Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 launched on November 14, 2025, but players quickly spotted apparent AI-generated artwork in in-game calling cards and banners. Activision confirmed the use of generative AI tools for some assets, sparking backlash over quality and ethics. The company emphasized that human creativity leads the process.
AI Confirmation and Player Reactions
Upon the release of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 across PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, fans identified telltale signs of AI-generated content, including six-fingered hands, mismatched eyelines, and bland aesthetics in player banners and calling cards from campaign challenges like 'Jack of All Trades' and 'Embrace the Nightmare.' These elements, resembling circulated AI Studio Ghibli-style images, drew criticism on social media and Reddit, with users calling them 'awful' and 'AI slop.' One Reddit user, Commercial_Pirate501, noted the high cost—up to $130 for the Vault Edition—makes the inclusion disappointing, while another, Loqh9, simply stated, 'Damn that's awful fuck this.' Mixed responses emerged, with some like X user M3Festof1l saying, 'I don't give a shit who or what created the image as long as it looks normal.'
Activision's Statement
Activision addressed the concerns in a statement to Kotaku: 'Like so many around the world, we use a variety of digital tools, including AI tools, to empower and support our teams to create the best gaming experiences possible for our players. Our creative process continues to be led by the talented individuals in our studios.' This mirrors language from Black Ops 6's Steam page and earlier comments. The Black Ops 7 Steam page explicitly states, 'Our team uses generative AI tools to help develop some in-game assets.' In August 2025, Treyarch associate creative director Miles Leslie told IGN that AI streamlines development but does not replace humans, calling any unintended AI content an 'accident.' Activision has not specified which assets used AI but maintains it aids efficiency without supplanting artists.
Broader Context
The controversy echoes reports from 2024, where an anonymous Activision source told Wired that concept artists were 'forced' to use AI amid layoffs. Industry-wide, AI adoption raises job loss fears, as noted by Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella post-9,000 layoffs. Competitors like Battlefield 6 avoided generative AI in final products, though EA uses it early on. Eurogamer reached out to Activision for clarification on the calling cards but received no further response.