Oh dear, it seems that the latest installment in the ever-growing Call of Duty saga—Black Ops 7—has launched with all the hoopla of a deflated balloon. Sales plummeted more than 60% in Europe compared to its predecessor, which must have the execs at Activision clutching their pearls.
Data from GSD, the clever folks who keep tabs on digital and physical sales across Europe, has raised a few eyebrows. Published by The Game Business, it turns out that this year’s first-person shooting extravaganza hit the market not just amidst fanfare, but also in the thick of a fierce turf war with Electronic Arts’ Battlefield 6 and Nexon’s surprisingly popular Arc Raiders—each vying for the title of ‘Most Explosive Game Ever’. And spoiler alert: Black Ops 7 didn’t exactly come out on top.
A Rocky Start
In its opening week, Black Ops 7’s sales were a staggering 63% lower than those of its fancy rival, Battlefield 6. If this were Olympics scoring, Black Ops would definitely be taking home the bronze… if it was even competing. According to brilliant minds over at Ampere Analysis, over 25% of players exploring the Call of Duty universe in September decided to jump ship and enlist in Battlefield 6 come October. What a plot twist!
About That Player Count…
Now, let’s set the record straight—the numbers might look grim, but that’s before considering that Black Ops 7 is part of a certain subscription service from the green brand—no, not the plants; the gaming one. Yes, the Xbox Game Pass! Compare that to Battlefield 6, which is just sitting there twiddling its thumbs, not part of any subscription. This means Black Ops 7 has likely corralled a much larger crowd, even if they are mostly there to eat snacks rather than actually play.
A Noisy Silence
In a delightful twist of irony, Activision’s post-launch commentary has been the equivalent of a librarian shushing a room full of kids. One might expect them to pop the confetti, celebrating player counts and sales figures like it’s New Year’s Eve. But no! This year’s announcement was a whisper of, “We’ve seen a great response,” which really sounds more like, “Please clap.”
Microsoft’s Grand Investment
To add a little sprinkle of chaos into the mix, Microsoft marched in and acquired the Call of Duty franchise amidst a colossal $69 billion deal for Activision Blizzard in 2023. Picture it: Somewhere, a giant clipboard is filling in check marks to prove that the series is still alive. Time will tell if the gray suits in charge will steer the ship to calmer waters.
Looking to the Future
Ah, but there’s always another Call of Duty on the horizon! The 2024 iteration, Black Ops 6, was a trailblazer by launching alongside Xbox Game Pass. Despite a strong start—Microsoft even bragging about it being the biggest CoD launch in terms of player count—rumor has it that sales fell off a cliff quicker than anything ever should.
And just when you thought things couldn’t get any spicier, the former director of Call of Duty, Glen Schofield, stepped onto the soapbox in October, expressing his “immense worry” about the franchise’s future under Microsoft. He’s got questions that only a crystal ball or possibly a Ouija board could answer regarding whether Microsoft’s corporate vibes will mesh well with the creative minds behind those virtual gunfights.
So, for all the gamers out there, as Black Ops 7 rolls along in its underwhelming debut, one thing remains clear: gaming is nothing short of a wild rollercoaster. Buckle up, it’s going to be a bumpy ride!
