Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Patch Notes Detail Aim‑Assist Tweaks, Drone Pod Nerfs, and SMG Buffs

Treyarch has deployed a new update for Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 , bringing several balance changes that were previously outlined in the studio’s recent developer discussion. The update focuses heavily on aim-assist tuning, weapon balance—particularly for submachine guns—and a nerf to the powerful Drone Pod field upgrade.

Many of these adjustments expand on topics covered in Treyarch’s Dev Talk video , which previewed how the team planned to respond to early player feedback following launch.

One of the most hotly debated changes since release has been Black Ops 7’s revised aim-assist system. Compared to previous Call of Duty titles, rotational aim-assist strength was significantly reduced, especially when players were not actively tracking enemies with the right analog stick.

At launch, this resulted in a minimum aim-assist penalty of 35% compared to the beta. According to Treyarch, this change overshot its intended balance target. As a result, the new update reduces that penalty to 25%, providing a slightly more forgiving experience without reverting to older aim-assist behavior.

“Our goal is to deliver the most competitive experience possible across all inputs,” Treyarch explained. “Aim assist is one of the most important aspects of how the game feels, so it’s critical that the tuning both feels good and supports fair balance.”

Beyond aim-assist, the update introduces meaningful weapon balance changes. All submachine guns receive a damage range buff, allowing them to perform more reliably at mid-range distances. Meanwhile, assault rifles now suffer slightly increased flinch, making sustained accuracy under fire more challenging.

Treyarch emphasized that this is only the first wave of tuning and that additional weapon adjustments are planned as Season 1 approaches.

The update also reins in the Drone Pod field upgrade, which has been dominating multiplayer matches. Its charge time has been increased, active duration reduced, and damage lowered—making it less oppressive while still remaining useful.

• Charge time increased from 2.5 to 3 minutes
• Active duration reduced from 10 to 8 seconds
• Damage reduced from 60 to 50

Zombies mode receives several quality-of-life and difficulty adjustments, particularly for the Ashes of the Damned Easter egg. The boss fight has been made more forgiving, missile attacks are less punishing, and passengers riding Ol’ Tessie now take reduced damage.

Solo players will also notice improvements, as Zursa the zombie bear no longer spawns before round 100 in solo boss fights and moves more slowly, making late-game progression more manageable.

Another major addition is the full unlock of the campaign’s Endgame mode. Players who already completed the campaign will receive bonus rewards, while everyone else can now access Endgame immediately. To celebrate, Black Ops 7 is currently offering double XP, weapon XP, and GobbleGum earn rates through November 24.

The complete patch notes are available on Activision’s official site . Looking ahead, Season 1 of Black Ops 7 launches in December, bringing the first battle pass, Warzone integration, new multiplayer maps, and a brand-new Zombies experience.

A trailer for the upcoming Astra Malorum Zombies map confirms that the undead threat is heading into space, marking one of the series’ most ambitious Zombies settings yet.