Call of Duty: Mobile isn't afraid to pay tribute to previous entries, and that much is clear with last season's rousing homage to the Black Ops series. The long-running Modern Warfare alternative continues with Black Ops 7 later this year, and naturally, I'm eager to know what tie-ins CODM head Jeffrey Gullett is planning.
The Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 reveal at the June Xbox Showcase may not have surprised many, but the notion that Treyarch and Raven Software are continuing their partnership directly after Black Ops 6 is exciting. Of course, there's some trepidation behind the next FPS game, given that 2023's Modern Warfare 3 shipped similarly as fast to highly divisive results. In our recent Call of Duty: Mobile chat, Gullett tells me that "it's a big moment for the Black Ops series and we're just as excited as the fans are."
Before the latest Call of Duty: Mobile update launched last week, past seasons of CODM celebrated the Black Ops series, especially Treyarch's multiplayer-only fourth entry. Luckily, that trend is set for a follow-up later this year, according to Gullett.
"We do have some plans in the works for CODM, but I can't share details just yet. What I can say is, we always try to mark the launch of a new Call of Duty with something special for our players. That tradition isn't going anywhere," he expresses.
Entries such as Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare and Modern Warfare 2 cemented the franchise as a stalwart in the shooter space. The social experience of Modern Warfare 2 is still revered as a cultural landmark and a nostalgic time when the biggest problem in life you could face was the Xbox 360's red ring of death. Yet, Treyarch's Black Ops games are equally deserving when it comes to iconography. The first Black Ops game gave us a generational Zombies experience, with maps such as Kino Der Toten and Ascension carving out memories I revisit daily.
These games mean just as much to Gullett and the Call of Duty: Mobile team. Gullett shares with me that "the Black Ops series is a huge part of why we fell in love with Call of Duty in the first place. We've all got strong memories tied to those games, so anytime we get to bring something from Black Ops into CODM, it's a cool moment." There's more to it than just rose-tinted glasses and fondly looking back on it, too.
Gullett adds that "those maps, weapons, and characters still hold up, and there's a lot of excitement in figuring out how to make them feel right for CODM. We always want to respect the original, but also adapt things so they play great on mobile. Getting to see classic Black Ops content in the hands of players around the world, some of whom are experiencing it for the first time, is a great feeling."
Before Treyarch makes another impression on CODM, I'm personally holding out for a Black Ops 7 Nintendo Switch 2 port. Whether that happens or not is up in the air, but what you can do is check out Call of Duty: Mobile Season 6 - an all-out Gundam bonanza set in space. Yes, really.
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