The Call of Duty Next 2025 showcase unveiled major updates for Black Ops 7, Warzone, and Call of Duty: Mobile, drawing global excitement and local celebrations alike.

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Call of Duty: Next 2025 was one for the books. Even if you missed it in person, you could feel the hype through every stream and social feed.

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This year’s COD Next focused on Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, and trust me, it gave us plenty to chew on. From jaw-dropping Black Ops 7 Multiplayer reveals to a surprise WWE Undertaker skin in CoD Mobile, the announcements came in hot. Below is a full recap of the highlights, spiced up with insights from African Call of Duty creators Malay and Kingplays. Get ready for the mother of all rundowns.

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Black Ops 7 Takes Center Stage

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The main event at COD Next 2025 was undoubtedly Call of Duty: Black Ops 7. With the game’s launch set for November 14, 2025, developers from Treyarch and co. gave us a deep dive into what’s coming. Black Ops 7 is shipping with a staggering number of maps (we’re talking 16 small maps and 2 larger battle maps at launch) – so map variety won’t be an issue.

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They even previewed a few maps during the event, like Blackheart, Cortex, and Exposure, to tease the different biomes we’ll fight in. One new multiplayer mode called Overload had everyone intrigued. In Overload, teams scramble to grab a device and carry it into enemy territory, kind of like a reverse capture-the-flag. The catch is that the carrier gets extra intel on the HUD, so it turns into a high-stakes tug-of-war with everyone else defending or chasing the carrier. It’s chaotic, fast-paced, and looks insanely fun.

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Developers also talked about refining the movement system. They’re building on Black Ops 6’s freeform movement (Omnimovement) with things like a new wall jump that lets you hop across gaps and reach high spots; you can even chain three wall jumps in a row. Longtime players will definitely appreciate these tweaks because movement can really set a Call of Duty title apart. We’re also getting an Overclock system to upgrade equipment and streaks through use, and for the first time, the ability to share weapon builds via codes. Sharing loadouts will be awesome for the community; no more painstakingly describing your attachment setup to friends; just send them the code.

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Zombies Mode – Old Crew, New Scares

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No Black Ops reveal is complete without Zombies, and Treyarch did not disappoint. In fact, they’re bringing back some classic characters which had OG fans feeling nostalgic. 

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At Next, they showed how the protagonists from Black Ops 6 end up in the Dark Aether and meet new versions of the original Zombies crew; yes, Dempsey, Nikolai, Takeo, and Richtofen are back in action. The developers previewed “Ashes of the Damned,” which they touted as the largest round-based Zombies map in Black Ops history. This map spans six distinct regions, from a city plaza to a farm and even a creepy old town called Ashwood. It’s basically a massive playground for slaying the undead. 

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We caught glimpses of new enemy types like prowling Ravagers and some armored skeleton-looking zombies. One cool addition is the “Wonder Vehicle”, which is a rickety pickup truck dubbed Ol’ Tessie that you can actually drive around the map. It’s like Zombies meets road trip, though you’ll need to repair it if it takes too much damage. They’re also adding fresh mechanics like a Wisp Tea perk that summons a ghostly companion to attack zombies when you rack up enough kills. From what we heard, Treyarch is blending old school Zombies charm with new twists, and it’s got me pretty hyped to dive in.

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One of our local creators, Malay from Lagos, was glued to the Zombies segment. Even though he’s primarily a mobile player, he was blown away by the graphics and mechanics on display. “Being a mobile player, I’ll basically just say the graphics and mechanics of the whole game [stood out],” Malay said, describing how polished Black Ops 7 looked even in chaotic modes like Zombies. And he’s right; watching that gameplay, you could see the visual fidelity and smooth movement, which is a big leap if you’re used to mobile graphics.

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Warzone Updates and Integration

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The event didn’t forget about Call of Duty: Warzone; far from it. Warzone is getting some significant content updates to tie in with Black Ops 7’s release. The biggest reveal was a new Resurgence map called “Haven’s Hollow.” It’s described as a small riverside town with an old-school Main Street, surrounded by rural outskirts. During the broadcast, we saw a bit of the layout: there’s a riverfront area (with a freaking paddle steamer casino boat docked there!) and foothills where you can duke it out in the woods. 

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Haven’s Hollow looks like a refreshing change of scenery for Warzone; not just another urban map, but something with a mix of quaint town and wilderness vibes. On top of that, they teased two new points of interest coming to Verdansk: a brand new Signal Station and a remastered Factory location. Verdansk is obviously a fan-favorite map, so adding new areas there got a cheer from the crowd I was with.

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The Warzone developers also talked about gameplay changes to keep things interesting. For example, they’re removing the default Tactical Sprint (so you won’t auto-sprint at super speed anymore by default), but to compensate they’re boosting the base movement speed for all Operators. If you still want that Tac Sprint burst or other advanced moves, you’ll need to use the new Perk options, like a Combat Roll move tied to the Mountaineer perk, or being able to Tac Sprint via the Sprinter perk. It’s a bold move to tweak movement like that, but it could level the field and put more strategy into loadouts. Beyond movement, they hinted at other adjustments, such as a limit of five attachments per weapon and some reworked equipment (they named-dropped a Phantom Signal tactical and items like a Needle Drone). All these changes seem to be aimed at ensuring Warzone aligns smoothly with Black Ops 7’s mechanics and keeping the meta fresh.

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Our other creator friend KingPlays (a well-known CoD Mobile YouTuber from Nigeria) was particularly curious about Warzone’s integration with Black Ops 7. He follows the competitive scene and noted that the Resurgence map reveal stood out even to him as a mobile player. 

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“The very fact we’re getting a new Warzone map alongside Black Ops 7 is big – it shows they’re keeping every part of the community fed,” he commented in our chat after the watch party.

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For KingPlays, seeing the cross-play content and hearing about unified progression (like how weapons and skins from B07 will carry into Warzone) has him excited for how it might loop back into Mobile as well.

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Call of Duty: Mobile Celebrates 6 Years (Undertaker Enters the Chat)

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Mobile gamers got some love at COD Next 2025, too. Call of Duty: Mobile is hitting its 6th anniversary, and the devs marked the occasion with some awesome announcements. The part that generated the most buzz in the mobile community was the WWE collaboration; yes, Undertaker and Alexa Bliss are coming to CoD Mobile as operator skins. It’s as wild as it sounds. One moment, we were watching the usual update trailer and then boom: the Undertaker appears, complete with the signature hat and ominous vibe. I’m a huge WWE fan, and it’s one of the most pleasant and unforeseen surprises to come our way this year. 

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Malay, also shares this excitements. 

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“My top reveal on stream was the Undertaker skin,” he told me later. It’s a crossover I never knew I needed until I saw it. According to the official news, these WWE superstar skins will be part of Season 9 (the anniversary season) in CoD Mobile. There’s even a legendary blueprint for a weapon in the Undertaker’s bundle if rumors are correct. It’s fan-service to the max, and the community response was huge – wrestling fans and CoD fans uniting over this collab.

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Another major Mobile reveal was DMZ: Recon, a brand new mode coming to CoD Mobile that’s basically an extraction shooter scenario. If you’ve played DMZ in Warzone 2.0, you get the idea: you drop into a map, scavenge for loot, fight both AI enemies and possibly other players, and try to extract without dying. Bringing this to mobile is a bold move, and it shows the devs are confident in pushing the envelope for the mobile experience. 

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DMZ: Recon will take place on a new map called Serpent’s Island and will deliver the kind of depth and progression you’d expect from a mode like this, but tailored for phones. KingPlays highlighted this as his top reveal of the entire event. “I thought the new extraction mode, DMZ: Recon, was the most interesting. We always expect new skins or guns, but a whole new mode in CoD Mobile? That was unexpected and exciting,” he said. As a content creator who focuses on CoD Mobile, he’s already brainstorming content for this mode.

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Besides that, CoD Mobile Season 9 is also bringing back the fan-favorite Mythic Ghost operator skin (for those who love rare cosmetics). The developers didn’t go into extreme detail on every mobile feature, but they definitely showed that Mobile is a key part of the franchise’s ecosystem. Malay mentioned that one thing he noticed was a new multiplayer mode involving both real players and zombies on mobile that didn’t get much spotlight. 

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“They didn’t really speak on that new MP mode that had real people and Zombies… it was kinda downplayed,” he pointed out.

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Behind the Scenes: African Creators’ Watch Party Experience

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One angle that made COD Next 2025 special for us was experiencing it through the eyes of African gaming creators. Malay and KingPlays turned it into a positive by hosting local watch parties and streaming the event for their communities. It was anything but a dull substitute. If anything, it felt like a uniquely homegrown celebration of Call of Duty.

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The conversation about how effective watch parties can be received an extra point with Malay’s handling. During the stream, he interacted with viewers, threw out trivia questions, and compared notes on game knowledge. It became a two-way conversation, not just a viewing session.

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Malay had giveaways lined up for viewers during the live stream. Activision and Carry1st (the regional partner) provided some code drops for in-game rewards, and Malay got to distribute them in real-time. “The giveaways were the best part honestly… creators got to reveal codes to their viewers, it was very engaging,” Malay says. “I still have people thanking me for it till date… but I keep telling them to thank Carry1st instead.” 

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KingPlays hosted a similar watch party on his end. His focus was a bit more on breaking down the reveals (he has a very analytical style on his YouTube channel). Using his personal contacts with some of the top Call of Duty Mobile creators globally, he provided live commentary in a mix of English and local slang, making it highly relatable. At one point, when the DMZ: Recon mode was announced, KingPlays paused the official stream and started explaining the concept to viewers who weren’t familiar, ensuring everyone understood why it was a big deal. It felt like hanging out with a friend who’s giving you the play-by-play. 

As much as the NEXT 2025 event had to offer, though, the creators had a few notes on what it missed as well. For Malay, it was that the PvPvE MP tease on mobile (players plus zombies) flashed then vanished. There was very little information provided on the rules or rewards. He noted that viewers asked and would have liked to know more. But we may just have to track patch notes for that.

Kingplays had similar notes, commenting on how the event’s pace was fast. This gave the impression that the segments were clipped. He had to switch to live explainers for his chat to keep people with him.

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Looking Ahead: Hopes for Better Access in 2026

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COD Next 2025 was a high point for the community, and the excitement across Africa proved just how strong local interest has become. Both Malay and KingPlays talked about how seeing African creators represented at global events can keep that momentum growing.

“If we were there, the AF community would be more hooked honestly,” Malay said. Seeing familiar faces on that stage—whether in a panel, a creator match, or just on the livestream—helps fans at home feel part of the action.

This year’s watch parties showed how passionate and connected the region already is. For 2026, there’s a real opportunity to build on that energy together. Working closely with regional partners like Carry1st could help smooth the planning process and make participation even easier for creators in future events.

“Carry1st isn’t just an online shop… it’s part of what makes the African community now and they’ve got our back,” Malay added.

Carry1st’s role in powering giveaways and supporting creators during COD Next shows what collaboration can do. More initiatives like that; like official viewing events, or local creator features would make the global COD community feel even more united.

KingPlays suggested that even a dedicated segment for regions (like a quick check-in during the broadcast with communities around the world) would make a big difference. It’s all about inclusion. The fan base here is passionate and growing, and they just want to feel as integral to the Call of Duty universe as everyone else.

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The Wrap Up

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COD Next 2025 delivered a truckload of information and excitement – from Black Ops 7’s innovative multiplayer and nostalgia-filled Zombies, to Warzone’s new map and CoD Mobile’s celebrity crossover and mode expansion. It was a celebration of all things Call of Duty, showcasing the franchise's extensive presence across various platforms. 

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As we gear up for Call of Duty: Black Ops 7’s release on November 14, the next few months (during the BO7 beta, full launch, and CDL return) are make-or-break for momentum. Fans will test whether the promises materialise in gameplay and infrastructure, including creator support, localised campaigns, and community building. It’s all up from here.

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