Black Ops 7 is now the lowest-rated Call of Duty game ever in terms of user score, and its critic score ranking isn’t much better

Beyond the mixed reaction to Black Ops 7 (and the overwhelmingly negative response aimed at the campaign specifically), the game’s availability on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate could be hugely impacting its sales. Black Ops 7 being a day one Xbox Game Pass Ultimate game means anyone on Xbox and PC can play it in its entirety without paying full price. Even those that aren’t usually signed up for Game Pass can buy a month of Ultimate for $29.99, get their fill of Black Ops 7, and cancel instead of paying $69.99. The jury is still out on how the game will be received in the long run, but in its launch month, Black Ops 7 definitely marks a low point for the long-running franchise.

Black Ops 7‘s Steam player count has been far surpassed by the competition and reports indicate that sales aren’t as high as last year’s Call of Duty. Black Ops 7 also has the unfortunate distinction of being the lowest-rated game in franchise history in terms of user score. At the time of this writing, review aggregate site Metacritic has the Black Ops 7 user score at an abysmal 1.7. Many seem to take issue with the campaign and its over-the-top goofiness, which they feel is not true to Call of Duty‘s roots. Some reviews seem to be fed up with the Call of Duty formula and annual release schedule. Others appear to be review bombing for the sake of dragging the score down. Regardless, the message being sent is clear, and Black Ops 7 is now the lowest-rated game in series history in terms of user score.

All Call of Duty Games and Their Ratings

There are other Call of Duty games with significantly low user scores as well. For example, the 2023 Modern Warfare 3 game has a 2.4 rating, which makes sense as it is also the lowest-rated game in CoD history in terms of professional reviews as well. Black Ops 7 is the second-lowest with its 69 score, but there is still time for it to fluctuate in one direction or another.

It’s possible the Modern Warfare 3 user score would be even lower if not for people review bombing the wrong game. You may notice that the 2011 Modern Warfare 3 game has a very low 3.9 rating despite it being one of the more popular games in the franchise. That’s because people are confusing it with the 2023 version and airing their grievances on the incorrect page. If you take those misplaced negative reviews and apply them to the 2023 Modern Warfare 3 game, perhaps its user score would be even lower than Black Ops 7‘s, but it’s hard to say.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 has made a great effort to repair damage done to the brand name in recent years by reducing SBMM and making other fan-approved changes. It will also enjoy extensive post-launch support that will include new multiplayer and Zombies maps, which could potentially turn around public opinion if they’re good enough. For now, though, Black Ops 7 is the lowest-rated CoD by user score, and the second-lowest by critic score.

Released

November 14, 2025

ESRB

Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Drugs

Source: Metacritic