Treyarch is now taking serious steps to adjust Aim Assist in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 after feedback from the recent beta. The focus is on an area that mouse and keyboard players have criticized for years.
The studio has been digging into match data and shared something surprising. Controller players are winning slightly more often in close-range combat. Meanwhile, mouse and keyboard users are dominating at long range. To reduce that imbalance, Treyarch is reviewing how strong aim assist should be.
Targeting Rotational Aim Assist: The Real Game Changer
The planned change targets one specific part of the aim assist system. Rotational aim assist, or RAA, is the feature that helps controller players keep their aim on moving targets. It is especially noticeable during chaotic close-range fights where tracking matters most.
Treyarch is adjusting the rules for how RAA activates. During the beta, it kicked in easily, sometimes doing more work than expected. Now, they want the system to engage only when the right stick is already moving in the direction of the enemy. This means aim assist will no longer activate unless the player is manually turning toward the opponent. The idea is to make sure players are aiming intentionally, not just relying on automated tracking. It is strange that this was not already required.
We've got some BIG updates to MP coming out of the #BlackOps7 Beta in our latest Dev Talk:
✅ ADS & Dexterity changes
✅ Aim assist adjustments
✅ Louder footsteps
✅ New slide tuning
✅ Perk distribution updates
✅ New Perk combinations
✅ Faster mantle speeds
➕ more to come! pic.twitter.com/2BVcHUXnu0— Treyarch (@Treyarch) October 21, 2025
The debate between input types is nothing new. Aim assist exists to give controller users a fair chance since analog sticks are slower than a mouse. But when data shows controller players winning more often up close, changes are hard to avoid. Treyarch Design Director Matt Scronce confirmed the trend. Controller users have the edge in tight fights. Mouse players win at distance. The team wants to close that gap and is now checking aim assist behavior across all ranges.
Reactions are mixed: mouse users are happy about a potential nerf, controller players are nervous. This kind of change affects muscle memory and how the game feels moment to moment. Tuning RAA alone could shift the multiplayer balance in a big way. Treyarch said more specific updates are on the way.
The Battle for Balance Is Heating Up
Aim assist has become one of those topics that always sparks arguments, right alongside Skill-Based Matchmaking. Finding a middle ground between controller and mouse inputs is tricky. Developers are not aiming to make everyone happy. That is impossible. They are trying to find a middle point where both sides feel like the game is fair. Sometimes that means everyone is a little annoyed.
There are signs that Black Ops 7 is part of a broader reset. Treyarch is also changing Skill-Based Matchmaking rules. They plan to offer more varied lobbies and even test a playlist with much lower skill weighting. That shift lines up with this aim assist change. It all points to a wider review of how players are matched and how fights play out.
And if you are wondering about Warzone, changes are coming there too. Raven Software confirmed they will work with Treyarch to review controller aim assist in Warzone Season 01. This includes changes to rotational aim assist. So whether you are in traditional multiplayer or the battle royale, controller users may soon have to rely more on manual aim and less on built-in assistance.
Source:
- pcgamer.com
- https://x.com/Treyarch/status/1980680856462368856