Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Ditches 'Big Brand' Collaborations After Skins Controversy

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 developer Treyarch Studios has stated that it has rejected some “big brand” collaborations for the upcoming shooter, following community feedback from last year’s entry, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. The 2024 title featured collaborations with the likes of Squid Game, Beavis & Butt-Head, and many more; however, Call of Duty fans have made it clear that they want Black Ops 7 to be a much more grounded and realistic entry in the series.

With each new collaboration, event, and store bundle, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 found itself in hot water with fans. Much of the community believed that crossovers with cartoons such as American Dad and Beavis & Butt-Head were causing the series to lose its identity and turn into just another Fortnite. Thankfully, it looks like Treyarch Studios and publisher Activision have heard the complaints loud and clear, as the two studios recently backtracked on their Carry Forward feature for Black Ops 7. In an effort to keep the upcoming shooter as realistic as possible, players will no longer be able to carry forward any of their previously purchased or earned cosmetic items.

Treyarch Rejects 'Big Brand' Collabs for Call of Duty: Black Ops 7

Ditching the controversial Carry Forward feature is just one of the many changes Treyarch Studios is making for the release of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, as the studio has now told CharlieIntel in a new interview that it has canceled some “big, big brand” collaborations for the upcoming entry in the series. “There are opportunities that we have had lined up that, after some of our conversations, we straight up turned down,” Treyarch Studios said. It’s unknown if this means Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 will have absolutely no collaborations throughout its life cycle, or if it simply means that there will be a reduction in them, which should result in fewer unrealistic skins than there were in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.

News of Treyarch’s canceled collaborations for its next title comes just days after the studio announced that it was changing some of the Vault Edition skins for Call of Duty: Black Ops 7. After admitting that Call of Duty had lost its identity, Treyarch and Activision promised to keep Black Ops 7 more grounded and realistic than its predecessor. However, some noted that the already revealed Vault Edition skins were teetering on the side of unrealistic, which resulted in the studio adjusting the skins to further align with its previous statement.

The decision to return Call of Duty to its roots coincidentally comes at the same time as Battlefield‘s return, which recently stated that it wouldn’t be “chasing trends” when it comes to skins in Battlefield 6. Developers working on the title recently addressed the continued controversy surrounding cosmetic items in shooters such as Call of Duty, and reassured fans that Battlefield 6 will be a “gritty, realistic shooter.” The next entry in the series is set to launch for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S on October 10, just one month before the release of Black Ops 7.