After Activision promised Black Ops 7 skins would 'feel authentic to Call of Duty and its setting,' Fallout has arrived in Call of Duty

It's a significant day for Black Ops 7. Not only has its first midseason update arrived with a grip of new maps and modes, but it also marks Call of Duty's first big brand collaboration since last year's dustup over the series' major uglification problem.

For the next few weeks, Black Ops 7 is all about Fallout. The half-season-long celebration coincides with the Amazon show's second season with operator skins for the main cast, themed modes, and a special Vault-Tec Nuketown makeover.

In the months before Black Ops 7's release, Activision addressed growing unrest with Black Ops 6's cosmetic output—which included particularly gaudy Beavis and Butthead and American Dad partnerships—by promising that Black Ops 7 would be different.

"We know there’s been a lot of conversation recently about the identity of Call of Duty. Some of you have said we’ve drifted from what made Call of Duty unique in the first place: immersive, intense, visceral and in many ways grounded. That feedback hits home, and we take it seriously. We hear you," the August 2025 blog post read.

"Black Ops 7 needs to feel authentic to Call of Duty and its setting."

If you took those words at face value, a Fallout makeover arriving in Black Ops 7's very first season is nothing less than a u-turn. Activision never specifically said partnered skins were out of the question, but it can't be reasonably argued that Fallout is in any way "authentic" to Call of Duty.

Notably, the about-face isn't inspiring the vitriol of the cel-shaded slop that stained Black Ops 6. Fallout is, apparently, similar enough to Black Ops 7's aesthetic that a few Vault-Tec jumpsuits and power armor suits aren't any more out-of-place than the selection of robo-zombies and spec ops guys already on the operator roster.

As such, the response to the update so far is a mix of excitement and indifference. That's thanks in part to the Fallout show's explosive popularity, and probably also the fact that CoD interest is down this year and only the most dedicated fans are engaged at the moment. I reckon the choice of brand also matters a lot. Perhaps Activision has honed in on the same middle ground Arrowhead has established with Helldivers 2: crossovers are embraced as long as they're a somewhat natural fit.