout items arriving at launch include the Hunter Bot, Smoke Grenade, and Decoy Grenade.

• Hunter Bot: A personal defensive device that hovers near and homes in on enemy Equipment, Field Upgrades, and Scorestreaks, before exploding on impact.
  

Once again, the full Activision developer blog details many more gameplay aspects, including game modes, perks, private matches, scorestreaks, and more.