A few hours before Call of Duty Black Ops 7 goes on sale in North America, the studio announced a surprise in its launch patch notes, a raft of aim assist tweaks designed to level the playing field between those using controllers and competing with keyboard and mouse users.
Aim assist has been a core staple of console shooters, mixing slowdowns on targets, mild magnetic pull with bullets and even some stick acceleration to also help fine aiming. But the big news in this update is the reality of rotational aim assist, an imperceptible system that slightly auto corrects your reticle as you track a target, and really shines in heated close quarters battles where it feels nearly passive to keep a moving enemy pinned down.
🚨 ROTATIONAL AIM ASSIST NERF 🚨
— ModernWarzone (@ModernWarzone) November 12, 2025
Call of Duty has announced that they've nerfed rotational aim assist ahead of the launch of Black Ops 7 tomorrow.
– Increasing range before full RAA is achieved
– New Right stick aiming requirement added for RAA to reach full strength pic.twitter.com/tndscggNny
The central changes are to try to make things more fair but not negate the principle. Developers have increased the “build-up” range at which you acquire full rotational aim assist strength, so you’ll need to be pointing your crosshair that much closer and more precisely on opponents to reach its maximum effect. Drift too far from the target, and those helpful nudges grow more feeble.
Conversely, the patch slightly increases rotational assist for very long range shots, which might give snipers and marksmen a steadier hand at extended ranges. But the biggest shake-up? A new requirement that links full strength activation to your input with the right stick. Now, your aiming stick must actively follow an enemy for peak performance ditching it for left stick only strafing will dial back the assist’s intensity.
(Image sourced Activision patch notes)
Long distance users may be pleased with the improvement, but aggressive rushers might feel the sting, requiring more accurate tracking skills to counterbalance its generous assist in its predecessor.
Online buzz is already 50/50. Some cheer it as a skillful buff to diverse styles of play, whereas others think negatively as a nerf could affect the casual controller aiming. When Black Ops 7 drops, prepare for lobbies and forums to light up with debate will these changes build toward genuine cross input parity or just ignite more salty console vs. PC discussions?
