The stage is being set in Sin City tonight ahead of Activision’s Call of Duty: Next event Tuesday, when the Microsoft-owned publisher will unveil major gameplay aspects of its upcoming “Call of Duty: Black Ops 7” game.
An annual tradition, Next is when “CoD” shows off its multiplayer and Zombies modes in a livestream presentation (taking place at 9 a.m. PT/12 p.m. ET) but also serves as an in-person experience for press and influencers to get hands-on exposure to the latest installment and be wowed by over-the-top activations promoting the title.
This year, the “Call of Duty” marketing team partnered with West Coast Customs to bring a specific aspect of “Black Ops 7” to life: a real-life version of the in-game “Wonder Vehicle” truck from the “Black Ops 7” Zombies mode.
Per Activision, “In the new ‘Call of Duty: Black Ops 7’ Zombies mode, players will be able to work together to upgrade the Wonder Vehicle and traverse the Ashes of the Damned map, running over and escaping hordes of Zombies.”
As seen in the photo above, the Wonder Vehicle is complete with triple abomination heads on the hood, turret on top, and a”Pack-A-Punch” machine in the back.
For more on what to expect out of this year’s Call of Duty: Next, Variety spoke with Activision marketing chief Tyler Bahl.
What are the main features of this year’s Next?
Call of Duty: Next is all about showcasing and celebrating games with our passionate community, and this year we really wanted to go bigger. We’re hosting “Next” at Area 15 in Las Vegas. It’s a futuristic and immersive venue that perfectly matches the energy of “Call of Duty: Black Ops 7.” Fans will see the very first hands-on gameplay across our ever-popular Multiplayer mode, fan favorite Zombies mode, and our new free-to-play “Call of Duty: Warzone Resurgence” experience called “Haven’s Hollow.” For the first time at Next, we’re also hosting the World Series of Warzone (WSOW), our high-stakes competition with over 150 players competing for a $1M prize pool, alongside the return of the Call of Duty Endowment (C.O.D.E.) Bowl VI presented by USAA.
On top of that, we’ve layered in some unreal activations including a real-life Zombies Wunder Vehicle, an animatronic T.E.D.D. robot that interacts with people on site, and creators racing side-by-sides with Polaris out in the Mojave Desert. It’s the most advanced, immersive creator experience yet, and easily the most ambitious version of Next we’ve ever done.
How did doing two “Black Ops” games back-to-back affect planning for this year’s event?
Moving directly into “Call of Duty: Black Ops 7” gave us a chance to think differently about momentum. We knew the audience had high expectations, so the focus was on making Next feel fresh, unexpected, and larger in scale. That’s why we leaned into building a more immersive venue space using the latest technology and pushed harder on community elements with WSOW and expanded creator participation. We wanted fans to feel that the Next showcase isn’t just continuing, it’s evolving in ambitious new ways.
What did you want to do differently?
This year we wanted to do more than just share new content. We aimed to make Next the most immersive experience yet to showcase not only “Black Ops 7,” but across the board with “Call of Duty: Warzone,” “Call of Duty: Mobile,” C.O.D.E. Bowl VI and the World Series of Warzone. And this year, we brought Next to Las Vegas, at a venue that perfectly fits the near-future timeline of “Black Ops 7.”
With a particularly star-studded cast for “Black Ops 7,” are you incorporating those actors into Next and how?
The cast is a huge part of “Call of Duty: Black Ops 7’s” identity, and while they won’t be front and center at NEXT, we’ve still found ways to weave them into the experience. You’ll see them featured in select moments via behind-the-scenes content that helps set up the gameplay reveals. They may not be the focus of the event itself, as fans will need to wait until we get closer to launch to see more there, but they’re essential to bringing the narrative of the new “Call of Duty” game to life and shaping how fans connect with the world of “Black Ops.”
What can you tease about what influencers and press will get to see in person and participate in vs. the live stream content?
In-person attendees have an incredible weekend in store in Las Vegas, but given the scale of our audience globally, it’s impossible to bring everyone out to Next, so the goal has always been to bring the experience to our fans and community. That’s why hosting creators and press is so important. They get the first hands-on with the new game, they see the builds from the game like the Wunder Vehicle and T.E.D.D., and they spend time with our talented group of “Call of Duty” developers. Then they stream and share that access and perspective with millions of fans who couldn’t be there in person. The live stream delivers the big global moments for us, but it’s the creators and press who help carry the depth and excitement of Next directly to the community.
