Developers Miles Lesie and Natalie Pohorski explain how they refined the new omnidirectional movement mechanics for Call of Duty: Black Ops 7.
At Gamescom 2025, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 was one of the most anticipated titles on display. The new installment, set to launch on November 14 for PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox One (with no Switch 2 version confirmed yet), continues to push forward Treyarch’s experimentation with movement mechanics.
We sat down with two of the creators , Miles Lesie, creative director at Treyarch, and Natalie Pohorski, narrative producer at Raven , who shared with us some insights into how the new omnidirectional movement system has evolved since Black Ops 6.
From Chaos to Control
When we asked Lesie about the early days of testing these new features — which now include wall jumps, tactical ledge climbs, and the removal of tactical sprint — he admitted things were messy at first.
“It happened early in development, and it’s something that happens all the time. Playtesting and feedback from the team are the driving force behind the creation of video games,” said Lesie.
The freedom offered by omnidirectional movement was exciting but quickly became overwhelming. According to Lesie, the challenge was finding a “sweet spot” where players had more creative mobility without breaking the flow of combat.
“We’ve nailed it, and it’s not frustrating for either side, nor is it frustrating to use or have it used against you. We want to give players more options for using movement across the map, in all areas, and in all engagements.”
Fine-Tuning Before Launch
Lesie confirmed that after months of balancing, the Omnidirectional Movement Evolution update is finally in a “really good place.” Still, he emphasized that Treyarch is looking forward to the community’s feedback during the upcoming beta to make further refinements before release.
Black Ops 7 aims to build on the controversial innovations of its predecessor, polishing them into a system that’s both accessible to newcomers and rewarding for veterans. If Treyarch has truly struck that balance, the game could bring back the kind of competitive energy the series has been missing.