New sales and engagement figures for Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 confirm its significant underperformance compared to Black Ops 6, as previously reported. Despite topping Xbox Game Pass, the drop has prompted Activision to alter its release strategy.
Detailed Sales and Engagement Metrics
Following the launch of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, data from Alinea Analytics (via GamesIndustry.biz) shows it sold only 401,000 copies on Steam in its first 26 days— an 82% decline from Black Ops 6's 2.3 million units in the same period last year. Even accounting for PC Game Pass availability, the gap is notable.
Player engagement also plummeted: daily active users dropped to 18 million in November 2025 from 36 million for Black Ops 6 in December 2024 (Video Game Insights). Steam concurrent players are estimated at 50,000-100,000, down from over 300,000 for its predecessor, continuing a trend since Modern Warfare (2022).
Analysts cite potential franchise fatigue, genre shifts, competition (e.g., Battlefield 6's 10 million sales by early November), and unmet expectations as factors.
Game Pass Amid Challenges
Xbox Game Pass data offers a silver lining: Call of Duty led the service in total players and hours for 2025, including November.
Tie to Strategy Changes
As covered in prior reporting on Activision's announcement, the publisher has pledged to end back-to-back Black Ops or Modern Warfare releases, aiming for 'meaningful innovation' to deliver 'unique experiences' annually and address player feedback.