Treyarch is working on fixing one of the most annoying things about shooters: the balance between players who use controllers and those who use mouse and keyboard (M&K) in the next Call of Duty: Black Ops 7. Recent developer comments say that they want to decrease rotational aim-assist to make matches fair for M&K players.
What exactly is changing?
The devs found that in the beta, controller players were winning slightly more in close-range engagements, while M&K players had the edge in longer-range fights. So, the devs are mainly focusing on balancing both input methods to close the gap between them.
The main changes will be made to the rotational aim assist, which is the feature that automatically helps your aim “snap” or “rotate” toward a target when you use a controller. The new modifications will require that the controller’s right-aim stick actually move towards the target before the auto-tracking kicks in. So, you’ll need to actually initiate the direction yourself rather than relying purely on the assist.
In short, this means that controller users will have to work a little harder, especially in close-range encounters.
Why is this a smart move?
For years, M&K users have said that they have a disadvantage because controllers include aim assist mechanics that make up for slower stick movement or less accuracy. Treyarch is trying to make things fairer by rebalancing these input methods.
As esports and competitive play expand, any perceived disparity between input methods becomes a bigger concern. This change shows that the developers are paying attention. If one group of players, like M&K, thinks they’re always at a disadvantage, they might stop playing. Making the balance better retains more players over the long run.
The Community Reaction
Some controller gamers are concerned that this move would make their experience less pleasant, especially casual players who rely on aim assist for accessibility. Some people think that aim assist has been too strong for too long.
It’s hard to find the right amount of aim assist: too little and controller users feel like they can’t aim, while too much and M&K users feel like they can’t do anything. Treyarch seems to be aware of the tension in Black Ops 7 and is taking steps to close the gap, such as lowering the rotational aim assist so that you have to move your stick toward the target before auto-tracking comes in.
This could be a good adjustment for M&K players. For controller players, this means they will have to rely more on their own skills than on mechanical help. No matter what, this is a big step forward for input-method balance in the Call of Duty world.
