‘Call of Duty: Black Ops 7' to Star Milo Ventimiglia, Kiernan Shipka and Michael Rooker; New Game Follows David Mason in Year 2035 (EXCLUSIVE)
Microsoft's Activision is shaking up its long-running 'Call of Duty' franchise with a break from tradition and some A-list stars.
At the conclusion of Xbox Games Showcase 2025 on Sunday, 'Call of Duty: Black Ops 7' was unveiled as the next planned 'CoD' game from Treyarch and Raven Software. With the debut of 'Call of Duty: Black Ops 6' just last fall, this marks the first time ever that two 'Black Ops' installments have been released back to back in the life cycle of the 'Call of Duty' franchise.
More from Variety
Xbox Ally Handheld Console to Launch This Year From Microsoft
'Deadpool' VR Game Starring Neil Patrick Harris Set From Meta Quest, Marvel
New 'Game of Thrones' PC Strategy Game 'War for Westeros' to Launch in 2026
Variety has learned that 'Black Ops 7,' which is set in 2035, more than four decades after the events of 'Black Ops 6,' will star Milo Ventimiglia, Kiernan Shipka and 'CoD' alum Michael Rooker as voice and its motion capture actors. Ventimiglia will play David Mason, a protagonist previously introduced in 'Black Ops 2,' while Shipka has been cast as Emma Kagen, and Rooker is reprising his 'Black Ops 2' role of Mike Harper.
Though the casting news comes amid the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike against major video game publishers, including Activision, Variety has confirmed 'Call of Duty: Black Ops 7' is not a struck title and work on the game has not been impacted by the actors union's work-stoppage.
Activision marketing chief Tyler Bahl described casting Ventimiglia as David Mason (who will receive a subtle makeover so the character is more to Ventimiglia's likeness) as the right fit for 'an iconic character from the franchise and one of the fan favorites' from 'Black Ops 2.'
'And then we brought in Kiernan Shipka, which we're super excited about and is red hot right now, to play this character called Emma Kagen,' Bahl told Variety. 'It's a new character, and she is a CEO of this organization called The Guild, and we think her performance will really blow people away. And then finally, Michael Rooker, is returning to the franchise reprising his role as Mike Harper from 'Black Ops 2,' and I think our fans, you know, will be excited to see him, you know, come back and return to the franchise, you know, because he hasn't been here in a while.'
Per the game's description, 'In 'Call of Duty: Black Ops 7,' Treyarch and Raven Software are bringing players the most mind-bending 'Black Ops' ever. Developed as the next evolution of 'Black Ops,' this is the first-ever consecutive release within the series, set more than 40 years after the events of 'Black Ops 6.' The year is 2035 and the world is on the brink of chaos, ravaged by violent conflict and psychological warfare following the events of 'Black Ops 2' and 'Black Ops 6.' Wielding cutting-edge technology, David Mason and his team must fight back against a manipulative enemy who weaponizes fear above all else.'
The game is a co-op campaign and, like 'Black Ops 6,' will include round-based zombies.
'Call of Duty: Black Ops 7' will be released across Xbox Series X and S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and on PC via Xbox PC, Battle.net and Steam. The game will be available at launch through Xbox's Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass subscriptions.
'Usually at this point in time, we would have teased everything that's coming out. And I think in a lot of ways we're setting this up more like a Beyonce album dropping; nobody's going to know about it, or nobody's going to see it coming,' Bahl told Variety. 'The whole goal was to really do something different, and for us to zag and show up in a unique way. And one way of doing that is almost not doing any pre-promotion and giving it to players in a really unexpected way.'
Watch the teaser trailer for 'Call of Duty: Black Ops 7' below.
Best of Variety
25 Hollywood Legends Who Deserve an Honorary Oscar
New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week
Emmy Predictions: Animated Program — Can Netflix Score Big With 'Arcane,' 'Devil May Cry' and the Final Season of 'Big Mouth?'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Wire
an hour ago
- Business Wire
FIFA Rivals Launches Worldwide, Bringing Non-Simulation Arcade Football Action to Mobile Devices
ZÜRICH & LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--FIFA, the global governing body of football, and next-generation gaming technology studio Mythical Games today announced the worldwide launch of FIFA Rivals, the officially licensed arcade-style mobile football game now available for download on the App Store and Google Play. Powered by FIFA's global license and Mythical Games' cutting-edge platform, FIFA Rivals delivers an arcade-style football experience with gamers building their dream teams and attempting to dominate their rivals by competing in live events and PvP leagues. Following a successful soft launch, the global launch introduces innovative features, fast-paced multiplayer, enhanced gameplay, and digital ownership, providing a fresh take on competitive football gaming. "Football is the world's game, and we're thrilled to bring its billions of global fans an experience that captures the thrill of the sport, with the accessibility of mobile gaming," said John Linden, CEO of Mythical Games. 'With FIFA Rivals, we're blending high-energy arcade gameplay with team-building strategy and actual ownership in gaming. This is just the beginning of what we believe will become a landmark title in gaming.' In FIFA Rivals, gamers can build their dream football team from their favorite stars, teams, and leagues, compete in real-time PvP matches, and take on live events to climb the global leaderboards. Dynamic gameplay and intuitive controls, designed for mainstream mobile gamers, allow users to pull off skill moves, trick shots, and signature plays from star athletes — each represented as a tradable digital collectible on the Mythical Marketplace. Highlights include: Fast-paced PvP gameplay designed for mobile users worldwide Skill-based progression with real-time events and competitive leagues Player collectible ownership and trading through blockchain technology, with no prior web3 knowledge required PVE Scenarios Mode to hone your skills and relive highlights from famous matches Access to Mythical Marketplace allowing gamers to trade, buy, and sell their way to the greatest football team. The launch of FIFA Rivals forms part of FIFA's broader objective to make esports and gaming more accessible, offering fans across the globe a wide range of digital football experiences. The global launch of the free-to-play mobile game FIFA Rivals marks the latest milestone in this journey. FIFA Rivals is available now on the App Store and Google Play Store. For updates and more information, visit and join the community on X (@fifarivals). About Mythical Games Acknowledged by Fast Company's World Changing Ideas 2021 and recently Forbes' Best Startup Employers (2024), Mythical Games is a next-generation game company creating world-class games and empowering players to take ownership of their in-game assets through the use of blockchain technology. The team has helped develop major franchises, including Call of Duty, Call of Duty Mobile, World of Warcraft, Diablo, Overwatch, Magic: The Gathering, EA Madden, Harry Potter Hogwarts Mystery, Marvel Strike Force, Modern Warfare 3, and Skylanders. Mythical's current games, Blankos Block Party and NFL Rivals, are already played by millions of consumers worldwide and create a new economy for players, allowing them to engage in a new way with games, but also directly trade and transact safely with other players worldwide. The Mythical Marketplace, the first in-game blockchain Marketplace on iOS and Android, provides gamers with ownership and control over the purchase and sale of digital assets, while the Mythical Platform protects gamers that may be new to blockchain through a custodial wallet for their digital items.
Forbes
3 hours ago
- Forbes
Netflix's Best New Action Movie Is Certified Fresh On Rotten Tomatoes
Daniella Pineda, Gerard Butler and Yoson An star in the 2023 action thriller 'Plane.' During the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term 'B-movie' referred to the second half of a double feature. Essentially, these were cheaply made flicks that relied on stock sets, contract actors and genre formulas (westerns, crime thrillers, monster movies, etc.), and they were perceived to be inferior to the 'A-movies' that featured big stars and prestige. But over time, the B-movie status evolved from a technical label to a tonal one, and these films became a playground for genre experimentation. And over time, the genre has evolved into something beautiful and modern. This is all to say you shouldn't skip on watching Plane, the latest and greatest action movie to grace Netflix—especially since the film surprised everyone, including critics, and scored nearly 80% over on Rotten Tomatoes from 173 reviews. When Plane was first announced, it felt as though everyone on the internet collectively rolled their eyes. The title seemed like a parody of itself: Gerard Butler…on a plane. Right. He probably punches someone mid-flight. Right. And he has to save everyone from impending destruction. Right. We get it. We've seen this kind of story before, with Den of Thieves, with Olympus Has Fallen, with Copshop and Greenland and Hunter Killer—I could go on. The whole thing sounded like the kind of bargain-bin action flick you half-watch on a Sunday afternoon while folding laundry. And honestly? That's not entirely wrong. But what's surprising about Plane is that, despite its throwback packaging and B-movie premise, it manages to be… solid. More than solid, really. And in today's landscape of overbaked blockbusters and algorithm-churned content, 'solid' feels almost radical. In fact, it's a fantastic way to spend 107 minutes in front of the television. The film follows Captain Brodie Torrance (Butler), a widowed pilot just trying to get through a New Year's Eve flight from Singapore to Tokyo. On board his flight is a handful of passengers, a convicted murderer in cuffs (Mike Colter) and a weather pattern that would make anyone nervous to fly. After a harrowing emergency landing on a remote island controlled by anti-government militias, the film veers into full-throttle jungle mayhem, with Butler and Colter teaming up for a violent fight for survival. Essentially, it's Sully meets Rambo, but with more grit and less polish. Critics were quick to admit their expectations were low—and that the movie cleared the bar with surprising ease. Over at The Hollywood Reporter, Frank Scheck praises the 'breathlessly paced suspenser' and Richet's clarity in staging action sequences. He singles out a brutal, single-take fistfight that gives Plane some real brawn, and applauds the film's ability to sneak in character beats without slowing the tempo. 'It gets the job done,' Scheck writes, 'which is more than you can say for most genre films these days.' Variety's Owen Gleiberman described Plane as a genre blender that keeps pivoting, from disaster film to jungle thriller to buddy movie, but never loses its grip. He compared it to something pre-Die Hard, when action movies felt more grounded in character than spectacle. Butler, now in his 50s, leans into the role with just enough gruff sincerity to make Brodie feel like more than a stock hero. And Colter's Louis Gaspare might be one of the more interesting sidekicks in recent action memory: stoic, enigmatic, and constantly teetering between threat and ally. David Ehrlich at IndieWire was even more enthusiastic. He framed Plane as a dad-movie dream, praising its 'sinewy sincerity' and restraint. Unlike so many modern action flicks, Plane takes its time. The cockpit sequences are given space to breathe. The fight scenes are brutal but coherent. And Butler, as Ehrlich puts it, 'knows his strengths like the back of a bad guy's broken neck.' There's a warmth to the movie that makes its cliches feel earned, not lazy. It's throwback cinema, sure—but of the kind that actually throws punches you feel. That doesn't mean Plane is without its issues. Its portrayal of the Philippines as a third-world hellscape hasn't gone unnoticed. Nor has its simplistic view of geopolitical conflict. But even those critiques sit beside acknowledgment that the movie doesn't take itself too seriously. It's a film where a man MacGyvers a jungle phone line just to call his daughter, fights mercenaries with a handgun and a headset, and then climbs back into a busted jet to finish what he started. It's ridiculous…but intentionally so. In an era where so many action movies feel bloated, impersonal, or too preoccupied with setting up spin-offs, Plane is refreshingly straightforward. It's less than two hours long, and its pulp fiction done right. You might not remember every detail after the credits roll, but for a film called Plane, it doesn't just fly—it lands.
CNET
3 hours ago
- CNET
Apple's Game App on iPhone vs. Microsoft's ROG Xbox Ally: The Real Winners Are Gamers
At WWDC 2025, Apple showed off plenty of changes in its preview for software upgrades due out later this year, but alongside visual shifts like Liquid Glass, the company also debuted a new Games app designed to be a hub for downloaded games. It's a continued push for iPhone, iPad and Mac owners to play and connect with others that comes as other gaming companies shift their strategies -- most notably, Apple announced its Games app days after Microsoft revealed its own ROG Xbox Ally, a powerful handheld that crams PC parts into a smaller handheld system. Ultimately, both approaches play to the strengths of each company and shore up weaknesses. Microsoft doesn't have a mobile phone user base, so it's leaning into gaming-dedicated devices that provide a more conventional gaming experience. Apple is trying to make the iPhone more user-friendly for gaming by offering a space for a personalized library of your games, easier ways to play games with others online and making it more convenient to wirelessly connect third-party controllers or promote phone-attaching controllers like the Backbone. Microsoft/Screenshot by CNET The clear winners are gamers, who are being given more choices for how they play their games. Apple may be farther behind in gaming-specific software, but its hardware is probably already in gamers' pockets, while Microsoft is introducing another powerful device in the growing handheld space. While gamers with other systems may not flock to Apple products to play, those who only own iPhones, iPads and Macs are getting more options for what they play, especially as they've started getting more powerful titles that debut on PC and consoles. Last year, the company announced that modern games like Resident Evil 7 and 8 would be playable on its devices, from MacBooks to iPhones. Apple's gaming ambitions do rely on game developers and publishers to make their games compatible with its devices. While we are in an era of increasing availability of games releasing on multiple platforms at launch, ports of games to Macs are much rarer, and Apple will have to continue laboring to convince the games industry to make games for their computers, which still only make up just over 10% of the PC market, according to a late 2024 Canalys report. Apple has a much greater hold on the phone market, so they have a greater base for gaming on iPhones. It's unquestionable that releasing games as demanding as Resident Evil 7 and 8 on iPhones is an admirable feat that speaks to the power of modern Apple handsets. But do gamers want to play such intense titles on phones with a separate controller (or even touch controls)? Microsoft's moves will likely appeal to more conventional gamers looking for a powerful device to play games they already own on the go. Microsoft's approach to lean into handhelds follows a relatively recent rise of handheld PCs, which kicked off with the Steam Deck in 2022. But with that popular system already showing its age, the newer and more powerful ROG Xbox Ally models (the standard Xbox Ally and beefed-up Xbox Ally X) will likely be able to get higher graphics quality and framerates than Valve's handheld. Microsoft's approach is more self-contained, too. While the ROG Xbox Ally models both have a 7-inch display that's only a bit bigger than the largest 6.86-inch screen on the iPhone 16 Pro Max, Microsoft's devices have integrated controllers on either side with buttons and thumbsticks. It will be easy to pick them up and play, while iPhone players will have to wirelessly connect gamepads and prop up their smartphones on a wall or object. It's worth noting that Microsoft's handheld will have the additional advantage of its operating system, and while we're still in the early days of handhelds running Windows 11, it's still the most popular PC OS for playing games -- and they'll be able to run game mods, Microsoft acknowledged in an official post. The select few media members who got an early look at the handheld this weekend were reportedly impressed by the ease of switching between different game launchers, from Xbox to Activision Blizzard's to Epic, to play games siloed in each. Players who already own games in those launcher libraries will conceivably be able to use them on the Xbox Ally without having to re-buy them. Apple's Games app aims to even the playing field in software -- it works like a launcher, and should make it easier to sort through and play the many games on an iPhone, iPad or Mac. While gamers won't be able to transfer the versions they already bought on other platforms, Apple has a similar buy-anywhere approach within its device lineup, so they'll be able to pay for one copy of the game and play on their iPhone or M-series Mac. While neither company will revolutionize gaming, the Games app in iOS 26 and other Apple software updates are expected to arrive in September or October, and the ROG Xbox Ally models are expected to arrive by the end of the year. The holidays will see another evolution in the way both tech giants appeal to gamers.
