The Replacer Has Your Sick Note So You Can Play Call Of Duty: Black Ops 7 Today

GAMING NEWS

Activision and Treyarch gave players a delightfully cheeky way to skip work for Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 on launch day. The Replacer — a fictional character played by Peter Stormare — shared a sick-note template players can (jokingly) hand to their employers, promising to “step in” and boost productivity while they're out.

The message and template were posted by the game's official account on X as Black Ops 7 rolled out on consoles and PC. The letter explicitly addresses bosses, though students hoping to use it on principals or teachers will be disappointed — the note is aimed squarely at workplace excuses. And yes, it does have the flavor of a parody one might otherwise ask an AI assistant to write.

Need the day off to play #BlackOps7? The Replacer has you covered 🤝 pic.twitter.com/tm2paGUz2j

The practice of publishing gag sick notes for major releases isn't new. Nearly a decade ago a fake doctor's memo was shared for Fallout 4, and Respawn ran a similar stunt in 2019 with a droid-themed note for Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. The Replacer himself returned last year as a meme-ready figure, with Stormare even riffing on the Condescending Wonka image; the character originally appeared in Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 back in 2013.

Before you hand that note to HR, a word of caution: Black Ops 7’s campaign can’t be paused. If you actually call in sick and someone rings you to check, they might hear explosions, gunfire, or other in-game chaos in the background. Also worth noting: Treyarch shipped some aim-assist tweaks in Black Ops 7 that are already generating conversation among players.

For the full breakdown of the single-player experience, see GameSpot's Black Ops 7 campaign review.

By Evan Campbell

2 min read · Nov 14, 2025