Welcome to Call of Monster's in-depth look at the Black Ops 7 beta, which wrapped up just a few days ago on October 9, 2025. As a longtime Call of Duty enthusiast, I dove headfirst into the beta and came away impressed overall. Below, I'll share my personal takeaways, followed by the latest post-beta developments from Treyarch and Activision, and a summary of the broader community's reactions. Whether you're hyped for the full release in November or still on the fence, this article breaks it all down.
My Personal Impressions: A Step Forward for Treyarch
Overall, I found the Black Ops 7 beta to be a resounding success, delivering a fresh and engaging experience that reignited my excitement for the Call of Duty series (not that it needed that but, you know...). Clearly, one of the most unexpected highlights was the "Open" Moshpit playlist, which dialed back skill-based matchmaking (SBMM) to almost negligible levels, allowing for more varied and unpredictable matches where raw fun took precedence over sweat-inducing competition. This shift made gameplay feel more accessible and enjoyable, reminiscent of older CoD titles without the constant pressure of perfectly balanced lobbies.
The "Open" Moshpit [...] made gameplay feel more accessible and enjoyable, reminiscent of older CoD titles
Maps and Weapons: Hits and Misses
The maps stood out as a major improvement over those in Black Ops 6, offering diverse layouts that encouraged strategic play and kept things dynamic without feeling repetitive or unbalanced.
Weapons handled well overall, with satisfying recoil and impact, though they seemed a bit harder to differentiate from one another—lacking the distinct personality and flair that made guns in previous entries feel unique. That said, my own personal standout favorite was the Peacemaker, which surprised me since I'm typically an SMG enthusiast. In this beta, the Peacemaker's versatility and punch suited my playstyle perfectly, even though I didn't get around to testing every option in the arsenal. The sniper (VS Recon) is fun to play as well, but definitely lacks some flinch (prob' too OP in this beta).
Movement and Modes: Adapting to New Mechanics
Movement mechanics introduced some interesting adaptations. The slide felt riskier than ever, essentially turning your entire body into a massive head-hitbox during the animation, which forced me to tone down my aggressive rushing and adopt a more calculated approach to engagements. On the positive side, the new Overload mode was a blast—a twist on Capture the Flag where you deliver the objective straight into the enemy base, leading to intense, high-stakes challenges that kept matches thrilling. Gun hits, however, continued to feel inconsistent, a nagging issue that's plagued the last three or four CoDs without much resolution.
We were glad to see the return of the Nemesis streak, and the Overclock system for perks and streaks added a nice layer of customization and progression, making loadouts feel more impactful. Tac-sprint didn't prove as essential as we'd anticipated; I personally ended up swapping it out for Dexterity, which felt far more crucial for maintaining fluid movement in heated moments. Footsteps weren't as prominent or localizable as in prior games, shifting the meta toward perks like Ghost, especially with how rapidly scouts and UAVs could be earned through overclocks —drastically lowering their score requirements and flooding matches with radar pings.
Dexterity [...] felt far more crucial for maintaining fluid movement in heated moments.
Minor Gripes and Overall Verdict
A minor gripe was the loadout menu's clunkiness: every tiny adjustment to a gun forces us to scroll back to the top to select the weapon again, that felt inconvenient.
Finally, the wall jump was a cool addition but came across as clunkier than in past iterations, clearly missing complementary features like double jumps or jetpacks to make it shine. Despite these nitpicks, the beta left us very optimistic about Black Ops 7's potential to blend nostalgia with innovation.
The beta left us very optimistic about Black Ops 7's potential
Latest Post-Beta News: What's Coming Next?
Following the conclusion of the Black Ops 7 beta on October 9, 2025—extended by an additional 24 hours from its original end date—Activision and Treyarch have shared several key updates aimed at refining the game ahead of its full November launch. The beta provided valuable data from millions of players, with Treyarch emphasizing improvements based on feedback, including spawn tuning, weapon balancing, and map adjustments. A major announcement is that the "Open" playlist, featuring reduced SBMM and more varied matchmaking, will become the standard for multiplayer at launch, responding directly to player preferences for less rigid lobbies. Patch notes released post-beta highlight fixes for netcode issues, crash reductions, and perk tweaks, such as potential default integration of features like Dexterity to address its status as a "crutch" perk.
A major announcement is that the "Open" playlist, featuring reduced SBMM and more varied matchmaking, will become the standard for multiplayer at launch
Key Updates and Anti-Cheat Enhancements
Anti-cheat measures via RICOCHET have been bolstered, with full upgrades set to activate at launch to combat hackers more aggressively, following reports of isolated cheating during the beta. Additionally, the beta's end coincides with the rollout of Season 06 for Black Ops 6 and Warzone, bridging the gap with new content while Black Ops 7 prepares for release. Treyarch has also teased ongoing work on time-to-kill (TTK) adjustments, door removals or reductions on maps, and streak balancing, with more details expected in upcoming deep dives. Overall, the post-beta focus appears to be on polishing core elements like movement, progression, and fairness to ensure a strong debut.
🛡️ Call of Duty #BlackOps7
— Call of Duty Updates (@CODUpdates) October 8, 2025
A message from #TeamRICOCHET:
We’ve been tracking the Black Ops 7 Beta closely — and the data tells a strong story. On Day 1, 97.5% of matches were completely clean of cheaters. By Day 5, that number rose to 98.8% of matches being cheater-free.
The… https://t.co/FIrRW1qaK3 pic.twitter.com/9PPWyPg6a1
— Call of Duty Updates (@CODUpdates) October 5, 2025
Community Feedback: Mixed but Optimistic Vibes
The community's response to the Black Ops 7 beta has been largely mixed but leans positive, with widespread praise for its return to classic Treyarch vibes while acknowledging familiar pain points that need addressing. On platforms like X and Reddit, players frequently hailed the maps as a significant upgrade from Black Ops 6, describing them as "vibrant," "well-designed," and "enjoyable" with strong three-lane structures that promote balanced gameplay—though some outliers like Forge or Exposure drew criticism for poor flow or visibility.
Gunplay received high marks for feeling "smooth" and "satisfying," with sniping often called "amazing" and weapons evoking nostalgia, but complaints about slow progression, inconsistent handling, and a need for buffs/nerfs (e.g., Peacekeeper buffs, M8A1 nerfs) were common.
Movement, Perks, and SBMM Debates
Movement was a highlight for many, praised as "godlike," "responsive," and "fun," particularly the wall jump mechanic, though it felt "clunky" to some without additional features like jetpacks. A recurring gripe was the Dexterity perk being essential for optimal handling, with near-universal calls for it to become a default feature to free up loadout slots and reduce "crutch" dependencies. Streaks were seen as "strong" and "easier to earn," adding excitement, but some felt overpowered or underpowered in specific cases.
SBMM remained the most divisive issue, with intense backlash labeling it "insane," "ruinous," and a potential "game-killer," though the Open Moshpit's looser matchmaking was celebrated as "the most fun in years" and a step toward classic CoD lobbies. Other common complaints included auto-doors being "worse than ever," fast TTK, netcode/desync problems, and UI elements like the killfeed or gunsmith navigation feeling clunky. Zombies mode garnered solid feedback for its "Cursed" round-based variant, though some longed for more traditional elements.
Final Community Consensus
Ratings varied widely, from 6/10 to 10/10 for the beta experience, with many calling it "promising" for competitive play and the most enjoyable solo CoD in years, especially in non-SBMM modes. While some reviewers deemed it "awful" or "creatively bankrupt" due to persistent issues, the consensus is that with tweaks—particularly to matchmaking and perks—Black Ops 7 could be a standout entry.
What are your thoughts on the beta?
Drop a comment below or hit us up on our forums. Stay tuned to Call of Monster for more updates as we approach launch!
