While Electronic Arts` upcoming Battlefield 6 is making the leap exclusively to current-generation consoles, Activision`s Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is taking a different path by continuing its support for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. This strategic decision is driven by a clear and simple reason.
Yale Miller, Treyarch`s senior director of production, shared with Dexerto that a “shocking” number of players remain active on last-generation systems for Call of Duty. Maintaining support for these platforms is crucial for ensuring efficient and robust matchmaking experiences.
Miller articulated, “It made sense for us to do it, and we could,” highlighting the development team`s capability and rationale behind this cross-generational approach.
He further clarified that the visual fidelity and overall performance of Black Ops 7 on the PS4 and Xbox One will naturally not match the enhanced versions available on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. Miller also revealed Treyarch`s development philosophy when it comes to new features: “you should never be thinking about old-gen for the features that you`re designing.” This indicates a forward-thinking approach that aims to innovate without being constrained by legacy hardware.
In the same interview, Lawrence Metten, Treyarch`s associate director, revealed the team`s strong desire to reinstate the popular Theater mode, which allows players to replay and review their matches. Despite knowing that this feature would not be compatible with last-gen consoles, the developers decided to integrate it. Metten explained their rationale: “We can`t support it on old-gen. That`s not a reason not to do the feature. We`re gonna bite the bullet and disable it on old-gen.”
Regarding other Black Ops 7 developments, the team recently opted to decline a collaboration with a “big brand” for new cosmetic skins. This decision was made in light of ongoing criticisms concerning the increasingly unconventional and “wacky” nature of Call of Duty`s in-game cosmetics.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is slated for release on November 14th. Players will get an early look at the game`s multiplayer through a beta in October. Activision recently confirmed that this beta will also feature the highly anticipated Zombies mode, with many new details about its content already disclosed.
