Country / Region:
Language:
Currency:
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 was highly anticipated when it launched in November 2025, especially after the positive reception of previous installments like Black Ops 6. However, unfortunately, players were dissatisfied with the game, resulting in an unprecedented sales slump.
This is undoubtedly a heavy blow to CoD series, which had consistently ranked among the top FPS games for the past few years. This sudden decline provides an opportunity for competing titles in the same genre.
Especially with ARC Raiders currently enjoying great success, players who migrate to other games may not return. If the upcoming season cannot reverse the downward trend, it is predictable that the series will continue to lose players, leading to a bleak future.
Less than three months after its release, CoD BO7's performance is far inferior to previous installments. As of now, its 24-hour peak is only 38,974 players, and it has fallen to 38th place on Steam charts, a stark contrast to the series' previous peak of 500,000 concurrent players.
Furthermore, compared to similar games, it's significantly weaker. For example, ARC Raider's peak 24-hour player count was 336,175, ranking 4th on Steam charts. Battlefield 6's peak 24-hour player count was 85,082. Even during the Christmas and New Year holiday gaming peak, the number of players for the series, including Black Ops 6/7, declined. In such a competitive market, Black Ops 7's prospects are truly worrying.
Besides the gaming platform, console sales are also dismal. The developers of Black Ops 7 pointed out that console sales are currently at an all-time low. According to available information, Xbox sales alone have dropped by 70%, making 2025 the company's worst year on record.
According to the developers, the sharp decline in sales is because of fierce competition from titles like Battlefield 6, but it's clearly not just that. Besides the fact that similar games have divided some players, Black Ops 7's content itself also has significant problems.
For example, the lack of a single-player mode and the large amount of AI-generated content have caused many players to lose interest in the game. The overwhelmingly negative reviews on social media have further deterred many players.
It's worth noting that Call of Duty series has long been a must-play for FPS games. However, the gaming industry is constantly evolving; today's hit game may be tomorrow's history. The unchanging gameplay has already bored players, while games like Battlefield 6 offer realistic environments and immersive gunfights, something Black Ops 7 and its Zombies mode cannot match.
Furthermore, the developers' constant use of old maps to try to evoke nostalgia feels perfunctory. Leaving aside whether these maps are even compatible with the pace of modern gaming, this nostalgia tactic might be acceptable once or twice, but consistently using inferior content instead of focusing on developing new maps and modes only makes it seem like the developers have run out of ideas, and playing this game is a waste of time.
Not to mention the numerous poorly made AI scenes throughout the game. This not-so-cheap AAA title blatantly presents players with greasy-looking AI graphics, which is a real waste of the time and effort players have invested.
While ARC Raider, another FPS game, also features AI enemies and other AI assistance, it never presents AI creations directly to players in such an open manner. There are only two explanations for this behavior: either the game's artists went on strike, or the developers think players are clueless about art - either way, it's quite absurd.
Fans have been exceptionally harsh in their reviews of this game, with a large number of negative reviews causing its user rating on player platforms to plummet to the lowest in the series. As a result, well-received new titles like ARC Raiders have attracted the attention of most players, drawing potential new players away from Call of Duty series.
Furthermore, free-to-play shooters like Marvel's Rivals and Fortnite have further eroded the game’s potential player base, especially those dissatisfied with Black Ops 7's high price and numerous limitations. While Black Ops 7 was one of the best-selling games of 2025, its sales were far lower than Black Ops 6, clearly reflecting misunderstanding between the game and its target audience.
The failure of Black Ops 7 will undoubtedly increase the pressure on all game developers, especially for a major title from a well-known series. To make matters worse, the next season is expected to compete with the new season of Battlefield 6.
However, based on currently available information, Black Ops 7 Season 2 will have a much larger content volume than Season 1, including new zombie maps and ranked modes, making it highly anticipated.
Given the superior standards that most AAA games face today, mishaps in Black Ops series could be more damaging than ever, as they could ultimately affect the series' fate: whether to continue, innovate, or end it altogether.
Hopefully, Black Ops 7 Season 2 will fully respect player feedback, showing less perfunctoriness and more sincerity. Only then will lost players gradually return.
Amidst the anticipation of all players, ARC Raiders has released its latest update: January Update 1.11.0, which significantly weakens two currently dominant weapons, fixes a bug, and addresses a visual issue. Not only that, the developers have prepared two cosmetic items for all players to claim.
After the patch was released, all players were excited because they had been suffering from the cheating methods used by some players and the excessive damage of some weapons, and desperately needed this extreme nerf. Of course, there is also a lot of anticipation for the third major update that will be released soon.
These topics have sparked a lot of discussion in various player communities and social media. Have you participated? If not, or have missed it, don't worry, because EZG.com, as your most loyal game assistant, will help you gather all the details and comments about Arc Raiders 1.11.0 patch.
First, let's look at the most controversial changes to Kettle weapon: the rate of fire has been reduced from 600 to 450, which is mainly to counteract the competitive imbalance caused by some players using macro commands to exceed the rate of fire limit.
Although the rate of fire doesn't appear to be significantly reduced based on the figures provided by the developers - it wasn't directly halved - feelings from some players' tests indicate that the firing lag is much more pronounced than before, and even automatic weapons are not immune to this nerf.
Compared to the reasons for Kettle's nerf, the reason for Trigger 'Nade's nerf is very simple: it was too strong in PvP, causing players to only choose this grenade instead of other types. In view of this, the developers have greatly reduced its practicality as a grenade that can detonate in the air to cause massive damage, but its effectiveness as a sticky bomb remains unchanged.
The specific changes to this Nade include: some adjustments to the Damage falloff - damage is higher near the center of the explosion and lower at a distance; and the detonation delay for this weapon option has been increased from 0.7 seconds to 1.5 seconds, giving players more reaction time while also increasing the difficulty of detonating it in the air.
This will make future players less afraid of opponents using Trigger 'Nade' in PvP, and they can compete with it using other Arc Raiders items, such as Smoke Grenade or Seeker Grenade. Of course, if you are the wielder of this weapon, you will need to further refine the accuracy of your throwing and explosion event calculations.
In previous gameplay, some players discovered that by disconnecting and reconnecting to the network, Keycards wouldn't disappear after use but would remain in their inventory.
This gave them more opportunities to endlessly farm high-drop-rate locations, significantly disrupting the game's balance. Due to the high level of discussion within the community, the developers took action.
According to Update 1.11.0, the developers have fixed this bug to restore the best balance to all players. However, it must be stated that cheating posts using the same method to duplicate key cards are now popular again in the community, and the discussion volume is quite high.
Hopefully, ARC Raiders will completely fix these two keycard vulnerabilities before the next major update is released, and impose the strictest bans on players who have used or are currently using these vulnerabilities, as a warning to others.
The next patch will reduce the lighting intensity in Stella Montis Night Raid to allow players to focus more on the beams of other players' flashlights and the sounds of their movements. Meanwhile, the sound effects and visuals of the map will be improved.
To be honest, this quality of life improvement is very useful for solo exploration, as any movement around you indicates the presence of enemies; however, for duo or trio exploration, the light and noise emitted by your teammates can become obstacles to your ability to pinpoint enemy locations, so its implementation may require more practice.
Having discussed the important gameplay mechanics and the improvements to the in-game quality of life in Arc Raiders, let's take a look at the new cosmetic set that was casually mentioned at the beginning of the patch: Abyss set. Although it was highly anticipated by players, it was actually not very good-looking.
The outdated color scheme and the disharmonious combination of the top and bottom made it a target of criticism, with some players even creating funny and humorous memes based on the outfit in the community. However, what players find most unacceptable is that this game has never offered any extensive customization options, making it completely incomparable to The Finals from the same developer.
Finally, let’s look at some relatively good news: To celebrate the fact that over 12 million players have joined ARC Raiders since its release, the developers have prepared a prestigious Gilded Pickaxe Raider Tool skin for all players in this off-season.
If you logged into your game account between the game’s release and 23:59 CET on January 13th, you will automatically receive this tool skin in the game content after this update is released. It is compatible with all platforms, including Steam, Epic, PlayStation, and Xbox.
The above is a detailed explanation of all the content included in the current ARC Raiders January Update 1.11.0, as well as players’ opinions on it. Ultimately, the developers are still working on game balance adjustments in this patch, so all players are eagerly anticipating the next major update that will bring even more fresh gameplay content, such as the leaked Toxic Swamp. Enjoy the game!
In Diablo 4 Season 11, when it comes to the fastest character builds in PvP, players often think of Spiritborn and Sorcerer. However, the build I'm about to introduce isn't theirs, but rather Barbarian.
We call this build Frog Leap Quake Barbarian, and it's currently one of the fastest speed-farming builds in Season 11. Especially after optimization, this build's mobility and speed not only rival, but in some situations surpass, Sorcerer, while maintaining Barbarian class's inherent resilience and damage output.
Next, I'll provide a detailed overview of this build and its suitable scenarios.
The core of this build lies in the continuous use of Leap ability. Thanks to Season 11 gear changes and the addition of unique pants, Leap has no cooldown.
Therefore, you can freely use this ability on the battlefield, dealing considerable damage with each hit, while also triggering melee and earthquake effects, allowing for instant map traversal and wall vaulting.
Combined with Fury management and Barbarian survival skills and defensive gear, you can continuously use Leap, ignoring enemy control effects and tanking damage. Sometimes you don't even need to use Hammer of the Ancients.
Below are the advantages and disadvantages of this build, which you can use as a reference to decide if it's suitable for you.
Advantages:
Disadvantages:
For your ultimate skill, you can choose one of the following two:
For most players, I still recommend choosing Hammer of the Ancients as your ultimate skill.
The following is the core gear build for Frog Leap Quake Barbarian:
Next, here are the weapons needed to build this set:
Paragon attributes are flexible and varied. Here are some highly recommended Paragon Boards and their corresponding Glyphs:
You need to hire Subo as your main mercenary. You can unlock him by completing A Feather on the Scale Quest. Subo can automatically scout the surrounding area, letting you know where monsters are in advance, thus increasing your farming speed.
For a secondary mercenary, choose Varyana. Unlocked after completing Slayer's Retribution Quest, her role is the opposite of Subo's; she actively charges into battle to help you farm monsters, making you faster and more powerful.
This build isn't designed for beginners leveling up, but rather a fast late-game farming build. Its power increases as you acquire Mythic uniques throughout the game.
You can use Frog Leap Quake Barbarian in the following combat scenarios:
If you need to challenge The Pit at level 120 and above, it's best to equip Melted Heart of Selig, which acts like a mana shield, converting damage taken into resource deduction. You can use it to significantly increase your defense in endgame content.
Leap Quake Barbarian is also suitable for farming the lower levels of The Tower in Diablo 4, but adjustments will be needed if you want to challenge higher levels.
This concludes the detailed information on Speed Barbarian build in Diablo 4 Season 11. If you're tired of slow-paced classes or want a truly powerful build, then Leap Quake Barbarian is definitely the ideal choice.
It's not only efficient but also incredibly fun; I'm sure you'll love it!
The next round of ARC Raiders' Expedition is scheduled to begin on February 17th this year. Players level 20 and above can participate, and upon completion, you will receive additional skill points and exclusive rewards.
However, participating in this event means giving up your current level and quest progress, including blueprints and valuable weapons you've collected. Completing an Expedition will grant your character permanent rewards and temporary advantages that last until the next expedition. So it's still worth a try.
This guide will introduce the current participation requirements for Expedition 2 and how to obtain the required items.
Before participating in Expedition, you need to collect the necessary items to be eligible to enter.
It's important to note that if you have never participated in an Expedition or have not completed the first phase, you will still be in Expedition 1. You need to collect all Expedition 1 items to start Expedition 2.
In addition, most items collected in Expedition cannot be obtained through crafting or recycling. Therefore, players must leave Speranza and search for these items in specific areas. Similar to the previous Expedition mission, this time players need to complete five phases of collection, but the developers have changed several key items and focused the search area on Stella Montis.
This phase mainly guides players to develop basic recycling and trading habits with merchants. The specific ARC Raiders items required are as follows:
Phase 1 will use items you find throughout the game. Metal Parts and Plastic Parts can be obtained through scavenging, as well as from abandoned cabinets, metal crates, and car engines. If you can't find them, you can trade with Celeste using seeds or obtain them from Scrappy.
The easiest way to obtain ARC Alloy is to attack any ARC Enemies in ARC Raiders. They have a very high chance of dropping ARC Alloy after being defeated, allowing you to acquire a large quantity of this item in a short time.
Phase 2 differs from Expedition 1. In this phase, players need to collect Cooling Coils instead of Cooling Fans. Because the collected items are heavier, it's recommended to travel light and avoid carrying heavy weapons to prevent affecting speed and stamina. Here are the items you'll need for this phase:
Durable Cloth and Wires are common; you'll usually find them in residential areas, offices, and industrial areas. The best map to search for Electrical Components is Dam Battlegrounds; you can also craft them in Refiner using Plastic Parts x8 and Rubber Parts x4.
Cooling Coils are the hardest to collect. They are usually found in lockers and industrial containers, and their drop rate is higher during Night Raids, which is when you can search for them.
The third phase is no longer simply about collecting items. In this phase, you'll need to explore various maps in ARC Raiders to find Exodus loot points. Here are the items you'll need for this phase:
Dam Battlegrounds has a fixed car spawn point containing two Light Bulbs. Go early to avoid others taking them first. Battery drops are random; you can exchange 5 seeds for 10 Batteries daily from Celeste.
Shredder Gyros only appear in Shredders. You must destroy and loot them to obtain the items you want. Shredders are extremely powerful, so always fight from behind cover.
Exodus Modules only exist in Exodus loot points. They may appear in Spaceports, but the most efficient place to obtain them is the Assembly in Stella Montis.
Workshop on Stella Montis is the core location of Phase 4. Here, you can recraft your acquired common items and Exodus Modules into the items you need. The following items are required for this phase:
You'll need to find and destroy Leapers to obtain these Ion Sputters. They are quite common in maps like Spaceport and Dam Battlegrounds; a few Blaze Grenades can easily destroy them.
The final phase requires you to sell your items and earn coins. Here are the types of items you need to sell and the number of coins required:
Once you have completed all five phases, you are eligible to participate in Expedition. If you decide not to participate, your current Expedition phase and all completed steps will remain unchanged, allowing you to change your plans at any time.
In addition to introducing the five phases of Expedition 2, this guide provides a suggestedExodus item search route for your reference.
Enter Stella Montis and equip a custom loadout with a Safe Pocket to ensure your loot isn't stolen by other invaders. Also, prioritize increasing your movement speed and stamina in your build.
If you respawn near Workshop, that's ideal. If not, use Adrenaline Shots to quickly reach your destination and start searching every container.
Prioritize searching closed chests, drawers, and cabinets. Key Expedition items such as Exodus Modules, Frequency Modulation Boxes, and Ion Sputters should be placed in the standard search area.
Put your highest-value Exodus item into Safe Pocket first, then collect as many other items as possible. Sell any extra items to prepare for Phase Five.
That's all the currently known information and strategies for Expedition 2. Many players have already collected all the items and are ready to enter Expedition. We look forward to your joining us!
In ARC Raiders, the experience for solo players and team players is drastically different. Since there are no teammates to revive you, scout enemy positions, or absorb fire, every decision you make is crucial, including gear selection, positioning, and extraction.
Solo players must constantly weigh risks and rewards while managing limited resources and dealing with attacks from ARC and other raiders that may strike at any time. This is where a powerful solo build comes in, allowing you to efficiently loot, quickly win battles, and, most importantly, escape dangerous situations.
Therefore, I will introduce two efficient solo builds: one designed for stable looting and safe combat; the other suitable for experienced players tackling stronger enemies and high-value areas alone.
You can use these builds as a foundation and adjust individual gear to suit your playstyle.
Before delving into the builds themselves, it's important to understand the principles of solo combat.
Sometimes, eliminating your opponent isn't your ultimate goal in combat. This can actually deplete your gear and stamina. Utilizing Smoke Grenade, movement tools, or traps that delay enemies to help you escape is a good option.
Since solo combat is often chaotic and prolonged, sustained damage output is more important than burst damage. Prepare plenty of healing, shield regeneration, and survivability gear.
Without teammates to protect and assist you, you need to have a certain level of combat awareness. Mines, traps, and certain sound cues can compensate for the lack of teammates.
Based on these combat principles, let's look at specific gear configurations.
This build is ideal for players who prioritize safe loot pickup, stable extraction, and balanced combat. It performs exceptionally well in open areas and also holds its own indoors.
Augment:
Shield:
Weapons:
Quick Use Items:
Safe Pocket:
Looting MK. 2 is an essential mod for solo players. It increases backpack capacity, allowing you to pick up more items during raids. Light Shield allows for high mobility, ideal for solo players who need to frequently reposition.
Furthermore, this combination of two guns can handle almost all engagement distances encountered in regular looting missions. ARC Raiders items like bandages and Shield Rechargers are also essential, ensuring you stay at full health and safe during raids.
Smoke Grenades and Ziplines help you quickly evacuate and reach areas difficult for raiders to access.
The advantage of this build is that it helps you avoid unnecessary combat and carefully choose when to engage. Use mines to control your area, use smoke grenades to disengage from combat, and utilize weapon combinations to eliminate raiders who are trying to harm you.
This build is designed for experienced players and is a powerful hybrid build that allows you to maintain strong survivability while dealing with PvE threats and hostile raiders.
Augment:
Shield:
Weapons:
Quick Use Items:
Augmented Slot:
Safe Pocket:
Looting MK. 3 (Survivor) Augment not only allows you to equip a medium shield but also restores health when your character is downed, significantly increasing your chances of successfully escaping even after being knocked down.
Venator and Vulcano combination allows you to control combat at varying distances and in confined indoor spaces, helping you deal with any incoming enemy raiders.
Vita Spray provides instant health regeneration in emergencies, while Surge Shield Rechargers quickly replenish your medium shield. Explosive Mine is ideal for sealing off areas, forcing enemies out from behind cover, or hindering enemy pursuit during retreats.
Snap Hook is one of the most powerful mobility tools for solo players. It allows for quick escapes, flexible repositioning, and access to vertical terrain without relying on fixed ziplines.
This setup supports a more aggressive solo playstyle, but stability remains crucial. Use traps and grenades to control the battlefield, quickly eliminate enemies, and disengage before third parties arrive. Survivor Augment offers some leeway, but don't rely on it excessively.
The above is all the recommended setup information for solo players in ARC Raiders. While solo raids are challenging, they also offer a satisfying sense of accomplishment. You can act at your own pace, choose your combat timing, and cleverly defeat other squads.
Settings are just the foundation of your combat. Be brave enough to try different variations, adapt to different maps and threats, and remember that the best solo raider is the one who survives to the extraction, not the one with the most kills.
