Black Ops 7 is borrowing matchmaking ideas from the original games

Activision is changing how matchmaking works in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, with Season 05 scheduled to bring a system inspired by the multiplayer design of the original Black Ops and Black Ops II.

The announcement came as players revisited those older games following their recent releases on PS4 and PS5. That renewed interest appears to have given Activision a closer look at the parts of the classic multiplayer experience that fans still appreciate.

In an official Call of Duty post on X, Activision said it had spent the past year reviewing multiplayer data and community feedback. The publisher also pointed to the response surrounding Black Ops and Black Ops II as a reason to revisit older matchmaking ideas.

Over the past year, we've continued to learn a lot about Multiplayer matchmaking through player data and community feedback. We’re also excited to see all the recent love for Black Ops and Black Ops II, which reinforced that there are many elements of those experiences that…

— Call of Duty (@CallofDuty) July 22, 2026

Season 05 will apply the new matchmaking system to Black Ops Classic, Quick Play, and Party Games in Black Ops 7. Activision has not provided a detailed breakdown of how the system will differ from the current setup, so the practical impact will become clearer once players can try it.

The change will not remove the current playlist structure entirely. Black Ops 7 will continue to offer Open playlists, giving players another option alongside the matchmaking system based on the classic games. Activision also said Open playlist options will appear in the upcoming Modern Warfare 4 Beta.

The timing gives Black Ops 7 players a chance to compare the new approach with the current matchmaking setup directly. For fans who feel recent Call of Duty multiplayer has lost some of the feel associated with the early Black Ops games, Season 05 will offer a concrete test of whether this change brings back part of that experience.

What do you think of Activision revisiting the original Black Ops matchmaking approach? Share your thoughts in the comments, and follow us on X, Bluesky, YouTube, and Instagram.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7

Developed by Treyarch, Raven Software

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is a first-person shooter set in 2035, co-developed by Treyarch and Raven Software. The game features three main modes: a cooperative campaign playable with up to four players or solo, multiplayer with 6v6 and 20v20 modes, and the round-based Zombies mode. Multiplayer features a perk system split into combat specialties, weapon prestige progression, and scorestreak rewards.

• Genre Shooter
• Platforms Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 5, Xbox One
• Perspective First person
• Modes Single player, Multiplayer, Co-operative
• Release November 14, 2025
• Publisher Activision
• Age Rating

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