Treyarch developer Miles Leslie has spoken about the new Overload game mode in Black Ops 7, explaining that it was designed purely with competitive gameplay in mind – music to the ears of ranked players and Call of Duty League fans alike.

Treyarch has always been innovative in their support for the competitive community in Call of Duty. They were the first to introduce Ranked Play in Black Ops 2, created the standout competitive mode Hardpoint, and have consistently made an effort to stay in tune with the competitive player base.

Now, fast forward to Black Ops 7, and they’ve got a new game mode that looks set to be enjoyed by both casual and hardcore players alike in Overload.

Speaking with PCGamesN, Treyarch’s Associate Creative Director gave more context on how Overload came to life and why a competitive focus was key.

“The mission was: can we make a new competitive mode?” Leslie explained. “Because we introduced Control, and the whole idea was ‘how do we get bigger energy in [this third mode]’? Control has really high peaks and real lows in terms of match flow and energy, so this was like, ‘How do you get more excitement into it?’ Is it fun to watch? Is it fun to play? And can you get new people to feel that competitive itch?

“And Overload, I think, does all of those things. It’s super fun to watch. It has super high energy. Grabbing [the EMP] and trying to run, it’s gonna get your heart pounding.”

A look at the new Overload mode in Black Ops 7 MP pic.twitter.com/zbyM5EQBsX

— CharlieIntel (@charlieINTEL) September 28, 2025

Leslie also hinted at improvements to Ranked Play in BO7, with plans for rewards and UI changes that should enhance the player experience.

As it’s still very early days, the jury remains out on Overload as a competitive game mode, but there is definitely positive sentiment around it from players. That said, Control was brilliant when it was first introduced in Black Ops 4, but players’ opinions of it soured over time as new iterations of COD emerged.

Overload has already been confirmed to be the third CDL mode alongside Hardpoint and Search & Destroy in the CDL 2026 season, and there is certainly optimism that it could improve the competitive experience, just like Control and Uplink did before it.