Players accuse Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 of using AI-generated content. Activision responds in a statement.
Why are fans angry? Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 was released on November 14, and shortly after, there was heavy criticism from the community regarding the calling cards of the game. These are the large banners that allow you to customize your profile.
On social media, many users criticized that a large part of the calling cards looked like AI-generated images, especially from the campaign and the endgame. Terms like “pathetic” and “unacceptable” are repeatedly mentioned (via X). On Reddit, one user writes:
Honestly, it’s a shame that they basically have to use AI because Treyarch has some great artists in the studio.
The use of AI is often viewed critically by fans in the gaming industry, as studios avoid paying real artists when utilizing it.
Activision states that they use AI tools to support the teams
What does Activision say about the accusations? The criticism and accusations of potentially AI-generated images became very loud very quickly. Activision responded shortly thereafter with a statement they sent to CharlieIntel, for example (via X)
In the statement, the company explains:
Like many around the world, we use a variety of digital tools, including AI tools, to empower and support our teams to create the best possible gameplay experiences for our players. Our creative process will continue to be led by the talented people in our studios.
However, with the statement, Activision could not calm the waters. One user quips: “Using AI to help developers create a higher-quality game is fine, but using it solely to increase profit margins while developers are being laid off and a cheaper-feeling game is released is bad.”
Part of the criticism of the calling cards from Call of Duty stems from a “trend” that swept through social media at the beginning of 2025: users created a plethora of images with ChatGPT that closely resembled the style of the Japanese animation studio “Studio Ghibli.” The calling cards of Black Ops 7 are also accused of using the style of Ghibli.
Studio Ghibli is known for films like “Princess Mononoke” or “Spirited Away” and has a recognizable animation style. The hype around the imitation of the style via ChatGPT ultimately forced OpenAI to intervene: A new hype has forced OpenAI to take an unprecedented measure: adding a watermark
