You could say that, in hindsight, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019) was a battlefield revitalized. If you’ve been playing Call of Duty since the early days, you probably remember the franchise’s peaks along with the sense that every new entry added something fresh. By 2019, though, that magic had started to fade. The series had become painfully predictable with its annual releases and formulaic gameplay loops comprised of minor tweaks to make sure you knew the next game was slightly different from the last. Then, Modern Warfare (2019) dropped, and for a moment, it felt like Call of Duty had rediscovered its spark.
And it did, for a time. Modern Warfare (2019) breathed new life into Call of Duty six years ago. But since that triumphant comeback, the franchise has seemingly been sliding backward into mediocrity, retreating into old, comfortable habits that made the series lose itself in the first place. Games like Black Ops Cold War, Vanguard, for example, have struggled to match the same level of craftsmanship and forward-thinking design, making Call of Duty lose its edge all over again. The upcoming Black Ops 7 appears to be in the same boat.
When Modern Warfare (2019) arrived, it felt like the franchise had finally pulled back from years of gimmicky experimentation and returned to the roots that made it whole to begin with. The campaign was serious, gritty, and grounded, which was a far cry from the overblown, cinematic chaos that had dominated previous entries. The core mechanics of Modern Warfare are nigh-on perfect as well. The multiplayer experience, the main gameplay loop of any modern Call of Duty, followed suit with slick, sharp gunplay that made the game really pop with excitement. It’s always a good time to shoot a gun in a Call of Duty game, but Modern Warfare (2019) really did make it more exciting, largely due to its slower pacing and incredible audio design.
If you played any modern Call of Duty games prior to Modern Warfare (2019)’s release, you could feel the difference immediately. The weight of every weapon and the punch of every recoil pattern reminded you why Call of Duty had once been the gold standard for shooters. Map design and flow largely departed from the standard three-lane map design that defines the series to this day. It was unique and thus appreciated by many. Additionally, the campaign also proved that the series could still deliver emotional storytelling without abandoning its intensity. Even long-time fans who’d grown jaded were reminded that Call of Duty could still surprise them when it truly tried.
What made Modern Warfare (2019) stand out even more was how it balanced accessibility and depth. New players could jump in without being overwhelmed, while veterans still had enough room to strategize and experiment. It’s slower pacing rewarded spatial awareness, timing, and teamwork instead of pure reaction speed, which older Call of Duty games required of you. The result was a Call of Duty that felt deliberate, one that combined its arcade shooter roots with a new level of sophistication that was much needed for the aging franchise.
Unfortunately, that momentum didn’t last much beyond it. Since Modern Warfare (2019), the series has shown signs of slipping back into bad, boring habits. Black Ops Cold War and Vanguard both struggled to maintain the same level of polish and innovation. Instead, they leaned on familiarity and safe formulas. Many in the Call of Duty community noticed that the games felt rushed and more predictable: the same set of signs that highlighted why Modern Warfare (2019) had to be made to revitalize the series in the first place.
Take Vanguard, for example. Many were quick to point out that despite its sleek visuals and impressive presentation, it lacked personality, and this is apparent even after just a few hours of gameplay. That’s the problem: it’s all set up, no substance. The series has once again become overly focused on spectacle, with less attention given to innovation and thoughtful design. This is especially unfortunate because the baseline standard that Modern Warfare (2019) set, showcasing what Call of Duty could be if it actually tried, has been largely wasted.
And now, there’s Black Ops 7: a game that, by early impressions, seems to be following in the footsteps of Advanced Warfare and Infinite Warfare, two of the franchise’s more divisive entries. While it is clearly sticking a ways away from what truly made these questionable, Black Op 7 still doesn’t really feel like a boots-to-the-ground experience. There’s been a clear shift away, again, from the grounded realism that made Modern Warfare (2019) such a success. While Advanced Warfare introduced some interesting mechanics, it also marked a turning point where Call of Duty began losing touch with what made it truly compelling. If Black Ops 7 and future titles continue to tread down that road, the series risks repeating history by trading authenticity for flash and long-term engagement for short-term spectacle.
Modern Warfare (2019) worked because it respected what made Call of Duty great while still moving the franchise forward. It was confident and carefully built, but some of the titles that followed felt like reskins of the title instead of pushing the franchise into new, positive territory. If Black Ops 7 doesn’t learn from those missteps, Call of Duty may once again find itself repeating the same fight year after year. Different setting, same problem.
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