Black Ops 7 Dropping Carry Forward Was a Mistake

Shortly after its reveal, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 was set to follow in the footsteps of the Modern Warfare reboot and give players a mountain of day one content by letting them Carry Forward items from the previous game. Modern Warfare 3 (2023) was the first time a single subseries received two games in a row, and this opened the door to Carry Forward’s introduction. Through Carry Forward, MW3 launched with all the guns, Operators, and cosmetics from MW2, giving players a chance to use the content they unlocked for two mainline games in a row. However, there was so much pushback to Black Ops 7 using Carry Forward that Treyarch and Activision changed course — and it’s now clear that this was a major error.

The criticisms that led to Carry Forward being scrapped were twofold. First, players felt that it stripped the identity from whatever the second game was, as its new weapons and Operators struggled to stand out since they were sharing space with characters and guns players had tons of unlocks for. More importantly in the case of Black Ops 7 is that players felt bringing forward the guns and skins from BO6 would ruin the tone of the new game. This was not just because Gulf War items would be out of place in a futuristic world, but because of how BO6 embraced over-the-top looks like anthropomorphic sharks, guns with built-in train sets, and collabs with brands like the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. However, when looking at some of the skins already available in Black Ops 7, it’s clear that the benefits of Carry Forward would have been worth the downsides.

Black Ops 7’s Skins Have Arguably Gone Too Far Already

Treyarch’s promise following Carry Forward’s removal was not that Black Ops 7 would abandon unrealistic skins, but that its skins would be distinctly Black Ops and that collaborations would be chosen more carefully. For some, this was promising, but for others, Treyarch has likely already taken things too far. There is a sizable portion of the Call of Duty community who wants to return to the days of mil-sim skins only, with only a handful of character designs that are handcrafted for the game’s setting. And for those players, the BO3 cyborg Reaper and the CoD Zombies icon TEDD from the Vault Edition have likely been off-putting, and the same can surely be said for the Prestige Master unlock.

Those who reach Prestige Master in Black Ops 7 will acquire the Demon of War outfit for the Operator Jurado, which transforms the character into a glowy red devil — horns and all — and comes with an equally eye-catching camo. For players who do not mind unrealistic skins in Call of Duty, this design is already proving to be popular, as it feels like a reward fitting of max prestige. Yet for players that campaigned so hard for Carry Forward to be removed, this skin is surely going to be disappointing, as it feels like something right out of the Black Ops 6 shop. This should naturally lead to players asking if the removal of Carry Forward was really worth it, especially when it means that so much content is being left behind.

Black Ops 6 Content Could Have Been a Boon For BO7

If Carry Forward were in Black Ops 7, the mastery camos that players spent a year working to unlock would be something they could get proper use out of. The cosmetics they grinded to acquire or paid for from the store wouldn’t be locked to BO6 and Warzone, but usable once again in the current game. Most important of all, though, is that the classic weapons drip-fed into BO6 would be present from the get-go in BO7, making its lineup of guns feel truly complete.

This final point is especially meaningful for CoD Zombies fans, as it would have resulted in a Mystery Box that truly felt as if it were pulling weapons from all eras of the Black Ops universe. Certain guns that are integral to the legacy of CoD Zombies were included in BO6 at launch or added in the seasonal updates, such as:

• XM4 (Commando)
• FFAR 1 (Famas)
• Dresden 9mm (MP40)
• ABR A1 (AUG)
• TR2 (FN FAL)
• KSV (AK-74u)
• PPSh-41
• Olympia

via Treyarch/Call of Duty

These guns that players used constantly in classic CoD Zombies could have been available in Black Ops 7, but now, they will be drip-fed in seasonal updates at best. At worst, they will never come to Black Ops 6, which is a genuine shame. And what’s especially frustrating is that there could have been a compromise between no Carry Forward and fully embracing the system. In a way, Black Ops 7 has already done this; BO6 Zombies’ Augment progress and Gobblegums carry over into BO7, and the Easter egg skins from BO6 Zombies are an exception to the rule, since they too are usable in the latest release. Players may have been satisfied if only the truly egregious cosmetics, such as the cel-shaded Beavis and Butthead and American Dad, were held back, with everything else being brought over. Unfortunately, players had no say in what has and hasn’t been brought over.

Considering how CoD fans will be able to walk around as a glowy devil, zombie, and cyborg within the first few weeks of Black Ops 7‘s life, there will surely be no shortage of outrageous designs in the future. This means that the CoD community essentially traded out dozens of guns and Operator options just to avoid seeing some goofy-looking BO6 skins — even though they’ll just be seeing new ones introduced in BO7. In the end, it feels like players tricked themselves into less content, as the Prestige Master skin is undoubtedly just the tip of the iceberg.

Released

November 14, 2025

ESRB

Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Drugs