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Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Sales Plunge in Europe

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Sales Plunge in Europe
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 logo over a backdrop representing declining European sales.

The highly anticipated launch of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 has sent shockwaves through the gaming industry, with official figures revealing a significant downturn in European sales. Despite securing the coveted position of Europe's top-selling game this week, its debut performance lags dramatically behind previous installments and key rivals, painting a challenging picture for publisher Activision and platform owner Microsoft.

Unprecedented Sales Decline for Black Ops 7

According to comprehensive estimates from The Game Business and GSD data, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7's European sales are down an alarming 63 percent compared to the robust debut of Battlefield 6. The drop is even more pronounced when benchmarked against its direct predecessor, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, with sales reportedly falling by "more than" 50 percent. This substantial decline signals a potentially worrying trend for the long-running franchise, prompting a notably muted response from Activision compared to prior years.

Game Pass Factor & Overwhelming Player Dislike

A critical factor influencing traditional sales figures is Black Ops 7's immediate availability on Xbox and PC Game Pass for subscribers to the pricier Ultimate tier, offered at no extra charge. This undoubtedly skews raw unit sales data, as a significant portion of the player base may access the title without a direct purchase. However, this convenience has not insulated the game from a wave of negative user sentiment. On Metacritic, Black Ops 7 currently holds an "Overwhelming Dislike" verdict, cementing its status as the most unpopular Call of Duty game ever by Metacritic user score. This grim data will undoubtedly be scrutinized closely by Microsoft and Activision.

Critical Reception and Future Concerns

Eurogamer.net's own review of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 awarded it a 3/5-star rating, highlighting fundamental shifts in the game's formula. Our reviewer noted, "If you can accept Black Ops 7's fundamental changes to the formula on their own terms, you'll have a good trip, despite the psychochemicals coursing through your veins." However, the review also expressed reservations about the long-term implications, stating, "I'm just not convinced those changes bode well for the health of the series."

Latest Patch Addresses Player Frustrations

In response to early player feedback, a recent patch for Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 has been deployed, focusing on critical fixes for the sci-fi FPS. Key adjustments include:

  • Substantial rebalancing of various camo challenges that proved troublesome for cosmetically-minded players.
  • Specific fixes for several weapon camos in Zombies mode, which were previously three times harder to unlock than intended.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is available across multiple platforms, including PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, developed by Raven Software and Treyarch under the Activision banner.