Black Ops 7 will not have early access

Helmeted soldiers aiming guns from Call of Duty Black Ops 7.

Vaspaan Dastoor is an editor for TheGamer. He used to work at IGN India and is constantly trying to get people to make time for a LOTR marathon. You can find him at @DastoorVaspaan where he gives hot reactions for cold answers

Early Access used to be a way for developers to get feedback from the community before launching the final version of their game. Games like Hades 2 and Baldur's Gate 3 were hugely successful because they were developed based on early access feedback. But now it's also a corporate money-making scheme that allows some players to get into the game a few days earlier than others, for a price.

It usually comes as one of the bonuses of purchasing the premium edition of the title along with various cosmetics and in-game currency. A recent Forbes article sparked rumors that the $100 Vault Edition of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 will come with 72 hours of early access. However, Activision has now clarified that no such offer exists.

Black Ops 7 Vault Edition does not come with an early access period

Four soldiers in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 with red mist around them.

The Forbes article has since been updated and all references to early access have been removed after speaking with an Activision representative (thanks, GamesRadar). The publisher also reiterated that no early access period has worked, with the game launching on November 14 for all versions on all platforms.

To recap, Black Ops 7 Vault Edition includes everything from the base game, premium rewards including exclusive Zombies Mastercrafts, and early access to the BlackCell Premium Season only. You will only be able to play the game on November 14th along with everyone else.

For a while it looked like Battlefield 6 would overshadow this year's Call of Duty, but things may have changed after the first season of the Dice shooter. The massive wave of microtransaction options and a slew of colorful new skins has left the community a bit underwhelmed. Maybe Black Ops 7 can take advantage of that and get some fans to jump ship. However, it is extremely likely that Black ops 7 will do exactly the same thing in the first season, so don't get your hopes up too high.