Fans are not happy with Call of Duty: Black Ops 7's use of AI art, but this is nothing new

Today is the launch day for Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, the latest entry in the long-running series from Activision, and fans are not happy with the level of AI art involved. This is technically nothing new for the Call of Duty series. Thanks to Steam’s new AI disclosure warning added this year, you can go back to Black Ops 6’s Steam page and see that it also has an AI generated content disclosure. The problem appears to be Black Ops 7’s specific use of AI art and the type of art it employs.

Fans are not happy with Call of Duty: Black Ops 7’s use of AI-generated art

The AI art in question appears to be used for calling cards, posters, and reward icons, according to a social media post shared by Pirat_Nation. The post was then also shared on the Call of Duty subreddit, where fans shared their thoughts. The top comment points out that this is nothing new and disputes the Reddit post’s title by using the word “caught,” arguing that Activision is not trying to hide this information and that it’s not the first time it's been used. On Black Ops 7’s Steam page, the disclosure is clearly visible, even if it doesn’t get into exact details. But that hasn’t stopped fans from expressing their distaste.

Some Reddit users had issues with the art itself, writing: “…they could’ve at least told ChatGPT to not use its default art style…” pointing out what many others have compared to something like a Studio Ghibli movie. Other users had more issues with the game’s pricing and budget, explaining: “they use AI hence they don’t pay human artists hence they save a lot of money YET the game still costs the SAME premium price…” emphasis added by the user. This Call of Duty entry costs the full premium price of $70, which is not surprising, but it adds salt to the wound for anyone who is not a fan of AI-generated art.

Social media post pointing out questionable art.Source: Pirat_Nation on Twitter / X

Another odd addition to this controversy, the art featured in the social media post does not seem to fit the game’s style. It looks cartoonish or like an anime rather than the dark, gritty military realism that Call of Duty is typically known for. But that’s from someone who hasn’t played a Call of Duty game in many years, so I can’t exactly speak to how this fits into the game.

Activision has responded to the accusations and backlash. In a statement sent to Insider Gaming, 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.” For whatever that’s worth.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 has gotten solid reviews from critics, with an 84 on Metacritic, but Steam reviews are less forgiving, currently sitting at 45% positive at the time of writing. For now, we’ll have to see how the reception of this new Call of Duty game continues through the weekend.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7

November 14, 2025

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• Activision
• Treyarch
• Call of Duty (franchise)
• AI / Artificial Intelligence