By the time the calendar flipped to 2026, it was hard not to feel like Black Ops 7 had stumbled out of the gate and never really caught its breath. The campaign didn't land, and every time Battlefield 6 or ARC Raiders popped up in your feed, BO7 looked even more behind the pace. Still, if you're sticking around, you're probably doing it for the grind and the promise of better drops—and yeah, some people are already eyeing CoD BO7 Boosting to catch up without burning a whole weekend on it.

Season 1 Reload and the Zombies tease

January starts quick. Season 1 Reload hit on January 8th, and it's the first time in a while the game's felt like it has a pulse again—new guns, a couple modes, the usual shuffle. The bigger headline is that Fallout TV crossover, but it's tied to the show's current season rather than the old-school game look, so don't go in expecting power armor straight out of your favourite save file. Then January 15th rolls around with "115 Day," which is basically the bat-signal for Zombies fans. Even if you don't main Zombies, you know how it goes: one good teaser can do more for hype than a month of playlists.

Season 2 needs to fix the Warzone mood

If you've been living in Warzone lately, you've felt the drag. Weekend playlist swaps aren't real content, and the meta's been getting stale. Season 2 is expected around February 5th, and the leaks make it sound like a proper swing: a rebuilt Rebirth Island that keeps the bones but changes routes, sightlines, and the tempo of fights. Blackout is also rumoured to come back, which could be huge if they don't overcomplicate it. And there's talk of Avalon from Endgame joining the rotation, which would be a big "finally" moment for anyone tired of running the same circles every night.

Ranked Play, rewards, and the MW4 shadow

Ranked Play is confirmed for Season 2 as well, and it has to be cleaner than the Black Ops 6 mess. Nobody wants another early launch full of cheaters, busted SR, and matches that feel pointless. The devs are saying it's been tuned for both Multiplayer and Warzone, so we'll see. Past that, 2026 is going to get awkward marketing-wise, because GTA 6 is looming in November and everyone knows it. Wouldn't shock me if Activision starts teasing Modern Warfare 4 earlier than usual—Season 3 or 4 kind of early—just to keep attention from drifting.

Collabs, The Haunting, and what keeps people playing

Collab rumours are doing what they always do: keeping the group chat busy. John Wick 5 talk is floating around, and there's even chatter about a Halo campaign remaster tie-in, which sounds wild enough to be real or total nonsense. The Haunting should close the year again, and the Resident Evil names—Leon and Ada—are back in the mix after supposedly getting cut before. If Activision actually delivers the goods, it could be the kind of year that pulls BO7 back into rotation, and if you're also the type who likes gearing up fast or grabbing game items without hassle, it's worth knowing sites like U4GM exist for that exact reason.