The Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 campaign is built to be finished in a single sitting, but estimates on its exact length vary a lot. That’s partly because it’s fully co‑op for up to four players and partly because difficulty and playstyle make a bigger difference here than in earlier Black Ops games.
This explainer breaks down realistic completion times, how many missions there are, and what changes if you play solo, in co‑op, or push into the Endgame mode.
How long to beat Call of Duty Black Ops 7 campaign
There are three credible ranges for how long it takes to clear the main story in Black Ops 7:
| Play style | Estimated time to beat campaign | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fast, objective-focused (solo or co‑op) | 4–5 hours | Minimal exploration, little time in optional open sections. |
| Typical solo run on Regular/Hardened | ~6 hours (4–6 window) | Mix of experimenting with weapons, using cover, and not rushing. |
| Thorough run, higher difficulty, co‑op experimentation | ~8–9 hours | More cautious play, wipes on late encounters, more time in open areas. |
All of these figures are for the 11 core story missions only. They don’t include time spent in the Endgame PvE mode or replaying missions for collectibles.
That puts Black Ops 7 squarely in “short COD campaign” territory. It’s longer than the most criticized campaigns like 2023’s Modern Warfare 3, but noticeably shorter than Black Ops 3 or Black Ops 6, which generally sit closer to the 8–10 hour mark for most players.
Black Ops 7 campaign mission count and structure
Black Ops 7 features 11 campaign missions. The full list is:
| # | Mission name | Primary location | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Exposure | Avalon | Story opener, more linear |
| 2 | Inside | Avalon | Story, close-quarters focus |
| 3 | Distortion | Angola | Field deployment, more traditional mission |
| 4 | Escalation | Avalon | Story, rising stakes |
| 5 | Disruption | Tokyo Bay, Japan | Set-piece heavy, varied environments |
| 6 | Collapse | Avalon | Large battles, more chaos |
| 7 | Fracture | Los Angeles, USA | Urban combat focus |
| 8 | Quarantine | Avalon | Heavier on atmosphere and tension |
| 9 | Suppression | Vorkuta, USSR | Cold-climate operations |
| 10 | Breakpoint | Avalon | Build-up to finale |
| 11 | Containment | Avalon | Finale and transition into Endgame |
The campaign mixes classic linear missions with more open segments where Avalon opens up and you can roam with your squad. Those open sections stretch your playtime if you choose to explore, grind weapon levels, or clear side objectives instead of pushing straight to the mission marker.
How difficulty and co‑op change your completion time
Black Ops 7’s campaign offers four difficulty settings:
| Difficulty | Who it’s for | Impact on time to beat |
|---|---|---|
| Recruit | Story-first players, FPS newcomers | On co‑op, expect closer to the 4-hour mark if you don’t linger. |
| Regular | Most players, balanced challenge | Solo runs often fall around 5–6 hours. |
| Hardened | Veterans comfortable with COD combat | Cautious solo players can edge toward 6–8 hours with retries. |
| Veteran | Players who want punishing fights | Death loops and careful movement can push you into the 8–9 hour range. |
Unlike older entries, Black Ops 7 is tuned from the ground up for co‑op. Enemy health and density scale with squad size, but four human players focusing fire still erase bullet sponge enemies much faster than a single player can. That means:
- A tight, coordinated four‑player squad on Regular or Hardened will often clear the story faster than a solo Recruit run where you explore and experiment.
- Playing alone on higher difficulties can stretch time significantly as you replay more aggressive encounters.
In short: squad up if you want a shorter, punchier campaign; stay solo and step up the difficulty if you prefer a slightly longer, more methodical run.
How Black Ops 7 compares to other Call of Duty campaigns
Black Ops 7 sits on the shorter side even by Call of Duty standards. Recent mainline campaigns roughly break down as follows:
| Game | Typical campaign length | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Black Ops 3 | ~9 hours | One of the longest COD campaigns. |
| Call of Duty 3 / COD2 | ~8+ hours | Older, more traditional, longer missions. |
| Black Ops 1, World at War, BO2, Advanced Warfare, Infinite Warfare, WW2, COD1 | ~7 hours | Classic length for 360/PS3-era campaigns. |
| Modern Warfare (2019), MW2, Vanguard, MWII, Ghosts, COD4 | ~6 hours | Modern pace, highly scripted set pieces. |
| Cold War | ~5.5 hours | Shorter, with some optional side content. |
| MW3 (2011, 2023), MWIII | ~5 hours | Among the shortest campaigns in the series. |
| Black Ops 6 | ~7–10 hours | Spy thriller structure, larger missions. |
| Black Ops 7 | ~4–6 hours typical, up to ~8–9 | Fully co‑op, 11 missions, Endgame unlocked after credits. |
For players who remember grinding through World at War on Veteran, Black Ops 7 will feel brisk. It’s still longer than a rushed run of the shortest Modern Warfare campaigns, but it doesn’t try to be a 10‑hour epic.
What counts as “done”: campaign credits vs Endgame mode
There are two different “finish lines” in Black Ops 7:
| Component | What you do | Time investment | Counts toward beating campaign? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main campaign (11 missions) | Play linear and semi-open story missions up to the credits. | 4–9 hours, depending on playstyle. | Yes – this is the traditional “beat the campaign”. |
| Endgame mode | Drop into Avalon with up to 32 players in teams of four, complete PvE objectives, extract with rewards. | Roughly ~5 additional hours for a basic run; easily more if you keep playing. | No – it’s post‑campaign PvE that continues the story and progression. |
Endgame is closer to a PvE extraction shooter than a traditional epilogue. Runs are risk–reward: if your squad fails, you lose the progress from that outing. You can treat it as optional side content if you just want to roll credits, but if you’re measuring “how long to see everything the campaign structure offers,” you should factor in at least another five hours on top of the core story.
Planning a playthrough: solo or with friends?
If you’re trying to decide how much time to set aside and how to play, here’s a practical way to think about it:
| Player type | Recommended setup | Expected total time (campaign only) |
|---|---|---|
| Story-focused, not interested in Endgame | Solo on Regular, minimal wandering in open sections. | 5–6 hours. |
| Co‑op squad, wants a quick warm-up before MP/Zombies | 3–4 players on Regular or Hardened, mostly main objectives. | 4–5 hours. |
| Completionist for campaign content | Solo or co‑op on Hardened/Veteran, explore open areas, grab collectibles, then sample Endgame. | 8–9 hours for story, plus at least 5 hours in Endgame. |
Black Ops 7’s campaign is designed to be short, replayable, and tightly integrated with its post‑credits Endgame mode. If you only care about rolling credits, plan on one evening. If you plan to explore Avalon properly, experiment with difficulties, and push into Endgame, you’re looking at a weekend’s worth of play instead.
