Treyarch has officially announced the reputation level 1-3 icons and corresponding rewards for "Call of Duty: Black Ops 7". However, instead of arousing expectations, this announcement has been widely criticized by players.The newly announced design results have received mostly negative reviews, with community players accusing the studio of relying on AI to generate art works and producing visual designs that are "perfunctory" and "lack of creativity" and are not worthy of the past standards of the series' reputation system.
The icons announced this time are displayed together with the rewards corresponding to early reputation levels, which include unique character appearances and blueprint unlocks.Players who have reached the "Reputation Master" level can customize the color of the level displayed in the game and add player titles that can be displayed in the lobby and in matches.However, despite the actual functionality of these rewards, much of the community's attention has been focused on the artistic style and quality of the newly released badge designs.
On social platforms and gaming forums, players quickly began questioning the authenticity of the artwork.Multiple users said they put the icons into AI detection tools, which allegedly flagged the images as containing elements consistent with AI-generated characteristics.Critics point out that the design suffers from inconsistent textures, mediocre compositions, and a lack of artistic coherence—traits often associated with algorithmically generated art.
Among the three icons announced, only the third-level reputation badge has received more praise.Many players believe it captures the essence of the design of the early Black Ops series, with sharper details and a more realistic military aesthetic.The first icon was considered too simple because it only showed an ordinary helmet; the second icon was compared to a "cheap mobile phone wallpaper."
The response highlights growing skepticism in the gaming community about studios suspected of using generative AI tools to produce official content.While Treyarch has yet to respond to the accusations, controversies over AI-generated footage have become a recurring issue across the industry.
Comparisons with its predecessors further exacerbate player disappointment.Many long-time gamers refer to Black Ops 1 and 2 as the "golden age" of prestige badge design, citing their exquisite military-themed graphics and clear sense of progression.Even "Black Ops 6", released in 2024, is considered to be better than the new work in terms of visual recognition and thematic coherence.
However, a small number of community players defended the new design.Some people believe that there is currently no conclusive evidence that the icons are generated by AI; others say that the aesthetics of the badge is ultimately secondary to the gameplay or progression system.A few players even said that they "will reach these levels no matter what" and emphasized that although the reputation icon has symbolic meaning, it will not directly affect the multiplayer battle experience.
"Call of Duty: Black Ops 7", jointly developed by Treyarch and Raven Software, is scheduled to be launched on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC platforms on November 14, 2025.The game is set in 2035 and revolves around David Mason and his covert operations team. The plot will connect the events of "Black Ops 2" and "Black Ops 6".In addition to the single-player campaign, the game will include a competitive multiplayer mode and the return of a "Zombies Mode," continuing Treyarch's longstanding tradition of launching post-launch seasonal content.
