The Black Ops 7 and Warzone bottle cap collection event rewards brain rot, and I don’t want to see another one

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I’ve been having a good time with Call of Duty: Black Ops 7. Even though a lot of people online seem to dislike it, I actually think it’s a solid game and I’m really enjoying playing it.

I’m always quick to point out things that don’t make sense, and right now, the Baron of the Wasteland event – which is ending today – definitely falls into that category.

All players participate, but a leaderboard focused on collecting items simply recognizes those who play the most or are exceptionally efficient at finding things. It’s similar to the automated accounts on X that artificially boost engagement to earn money.

A leaderboard that rewards no kind of skill

As an analyst, I’ll be upfront – I generally focus on completing challenges rather than striving for top competitive rankings. However, this particular leaderboard event just doesn’t seem logical to me. It’s really confusing how it’s structured.

Previously, your ranking was determined by your score, which at least recognized skillful gameplay. Now, it’s based on how many Fallout-themed bottle caps you collect.

As a researcher studying player incentives, I’ve found the rewards are fairly limited. Players can earn a couple of unique camouflage designs, and the top performer receives a special Calling Card that designates them as the champion.

What does being ‘champion’ even mean here? Collecting the most bottle caps doesn’t make you the best player – it just means you’ve played the most. Whether you’re grinding in Endgame, Zombies, or even just exploiting easy loot in Warzone casual mode, it simply rewards playtime, not skill.

The limited-time rewards create a fear of missing out, but ultimately, they just help the game developers track how much time players are spending in the game. While those numbers might look good internally, it doesn’t change the fact that the system feels a bit silly.

I attempted a fast-paced strategy, similar to how people play in Warzone, to try and climb the leaderboard. But even after pushing myself to the limit, I was still far behind the top player – about 1,000 points behind, actually. Honestly, if I hadn’t been juggling other challenges like Prestige Master Titles and a Reticle mastery at the same time, I probably would have given up much sooner.

I want leaderboard events, but for rewarding the best players

I’m a big fan of games where you repeatedly complete tasks to get better gear or resources – basically, I’m used to the ‘grind’ of looter shooters.

This event feels different – it actually encourages mindless gameplay. I’d love to see Treyarch structure these events to truly reward skilled players *during* the event itself. For example, I watched a streamer achieve a 25-game win streak on Verdansk, but they only ranked 10th on the leaderboard, which shows the current system doesn’t prioritize top performance.

This just doesn’t add up. The Quantum Exchange event is working as expected, and people are easily earning all the rewards with minimal effort throughout its duration.

I really like the new rewards for winning multiple Warzone matches in a row, and I hope they use this same system for future events. Personally, I don’t think I’ll ever unlock that special Camo, and that’s okay – I haven’t earned it. Anyone who has it deserves it, and hopefully they achieved it fairly.

Honestly, as a multiplayer fan, I’m really hoping for events that actually *reward* skill and winning, not just endless stat-padding and camo grinding. It’s not about forcing everyone into Ranked Play either – which, let’s be real, isn’t even out yet – I just want incentives for actually *trying* to win in any mode.

I’m glad to see these leaderboard events focusing on real gameplay. I want to see players actually *playing* the game, not just using automated tools. Things like reaching high rounds in Zombies, completing challenging events in Endgame, and winning matches in both Multiplayer and Warzone are exactly what these events should reward.

Let’s reward players who truly earn victory in Call of Duty by being the most skilled, not those who exploit glitches or find unfair advantages. We need to bring back genuine competition where skill is the deciding factor.

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2026-01-20 00:40