Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 was the best-selling game in the United States for November 2025, according to Circana’s latest report. This extends an incredible streak that began in 2008 with Call of Duty: World at War, marking 18 consecutive years where a new Call of Duty title topped the sales charts in its launch month. But before anyone at Activision starts celebrating, the bigger picture reveals serious trouble brewing for gaming’s most reliable moneymaker.
The Streak Continues But the Cracks Are Showing
Despite topping November sales, Black Ops 7 currently ranks seventh among the best-selling games of 2025 overall. That puts it behind Battlefield 6, NBA 2K26, Monster Hunter Wilds, Borderlands 4, EA Sports College Football 26, and Madden NFL 26. For a franchise that historically dominates annual sales charts, landing in seventh place represents a dramatic underperformance.
The Call of Duty franchise experienced a double-digit percentage decline in full-game dollar sales compared to November 2024, when Black Ops 6 launched in October. According to Circana senior director Mat Piscatella, November sales of Black Ops 7 finished below those of Black Ops 6 from the previous year. Even more concerning, European sales data shows Black Ops 7’s opening week was down more than 50 percent compared to Black Ops 6, and down a staggering 63 percent versus Battlefield 6 during their respective launch periods.
The Battlefield 6 Problem
EA’s Battlefield 6 has emerged as the real winner of 2025, holding the number one spot for best-selling game of the year in the United States. This marks a significant power shift in the shooter market. Battlefield 6 launched with over 7 million copies sold in its first three days, eventually climbing past 10 million by early November. The game achieved the biggest opening in Battlefield franchise history.
Piscatella projects that Battlefield 6 is extremely likely to finish 2025 as the year’s best-selling game in America. If that happens, it won’t be the first time Call of Duty lost the annual crown. Hogwarts Legacy defeated Modern Warfare 3 in 2023, ending Call of Duty’s decade-long dominance. Before that, only Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2 managed to dethrone Call of Duty going back to 2008.
The Game Pass Complication
One major factor complicating the Black Ops 7 sales picture is its availability on Xbox Game Pass. The game launched day one into Microsoft’s subscription service, meaning actual dollar sales on Xbox consoles are significantly lower than competitors since millions of players accessed it through their existing subscriptions rather than purchasing it outright.
Microsoft hasn’t released specific data on how Black Ops 7’s Game Pass availability impacted subscription numbers or player counts. What we do know is that Call of Duty was the top franchise on Game Pass in 2025. However, this creates an accounting nightmare when comparing traditional sales figures. Steam data from Alinea Analytics reveals Black Ops 7 sold only 401,000 copies in its first 26 days, compared to 2.3 million for Black Ops 6 in the same timeframe.
Video Game Insights reported that Black Ops 7’s daily active users dropped to 18 million in November 2025, down from 36 million for Black Ops 6 the previous year. The analytics firm stated that the data points to a foundational engagement challenge for Black Ops 7, describing it as a significant departure from historical performance rather than a normal launch-cycle fluctuation.
Critical Reception and Player Backlash
Black Ops 7 currently holds a 70 Metacritic score, making it one of the lowest-rated entries in the franchise. The user score paints an even bleaker picture at just 1.7, indicating widespread dissatisfaction among players. On Steam, the game carries a Mostly Negative rating. Common complaints focus on technical issues, questionable design decisions, and a general feeling that the franchise has fallen into creative stagnation.
Activision itself acknowledged that Black Ops 7 fell short of internal expectations. This rare admission from a publisher that typically maintains optimistic messaging regardless of performance suggests the situation is serious enough to warrant transparency. Microsoft followed up by highlighting Call of Duty’s success on Game Pass, attempting to frame the narrative around engagement rather than traditional sales metrics.
What Microsoft Says About the Struggles
In response to questions about Black Ops 7’s performance, Microsoft gaming executives emphasized the difficulty of shipping a major franchise like clockwork every year. The company hasn’t announced specific player counts, sales figures, or detailed data on Game Pass subscriber boosts resulting from Black Ops 7’s inclusion in the service.
Industry analysts suggest the silence on concrete numbers indicates Microsoft and Activision don’t have positive metrics to share. When games perform well, publishers typically rush to announce milestones like most-played launches, record engagement, or massive sales figures. The lack of any such announcements for Black Ops 7 speaks volumes about how the game has performed relative to expectations.
The Annual Release Model Under Fire
Given these challenges, Activision is reportedly considering significant changes to how it plans and releases Call of Duty titles. The annual release model that has defined the franchise since 2005 may finally be reaching its breaking point. Shipping a massive AAA shooter every single year requires enormous resources, multiple studios working in rotation, and often results in games that feel rushed or derivative.
Battlefield 6’s success with a multi-year development cycle demonstrates that players might prefer less frequent releases with higher quality. Meanwhile, live-service games like Fortnite and Apex Legends prove shooters can thrive for years without sequel fatigue. Call of Duty’s insistence on annual releases increasingly feels like a relic of a different era in gaming.
The Wider Industry Context
November 2025 was brutal for the entire gaming industry, not just Call of Duty. Hardware and physical software sales experienced the worst November since 1995, reflecting broader economic challenges and a struggling console generation. PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X are both in their fifth year without the kind of must-have software lineups that drove previous generations.
In this context, Black Ops 7’s struggles may partially reflect market conditions beyond Activision’s control. However, Battlefield 6’s success proves that quality shooters can still break through. The difference appears to be that EA delivered a fresh, technically solid experience while Call of Duty offered another iteration that felt too similar to previous entries without sufficient innovation.
FAQs
Was Black Ops 7 the best-selling game of 2025?
No, Black Ops 7 was the best-selling game of November 2025 specifically, but ranks seventh overall for the year. Battlefield 6 holds the number one position for best-selling game of 2025 in the United States.
How long has Call of Duty topped its launch month sales?
Call of Duty has been the best-selling game in its launch month for 18 consecutive years, a streak that began with Call of Duty: World at War in November 2008.
Why are Black Ops 7 sales down compared to Black Ops 6?
Multiple factors contributed including mixed critical reception, competition from Battlefield 6, Game Pass availability reducing direct sales on Xbox, franchise fatigue, and possible quality issues that led to negative player reviews.
How did Game Pass affect Black Ops 7 sales?
Black Ops 7 launched day one on Xbox Game Pass, which significantly reduced traditional sales figures on Xbox platforms since millions of players accessed the game through subscriptions rather than purchasing it. However, Microsoft hasn’t released data showing whether this strategy increased Game Pass subscriptions enough to offset lost sales revenue.
How many copies did Black Ops 7 sell?
Activision and Microsoft have not announced official sales figures for Black Ops 7. Steam data shows 401,000 copies sold in the first 26 days. European physical sales were down 63 percent compared to Battlefield 6 and 50 percent compared to Black Ops 6.
Is Battlefield 6 really outselling Call of Duty?
In 2025, yes. Battlefield 6 is the best-selling game of the year so far in the United States, with Black Ops 7 in seventh place. This represents a major shift in the first-person shooter market dynamics.
What is Black Ops 7’s Metacritic score?
Black Ops 7 holds a 70 Metacritic score from critics and a 1.7 user score, making it one of the worst-rated entries in Call of Duty history. On Steam, it has a Mostly Negative rating.
Will Activision stop making annual Call of Duty games?
Activision is reportedly considering significant changes to its Call of Duty release strategy, though nothing has been officially announced. The struggles of Black Ops 7 have intensified discussions about whether the annual release model remains sustainable.
Conclusion
Black Ops 7’s November victory feels hollow when examined within the broader context of its 2025 performance. Yes, Call of Duty maintained its 18-year streak of dominating launch month sales, proving the franchise still has incredible brand power and a loyal fanbase. But that achievement is overshadowed by declining sales compared to previous entries, a seventh-place ranking for the year, and increasingly vocal criticism from both critics and players about the state of the franchise. The rise of Battlefield 6 as a legitimate competitor adds another layer of pressure. For years, Call of Duty operated in a category of its own, consistently outselling every shooter on the market regardless of quality or innovation. That dominance appears to be ending. When a rival delivers a superior product, players are willing to abandon their Call of Duty habits, as evidenced by the 25 percent of Call of Duty players who purchased Battlefield 6 earlier in 2025. Microsoft and Activision now face difficult decisions about the franchise’s future. Should they move away from annual releases and give developers more time to create polished, innovative experiences? Should they double down on Game Pass as the primary distribution method even if it cannibalizes traditional sales? Should they fundamentally reimagine what Call of Duty is rather than iterating on the same formula year after year? Whatever path they choose, the old playbook isn’t working anymore. Black Ops 7 proved that slapping the Call of Duty name on a game and releasing it in November is no longer enough to guarantee success. Players expect more, competitors are delivering better alternatives, and the market dynamics have shifted. The 18-year streak might continue, but unless Activision makes meaningful changes, future Call of Duty games may find themselves struggling even more than Black Ops 7 to justify their place in an increasingly crowded and competitive shooter landscape.