Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Draws Flak Over Alleged GenAI Use as Steam Player Count Underwhelms

Players claim Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 uses generative AI to create artwork for in-game player calling cards.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 released on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series S/X.

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Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 released across PC, PlayStation and Xbox platforms last week, and the game’s launch has been less than ideal. Concurrent player numbers for the game on Steam have been modest, especially compared to recently released multiplayer competitors like Battlefield 6 and Arc Raiders. Black Ops 7 players have also pointed out and criticised the alleged use of generative AI in the game for some artwork.

Black Ops 7 Steam Player Count

Black Ops 7, which can be accessed through the Call of Duty app, crossed 100,000 peak concurrent players on Steam on Sunday, as epr SteamDB, two days after it launched. Those numbers pale in comparison to Battlefield 6 and Arc Raiders, which hit 700,000 and 300,000 peak concurrent player counts on the platform right after launch.

It is, however, worth noting that a large chunk of Black Ops 7 players on PC would have accessed the shooter through their Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass subscription. The newest Call of Duty was added to Xbox Game Pass on the day it launched. Player numbers on PlayStation and Xbox platforms aren’t shared. Activision and Microsoft have not yet shared sales figures or player numbers for Black Ops 7.

Xbox boss Phil Spencer, however, congratulated developers on the launch of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7. “Huge thanks to the incredible teams behind Call of Duty. Your creativity and passion continue to shape gaming culture and deliver unforgettable experiences. You made history again. Congrats on this amazing milestone,” Spencer said Saturday after the game’s launch.

Generative AI Artwork in Black Ops 7

Black Ops 7 has also attracted controversy over the alleged use of generative AI in the game. Following its launch, several players pointed out on social media that the artwork for in-game player calling cards seems to have been created using generative AI. From screenshots posted by players, a lot of the said artwork resembled Studio Ghibli-style AI images that went viral when OpenAI launched GPT‑4o-powered image generation feature earlier this year.

On the game’s Steam page, Activision admits to using generative AI tools “to help develop some in game assets” in the AI generated content disclosure section, but doesn’t specify which assets were created using AI tools.

In a statement to XboxEra, Activision said: “Like so many around the world, we use a variety of digital tools, including AI tools, to empower and support our teams to create the best gaming experiences possible for our players. Our creative process continues to be led by the talented individuals in our studios.”

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 launched on November 14 across PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series S/X. The game is also available on Xbox Game Pass.

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