In difficulty with his community since the controversial release of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, Activision is trying to improve its image with an announcement that stirs the nostalgic nerves of players. When Season 1 launches on December 4, all players will receive for free the agent skin The Replacera cult character played by Peter Stormare.
This gift is part of the roadmap for the first multiplayer season, which is already highly anticipated. In addition to the new classic cards that will make their return – Standoff, Meltdown And Fringe – Activision is also banking on fan service to win back an audience burned by the abandonment of the system Carry Forward.
The return of a cult character, free for all
Created for live-action marketing campaigns Black Ops 2, The Replacer quickly became an icon of the franchise. Half-serious, half-offbeat, its role: to take your place in real life while you play Call of Duty. His popularity was such that he eventually became a playable character In Blackout of Black Ops 4, then in a paid pack of Black Ops 6.
This time, Activision is changing its tone. “The skin will be given to all Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 players as a thank you.” A symbolic gesture in a tense context, marked by the discontent of players following the removal of transfers of cosmetic content between episodes. And this 2025 version of the character takes care of the details: “The Substitute will once again wear his iconic black costume, this time adorned with a Black Ops “7” pin on the lapel.”
A season 1 marked by nostalgia
With an average rating of 65/100 on OpenCritic and very critical user feedback, Black Ops 7 is off to a rocky start. But season 1 could reverse the trend. In addition to the free skin, the developers promise:
- Several new multiplayer mapsincluding remastered classics
- A mid-season update expected one month after launch
- Of the new weapons And operators
- A expansion of Zombies and Warzone content
For Activision, it is about convincing players that this opus can still evolve. The choice of reactivate an iconic characterto make it accessible for free and from December 4, is a clear way of reaching out to the community.
While the season promises to be rich in content, many fans will click on “Play” just to put on the black costume of the Substitute once again. And maybe, start to forgive.