Black Ops 7 to buff aim assist and nerf Drone Pod in first post-launch update

Treyarch is rolling out the first major update for Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, and players have a lot to look forward to, including an aim assist buff, Drone Pod nerf, and more.

Following feedback from the game’s launch week, the developer announced plans in their latest Dev Talk, where they have decided to buff aim assist for controller players. Matt Scronce, Treyarch’s Design Director, said, “We will be making some very nuanced changes and slightly increasing aim assist strength over range ahead of Season 1.”

While the initial reduction in aim assist had some players frustrated, Treyarch is now increasing its strength slightly to improve stickiness, especially at both short and long ranges. This adjustment aims to make combat feel smoother and more balanced for controller users.

The devs are also dialing back the power of the Drone Pod field upgrade. Yale Miller, Director of Production at Treyarch, confirmed: “Hearing you’re going to make a nerf on one of my favorites, the Drone Pod. That’s right.”

The Drone Pod may have a reduced number of drones or slower flight speed, but it will be finalized later on. The field upgrade is quite impactful, so it will be nerfed to balance its effectiveness. Additionally, the update brings several equipment buffs, including the Point Turret, Needle Drone, Molotov, and Cluster Grenade.

Coming to the weapons, all SMGs will be buffed while looking at specific attachments that target recoil and range. The devs will also look into tuning pellet damage and base shotgun damage. “We are closely monitoring shotguns. We feel pretty good about where they’re at, but want to make sure that they’re not becoming too dominant and overpowered, which we know can be frustrating,” Scronce said.

Other BO7 Season 1 enhancements include spawn adjustments in multiplayer modes like Hardpoint, Free-For-All, and Team Deathmatch. Plus, the highly anticipated Endgame mode, previously unlocked only by completing the Campaign, is now available to everyone.

For Black Ops 7 Zombies, the boss fight for Ashes of the Damned has been made easier. Barnacles respawn and heal more, the missile barrage has slowed down, and solo mode has been made more manageable.