Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Beta shakes up Zombies in higher rounds ahead of Battlefield 6 launch

The Black Ops 7 Beta has opened the door for players to get hands-on with multiplayer and, more importantly for many, the return of Zombies. This early look already hints at one of the biggest shifts in round-based design the series has seen in years.

In a conversation with Game Rant, Treyarch design director Kevin Drew explained that player feedback is the entire point of this beta period, from obvious things like weapon balance to bigger gameplay philosophy changes.“Weapon balance is a good example,” Drew said. “With the Beta, we can be like, whoops, this shotgun is ridiculous, and we can actually re-tune that.”

But for Zombies fans, the real headline is how Treyarch is rethinking high rounds. Historically, late-game rounds have been characterized by faster zombies, denser hordes, and a relentless succession of specials and minibosses. While some players embraced the chaos, others argued it turned the survival loop into a slog.

Drew confirmed Black Ops 7 is experimenting with a different rhythm stating:

We got a lot of feedback last year about high rounds having too many special enemy types, and that we made the zombies very fast. This game, we’re trying a different approach… they’re not as fast, but they do more damage. We’re definitely still gonna have specials in there, but at a less frequent pace.

In other words, instead of just outrunning sprinters or mowing down spongy elites, high rounds will test how skillfully players can move through and manage the horde itself. That’s a fundamental tweak to the “training” meta that has defined Zombies since World at War, and the beta will be the first true stress test of whether fans prefer it.

With is launch right around the corner, the beta is Treyarch’s way of seeing whether their new take on Zombies can actually win players over. It also comes at a time when EA's Battlefield 6 has a launch in play on the 10th of October 2025.