It’s been 2 weeks since the surprise reveal of Black Ops 7 at Xbox Games Showcase on June 8th. Since then fans have been swept into a frenzy in anticipation for more marketing, especially after early posters were sent out showcasing a key date from Treyarch’s black ops narrative timeline. This date being June 20th, 2025, aka the day after Judgement day. When Raul Menendez (bo2’s main antagonist) ravaged the United States with drone attacks. Here’s everything you need to know about today’s teaser.
The Start of Cordis Die
12 years ago, the marketing for Black Ops 2 began, considered one of the best Call of Duty games to date. And with that marketing Treyarch did something they had never done before, and had never done since, by creating an entirely separate YouTube channel from the main CoD accounts, and using it to promote their game. On June 27th, 2012: Cordis Die went live a short message from Raul Menendez himself, with an 8 second run time, titled “New World” the video consists of a black screen with the haunting message from Menendez stating: “Come my friends, it’s not too late to seek a New World.”
The Return of Cordis Die
Now, 12 years later, with the upcoming release of Black Ops 7 coming later this year, Cordis Die has returned. With Black Ops 7 aiming to be both a sequel to Black Ops 2, and 6 it’s no surprise that Treyarch are using the previous hype, and fandom around one of their most iconic games, and antagonists to promote their newest one. Today, June 20th, 2025 the Cordis Die YouTube channel uploaded another short video. Titled “The Lesson”, and sporting a 15 second runtime, the video opens with the camera panning up to reveal who is presumed to be Menendez himself, with his back facing the camera. Surrounded by TV monitors and wires (which have previously been seen in the first teaser, as well as one of the bo6 level 1,000 rewards). Menendez states. “2025 was just the beginning. A necessary first step. Once again, you shall know fear.”
What This Means For Black Ops 7
The final statement from Menendez echoing what he said in the very first teaser to David, and reminding us that “FEAR is a powerful thing” One thing here, however, is interesting. In the first teaser it was made to seem that Menendez was simply an AI, simulation, or a hallucination being experienced by David Mason, the protagonist of Black Ops 2, and later this year Bo7. Now, here in today’s trailer he seems a bit more “in the flesh” with the various monitors showing the damage that Judgement Day has caused across the Earth. One monitor to the left of our shadowy villain even bares the Cordis Die logo.
However in either case it’s not very clear whether or not Menendez is actually there or not as this could all once again be in David’s head, as of course, the tagline for this game being to “Embrace the Madness”. As suggested by the first trailer with all its trippy visuals, this could be the Guild, or someone else, maybe even the Menendez AI itself (if that’s the case) trying to break down David’s psyche.
In any case we’ll just have to wait to play the game for ourselves to learn the truth. For more information about Black Ops 7 as it unfolds, stay tuned to Detonated.
