Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 and Warzone just made some big aim assist nerfs at launch — here are the changes (and why I’m a fan)

The highly anticipated Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, the newest installment in the popular first-person shooter series and a continuation of last year’s Black Ops 6, is launching tomorrow. It’s expected to be one of the biggest game releases of 2025, and a major highlight of the autumn season. Players on Xbox, PC, and PlayStation will be able to play it, and some have already begun playing due to time zone differences.

Despite competition from the popular Battlefield 6, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 hasn’t seen a significant drop in players. Many gamers still prefer Call of Duty’s fast-paced, chaotic matches to the more strategic and open-ended gameplay of Battlefield.

The new Call of Duty game is predicted to be a huge success, quickly becoming one of the most played and best-selling games, as previous installments have been. However, the developers, Treyarch and Raven Software, have introduced some significant gameplay changes that have received a mixed reaction from players so far.

The game’s aim assist – which helps controller players aim more accurately than with a mouse – has been significantly changed. It’s generally weaker now, but actually a little stronger when aiming at distant targets.

The developers have explained the updates included in the first patch for Black Ops 7, saying they want to make the game fairer and more competitive for everyone, no matter how they play. They also emphasized that they want to keep the core controller experience of Call of Duty intact. These changes will impact both Black Ops 7 and Call of Duty: Warzone.

The main change is how aim assist works. Now, you need to actively move the right stick to track your target to get the full benefit of aim assist. Before, aim assist was always at full strength, even if you weren’t using the right stick to aim.

The developers have adjusted how aim assist works. You’ll now need to aim a bit closer to your target to get the full benefit of aim assist compared to the previous beta test. However, aim assist is stronger when you’re far away from your opponent.

Players using controllers performed a little better in close-quarters combat, but struggled at longer distances. These updates aim to create a fairer playing field between controller and keyboard/mouse users.

Treyarch and Raven Software made some adjustments to the game after looking at player data and feedback. They found that players using controllers performed slightly better in close-range fights, but struggled more at longer distances compared to those using a keyboard and mouse. These changes aim to create a fairer playing field for both control schemes.

Our data shows that controller players have a slight advantage in close-quarters combat, while keyboard and mouse players perform better at longer distances. We’ve also been following player discussions about Rotational Aim Assist. Based on both our data and community feedback, our initial adjustments will focus on balancing the strength of Rotational Aim Assist at both close and long ranges, and how easily it activates. This is what the Call of Duty team shared.

I don’t usually play Call of Duty, so I might not be the best judge, but whenever I’ve picked up the controller to give it a try, the aim assist always struck me as really powerful compared to other shooting games. So, honestly, I’m happy to see them toning it down, and it looks like a lot of other players feel the same way!

Initial feedback suggests many players think the recent changes to aim assist in Black Ops 7 went too far, making it almost nonexistent. Even our Managing Editor, Richard Devine, a dedicated Call of Duty player, notes that it’s much less effective in close-quarters combat than it used to be.

It’s great that the developers are working to make the game fairer for players using either controllers or keyboards and mice.

It’s still too soon to say for sure how these changes will play out, since most players haven’t had a chance to try Black Ops 7 yet. Everyone needs time to experience the adjustments before we can decide if they need to be reversed or tweaked further. However, it’s positive that the developers are working to make the game fairer for both controller and keyboard/mouse users.

You can buy Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 for $69.99 on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC, PlayStation 5, and PlayStation 4. It’s also included with Xbox Game Pass – either PC Game Pass or Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.

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2025-11-14 01:13