The recent Xbox Showcase delivered an impressive collection of over 30 video game announcements, ranging from long-awaited first-party sequels like The Outer Worlds 2, to exciting third-party projects like The Blood of Dawnwalker, and plenty in between. The final cherry on top of Xbox’s already-delightful showcase was a mind-bending trailer for Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, Treyarch and Raven Software’s next entry in the long-running shooter sub-series.
Much like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and 3 before it, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and 7 will be back-to-back releases. But while MW3‘s campaign followed straight on from MW2‘s ending, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is actually set more than 40 years after the events of Black Ops 6. In fact, Black Ops 7‘s campaign will act as more of a direct sequel to 2012’s Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, which is now in desperate need of a remaster.
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Call of Duty: Black Ops 7’s Zombies Teaser Speaks Volumes While Saying Nothing
The trailer for Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 gave an interesting nod to its planned Zombies mode, being an excellent sign of things to come for the game.
It’s Time for a Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 Campaign Remaster
Call of Duty’s Brief History with Campaign Remasters
Originally bundled with the $80 Legacy Edition of 2016’s Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered took both the campaign and multiplayer components of the beloved 2007 original and spruced them up for modern hardware. Though its sales tactics came under scrutiny, the remaster itself was praised by both critics and fans alike, prompting Activision to give another Call of Duty remaster the greenlight.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Remastered released in early 2020, and like its title implies, only the campaign mode was included in this package. Though the decision to not include multiplayer drew a lot of criticism from fans at the time, the remaster’s price did reflect the amount of content included, with it retailing for a reasonable $20.
Activision hasn’t made any more Call of Duty remasters in the five years since MW2 Campaign Remastered, but there have been plenty of rumors over the years that claim more could be on the way eventually. These rumors often surface when an upcoming Call of Duty ties in directly with a previous entry, just like Call of Duty: Black Ops 7.
How Call of Duty: Black Ops 7’s Reveal Paves The Way for a Black Ops 2 Remaster
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7‘s reveal trailer didn’t give the game away immediately. Instead, it let the anticipation build for two full minutes before it finally revealed that the trailer’s main character is David Mason, son of Black Ops protagonist Alex Mason, and one of the main playable characters in 2012’s Call of Duty: Black Ops 2. To cement Black Ops 7‘s connection to Black Ops 2 even further, Mason was joined on-screen by Raul Menendez, the main antagonist of the 2012 entry.
Given that Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 and 4 were set decades after Black Ops 2, and Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War and Black Ops 6 were set between Black Ops 1 and 2, fans haven’t seen these characters in 13 years. The franchise has gained a lot of new fans since 2012, and even long-time Call of Duty fans might have forgotten the intricacies of Black Ops 2‘s plot. So it’s the perfect time for Activision to release a Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 campaign remaster.