Call of Duty: Black Ops 2fans are finally getting their long-awaited follow-up to the 2012 classic, withBlack Ops 7now confirmed to be a direct sequel. While information is fairly limited about the game, fans know that it will be another joint effort between Raven Software and Treyarch, with the former expected to handle the campaign similar toBlack Ops Cold WarandBlack Ops 6. Said campaign will continue the stories of David Mason and Raul Menendez and feature co-op gameplay, while Zombies will return yet again, and the recently introduced omnimovement system will be expanded upon. Fittingly,Black Ops 7will be releasing in 2025, the same year thatBlack Ops 2’s campaign took place, showing some clever thinking on Activision’s part. However, this acknowledgment ofBlack Ops 2’s setting makes its refusal to do anything special for June 26, 2025 - AKA Judgment Day - that much stranger.
What Was Call of Duty: Black Ops 2’s Judgment Day?
For those who did not play throughCall of Duty: Black Ops 2themselves, or simply need a refresher on the campaign’s story since over 12 years have passed since that game’s release, Judgment Day was essentially the payoff toRaul Menendez’ revolution. The Cordis Die movement began on social media and quickly skyrocketed in popularity, as its then-secret leader managed to garner the support of many due to his charisma and viewpoints on the world at large. Cordis Die’s goal was to fight for impoverished people and nations, targeting the richer countries of the world in the hopes of ending economic inequality. With such a strong message, it was no surprise that many supported the group’s cause, with violent riots breaking out and a private military being gathered to support the efforts of the Cordis Die movement.
However, despiteBlack Ops 2’s fictional revolution having a positive message, the faceless leader of the movement was actually terrorist and drug cartel member Raul Menendez. Menendez used Cordis Die’s military to fight his personal battles of revenge against the United States and specific people who served the country. In an effort to destabilize the United States and destroy the countries he viewed as oppressors, Menendez hijacked America’s drone network, using it to take out world leaders and attack densely populated cities like Los Angeles. This plan to create chaos within first-world countries was ultimately foiled byAlex Mason’s son, David, with Treyarch building up to the moment throughout the campaign’s runtime, as Menendez posted videos promising that June 19 would change everything. Given how memorable this date is inCall of Dutyhistory - and being especially relevant with aBlack Ops 2follow-up imminent - it would have been the perfect chance for something special.
Judgement Day was also the name ofBlack Ops 2’s final campaign mission.
What Could Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Have Done to Celebrate Judgment Day?
In a perfect world,Black Ops 7could have released on Judgment Day, though withCall of Duty’s tradition of releasing at the end of the year, that was always unlikely. Instead, Treyarch, Raven, and Activision could have:
While not doing anything significant for the real-world occurrence ofBlack Ops 2’s Judgment Day isn’t something that will kill hype forBlack Ops 7orspark outrage fromCall of Dutyfans, it is a puzzling decision and a bit of a letdown.Black Ops 7is building directly offBlack Ops 2’s legacy, so playing into that history should absolutely be a priority for Activision going forward.Black Ops 2is a truly beloved game, after all, as it came at the tail end of the franchise’s golden era and is acclaimed by critics and fans alike. Given that reception, it’s no wonder that Judgment Day has stuck with so manyCall of Dutyplayers, with plenty of awesome fan tributes seen around the internet on June 19. Really, the only thing that could have made the real-world version of Judgment Day more memorable would have been a proper celebration from the people who made it.
