Treyarch is confident Black Ops 7's new multiplayer maps can "stand next to BO1 and BO2" fan favorites

If you've regularly read any of my Call of Duty coverage over the last 12 months, you'll already know that I think Black Ops 6 is the best entry in the series since Black Ops 4, the final CoD before the 'Warzone era' began. Alongside a hearty Zombies offering and an experimental campaign, the more zippy and vibrant multiplayer has been the biggest contributor to the way I feel about BO6. With Black Ops 7 immediately picking up the torch, can it elevate things even further? Well, from what I've experienced so far at an exclusive hands-on review event in London, I'm optimistic - but not as optimistic as Treyarch's creative director, Miles Leslie. In an interview with him at the event, he bristles with confidence about BO7's new Overload mode, an excellent Ranked experience for competitive players, and maps that can stand shoulder to shoulder with the beloved, frequently remastered classics of Black Ops 1 and 2.

While I can't give my full analysis of Black Ops 7's multiplayer action just yet (review incoming), I can summarize by saying that it certainly isn't a step backwards when compared to Black Ops 6. It's not a massive departure from its older brother, but it has been nudged a bit closer towards the more dynamic, movement-oriented FPS games that I personally adore. Things are certainly looking good at this early stage.

After cramming about 20 hours of Black Ops 7 into just a few days at the event, some of the most fun I had was playing Overload, an all-new mode that has flavors of Capture the Flag and Uplink (the latter of which I absolutely loved back in the day). Such is Treyarch's confidence in Overload, it's booting Control out of Ranked Play and the Call of Duty League in favor of this new creation. But it turns out the plan was to always come up with a Control replacement in Black Ops 7.

"The mission was: can we make a new competitive mode?" Leslie tells me. "Because we introduced Control, and so it was like, what's next? And the whole idea was how do we get bigger energy in [this third mode]? Control has really high peaks and real lows in terms of match flow and energy, so this was like, 'How do you get more excitement into it?' Is it fun to watch? Is it fun to play? And can you get new people into feeling that competitive itch? And Overload, I think, does all of those things. It's super fun to watch. It has super high energy - grabbing [the EMP] and trying to run, it's gonna get your heart pounding."

While I think Overload will be a blast for players in regular lobbies, I'm starting to see the competitive potential, too. I was a bit dubious during the open beta earlier in the year, but having now played it for longer on a variety of maps, it is absolutely more fun to play than Control. Admittedly, the greedy gamer in me would just rather see Uplink return…

Regardless, with Overload joining the competitive lineup, Ranked is already promising to feel fresh this year, but Leslie says Treyarch has done even more work behind the scenes to improve on the BO6 experience. From delivering satisfying rewards that go beyond just "peacocking," to a UI that's more "intuitive [in displaying] what rank you are and how far [you] need to go to get the next one," he thinks this could be "the best Ranked offering" yet.

I also challenge Leslie on map design. Black Ops 7 has some excellent, original maps, but there's the usual dose of remastered classics sprinkled in, too - Raid, Express, Hijacked, and Nuketown (arriving the week after launch) all return. This got me thinking, however, about how so many maps from Black Ops 1 and 2 keep coming back due to their beloved status, but I personally can't identify many from Treyarch's last couple of games (Black Ops 6 and Cold War) that I can envisage being remastered ten years from now. I ask Leslie if he agrees, and if so, is Black Ops 7 doing anything to change that?

"No, I don't agree," he says, respectfully, I might add. "I've talked to other people that will be the opposite of you, and they'll go like, 'Stakeout, I want to see that in every single Black Ops,' right? They have their own favorites, so it's really hard, because we have so many fans. What I will say [is] we've put even more emphasis on [this] in Black Ops 7, and I can tell you - because I was there on BO1 and BO2 and I've worked on every single multiplayer map - that BO7 is sort of returning to those base principles, those design philosophies of cover to cover engagement. Predictability is a huge word we talked about in Black Ops 7 to make it more predictable than we've ever had, really making sure that the three-lane design is coming through." However, he counters this by saying that a more strict focus on the three-lane layout doesn't result in "cookie cutter," samey maps, and I can agree with that, judging by what I've played.

"We're super proud of this portfolio of maps," Leslie adds. "I think they can stand next to BO1 and BO2 maps, and I think there will be new classics from this where [we can say], 'Get out of here, Raid, now it's Cortex.' 'Get out of here, Express, now it's Exposure.'"

BO7 also expands Call of Duty's highly customizable loadout system even further. Not by much, but with the addition of Black Ops 7 Overclocks - upgrades to specific gear and scorestreaks that you can unlock by using them effectively during matches - there's yet another element to consider. Given that this year's Zombies offering includes the Cursed mode, which is a throwback to the more nostalgic, streamlined experience of older games, I ask Leslie if we may one day see something similar in multiplayer: a standalone experience replicating the loadout systems of classics like BO1 and BO2.

"We talk about this every game, to be honest with you," he says. "This comes up from the team, and they ask the same question. We have designers and artists and team members that are asking about these things, and it's a good, healthy conversation. And so there's day one [of Black Ops 7], and what's the right thing for day one to service all of our fans and bring new ones in […] But then it's about what we are doing for the next year, and how we are supporting post-launch. We've already come out [and said] there's tons of content, right? And we know that we need to keep pushing on it, and part of that is modes, because that is another part of what keeps it fresh. So the short answer is, we have a lot of LTMs planned. Some will hit different feelings and wants, but they'll deliver some new stuff as well."

Black Ops 7's launch is imminent, so you'll be able to check out Treyarch's hard work for yourself extremely soon. Also, be sure to keep your eyes peeled for our scored review and more insights from the devs on what is shaping up to be, at the very least, my new favorite Call of Duty since Black Ops 4.