Controller-centred aiming in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is about to get a pretty decent, albeit myopically targeted, change. The developer – Treyarch Studios – has confirmed plans to boost the strength of Aim Assist over range so that it addresses the player claims that it offers little support when long distances are involved during engagement. This plan, which was discussed by Design Director Matt Scronce in a recent developer talk, is categorized as a “very nuanced change,” meant to calibrate the system to a point that will please the populace before the inaugural season of the game.
This upcoming adjustment has already been preceded by an impactful alteration just before the game was launched. The first change refined the Rotational Aim Assist feature, stating that in order to fully activate the power of that assistance, the player’s right control stick must actively track an enemy target. While the studio is more or less satisfied with the status of Aim Assist after that first refining, player feedback and internal data have often highlighted that performance drops off when it comes to distant target engagement – hence the planned increase in ranged Aim Assist strength. This initiative is aimed at fixing an issue and establishing a perfect balance across all combat distances.
Beyond that, looking at aiming mechanics general, Treyarch is also putting more emphasis on the broader weapon balance landscape. Scronce outrightly acknowledged the feedback flowing from the community concerning the effectiveness of the SMG category, and the studio would thus collectively buff all SMGs, as well as reviewing the specific attachments that touch on performance regarding recoil control and range. In the meantime, weapon classes of Marksman Rifles, Sniper Rifles, and Shotguns are under continuous close monitoring. Although there are no immediate nerfs or buffs planned for such weapon types, the development team is keeping track of data in this regard to ensure that these weapon classes have a merit in the meta without being any more dominating than they need to be.
These major changes will happen before the arrival of Season 1, but a specific date has not yet been given for this patch. Season 1 is, at this stage, being whispered to kick off in early December. Black Ops 7 has continuously maintained the commitment of bringing on more terrific content and mechanical refinements in seasons after the game has launched by adding an iconic map such as Nuketown 2025.
