Excitement is ramping up for the next chapter in the storied Call of Duty saga, with Black Ops 7 set to storm consoles and PCs just days away. Activision has rolled out preloading ahead of schedule already underway for eager fans, while confirming precise unlock times worldwide. Whether you’re team midnight local or plotting a New Zealand timezone hack, here’s everything you need to gear up for the action packed release.
Kicking off preloads on November 10, the game hits full throttle at midnight local on November 14 for PlayStation, Xbox, and PC players on Xbox app. That puts early birds in New Zealand at the front of the queue, with stateside Steam and Battle.net users joining the fray a bit later. Dive into the details below to sync your clocks.
The biggest Black Ops ever launches November 14 💪
— Call of Duty (@CallofDuty) November 4, 2025
Pre-order now and preload on 11/10 to be ready the moment #BlackOps7 drops 🚀 https://t.co/qgGLefJ7dq pic.twitter.com/WV8vCjt4bM
Preloading Underway: When to Download
No more waiting around, preloads fired up across platforms on November 10 at these times (and if it’s not showing for you yet, give it another shot):
- 9 AM PT
- 12 PM ET
- 5 PM GMT
- 4 AM AEDT (November 11)
File sizes vary by platform, but expect a hefty download up to 150GB or more so carve out that bandwidth sooner rather than later.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 pre-load has started to go live on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.
— CharlieIntel (@charlieINTEL) November 10, 2025
There's an update to Call of Duty HQ, around 100GB. pic.twitter.com/mVCiofQ0mD
Launch Breakdown: Go Time by Platform
Black Ops 7 officially unleashes on November 14, but the exact hour depends on where you are and how you play. Console folks get the nod at local midnight, while PC launches stagger slightly for Steam and Battle.net, PlayStation, Xbox, and Xbox on PC
- Midnight local time, November 14
Steam and Battle.net
- 9 PM PT / 12 AM ET, November 13
Mastering the New Zealand Timezone Exploit
For those itching to jump in hours ahead of the curve, the infamous “New Zealand trick” from Black Ops 6 could work its magic again here. By spoofing your location to the antipodes, you might snag early access though Microsoft isn’t thrilled about it, and it could void warranties or trigger flags. Proceed at your own risk; here’s the step by step:
On Xbox:
Fire up your console and navigate to Settings
Choose “System”
Hit “Language and Location”
Switch your region to New Zealand
Restart, then boot Black Ops 7
On PlayStation:
Head to the Call of Duty site and sign into your account
Click your profile, then “Basic Info”
Input a New Zealand address
Save changes and launch the game
DayOne Access via Game Pass
Good news for subscribers, Black Ops 7 lands on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass right at launch, no extra purchase required. Despite recent price bumps to the service, savvy shoppers can still snag Ultimate tiers at the classic $20/month from spots like GameStop, Amazon, and Best Buy beating the hike.
