News
- Call of Duty: Black Ops Season 5 has been revealed
- The update drops on July 23, 2026
- Big additions include new weapons, maps, and modes
With Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 on the way, Activision has revealed the next batch of content coming to 2025's Black Ops 7 and the free-to-play Warzone battle royale.
As detailed on the Call of Duty blog, the major additions include five new multiplayer maps, three of which drop alongside the season's launch on July 23.
The one I'm most looking forward to is Jubilee, an all-new 6v6 environment set in a rural Japanese town. It's joined by Frequency, a remaster of a Black Ops 4 map, and a remake of Black Ops 2's iconic Dig (itself a version of World at War's Courtyard).
The two other maps, Tubro Tilt and Freerun: Descent, will be added in the subsequent Season 5 Reloaded update.
A wealth of new modes(Image credit: Activision)Some new limited-time modes are dropping as part of the update as well: Overdrive Domination (a twist on the classic Domination mode that incorporates the power-up stars from Overdrive), Gauntlet Rush (which rotates between five distinct game modes), and, in the mid-season, the return of Cranked Moshpit.
It wouldn't be a new season without some fresh weapons and attachments, and the ones coming in Season 5 are some of the wildest yet.
At launch, you'll be able to unlock the FG42 assault rifle, a modernized version of the WW2 weapon with serious damage and almost no horizontal recoil, and the dual Gremlin SMGs, which trade the ability to aim down sights for extreme firepower and mobility.
Later in the season, the Mammoth LMG is being added and, true to its name, it's a massive gun with two high-power barrels that fire continuously in addition to a new mace melee weapon.
On the attachment side, completing weekly challenges will unlock the likes of the Jäger 45 Grid-Breaker Kit — a crazy pistol conversion that turns your side-arm into a portable EMP blaster — or the M34 Novaline Garand Conversion that transforms the futuristic burst-fire rifle into an old-fashioned top-loaded one.
If you're keen to dive in, Black Ops 7 is available now for PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X and Series S, and Xbox One.
- The Entertainment Retailers Association has slammed Sony's decision to kill physical discs
- The UK trade organization says digital games "should complement physical formats, not replace them"
- The ERA says, "Removing discs doesn’t represent progress – it simply removes choice"
UK trade organization, Entertainment Retailers Association (ERA), has criticized Sony's decision to end production of physical PlayStation discs.
The gaming company has received overwhelming backlash since announcing its plan to retire physical discs in 2028, and now, as reported by The Game Business, the ERA, which represents most major video game retailers in the UK, including Amazon, Game, Sainsbury’s and HMV, has condemned the plan, calling it "a triumph of corporate convenience over consumer choice."
"Every year, millions of gamers still choose to buy physical copies because they value true ownership," CEO Kim Bayley said in a statement. "A disc can be shared with family, traded in, collected, preserved and, crucially, still played years from now. A download licence often offers none of those freedoms."
Per NielsenIQ and market research firm GfK, The Game Business reports that 45 percent of all physical games sold in the UK in 2025 were for PS4 or PS5, which represents almost half of all physical game revenue during this period, and a majority of sales were made through the post as opposed to in-store pick-ups on release day.
The ERA also said that 25 percent of gamers under 25 use discs and the total UK disc-based games market was valued at over £300 million in 2025, "demonstrating that there remains a substantial and committed audience for boxed games."
"Retailers see this demand every day," Bayley said. "Physical games continue to bring people into shops and give consumers real value through gifting, collecting and resale. The industry should be embracing every legitimate way consumers want to buy games, not narrowing their choices."
The CEO continued: "Digital distribution has transformed gaming and is hugely popular, but it should complement physical formats, not replace them.
“Consumers deserve the freedom to choose how they buy their entertainment. Removing discs doesn’t represent progress – it simply removes choice. That’s bad for gamers, bad for retailers and ultimately bad for the long-term health and preservation of our games industry."
Since its announcement earlier this month, Sony has remained silent in the face of the backlash. Many fans have banded together to urge the company to reverse its decision, including signing a petition that now has over 310,000 signatures.
- The W&O X1 headphones come with a camera attached
- They raise new concerns over illicit recordings
- There is a recording light that turns on when the camera is active
The debate around smart glasses with cameras attached continues to rumble on — and apparently Meta still has plans for glasses that are constantly recording the world around them — and we now have a new pair of bone conduction headphones that lose the spectacles but keep the camera.
They're called the W&O X1 (via New Atlas), and of course they're packed with plenty of AI. This on-board assistant can help you navigate to locations, identify landmarks, look up facts and answers online, and even translate between languages. All this happens through voice control and spoken responses.
In order to provide some of that AI functionality, the W&O X1 headphones are fitted with a 4K video camera supplied by Samsung. It can take photos and videos with a tap or a voice command, which can then be saved and analyzed as needed — and in the interests of privacy, a small recording light shows when the camera is active.
The headphones can also double up as a miniature action camera, grabbing high-resolution video at 30 frames per second with a 130-degree wide angle view, with what looks like some impressive anti-shake technology built in too. Oh and did we mention they can play music and make phone calls too?
"Most headsets are made for listening," explains W&O in the product listing. " X1 is built for seeing, hearing, understanding, recording, translating, navigating, and staying connected in motion. It is a wearable AI system designed for the world outside the screen."
Privacy concernsThe X1 can give you directions while biking (Image credit: W&O)The idea of wearable cameras is becoming even more popular now, with the growing capabilities of AI and the continued shrinking of the necessary components. There's something appealing about being able to capture memories instantly, without having to dig out a phone and find the camera app.
At the same time, there are real concerns when it comes to privacy. The smart glasses already on the market make it a little too easy to record surreptitiously, and a tiny camera attached to a pair of headphones is even harder to see. There's even now a BanRay movement calling for smart glasses to be banned from certain spaces.
To be fair to W&O, they seem to be targeting these headphones at cyclists, hikers, and other outdoor types, so it's more for solo photo and video recording. Still, together with other gadgets in the pipeline, it highlights a growing need for proper safeguards to be put around devices with tiny embedded cameras.
The W&O X1 have blasted through their $3,000 funding goal on Kickstarter many times over, and if you're interested in a pair you can put in a reservation for $139 (about £105 / AU$200) — with the usual Kickstarter caveat that crowdfunded hardware doesn't always end up reaching consumers.
There are some decent specs here: IP6X dust and water protection, a lightweight 48 gram build, support for Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, and 30 hours of music playback between charges thanks to an integrated 800 mAh battery.
If your home office or small business is crying out for a faster, more capable printer, I've found a great, money-saving deal for you. The HP LaserJet Pro 4001dn is currently just $289 (was $449) at HP - a solid $160 saving for a laser printer built to handle demanding workloads.
In the UK, the wireless version with the exact same specs, the HP LaserJet Pro 4002dw has dropped to £164 (was £421) at HP.
Print speeds can reach up to 42 pages per minute, with the first page arriving in as little as 6.1 seconds, making it a terrific choice for anyone printing lengthy reports, invoices, shipping labels, or business documents. It’s also rated for a monthly duty cycle of up to 80,000 pages, with a recommended monthly volume of between 750 and 4,000 pages for the best balance of performance, reliability, and longevity.
Today's top HP printer dealA fast monochrome laser printer with speeds up to 42ppm, automatic duplex printing, 1200dpi output, Gigabit Ethernet, AirPrint support, and a recommended monthly volume of 750 to 4,000 pages for busy home offices and businesses.
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Paper handling is nicely practical, thanks to a 100-sheet multipurpose tray, a 250-sheet input tray, and a 150-sheet output bin.
If your workload grows, you can expand the printer with an optional third paper tray, giving you greater flexibility without constantly refilling paper.
Print quality reaches 1200 x 1200 dpi, producing crisp text and fine lines that are ideal for contracts, presentations, spreadsheets, and professional correspondence.
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The printer connects via Gigabit Ethernet for dependable wired networking and it also supports Apple AirPrint, Mopria, and the HP app, making it simple to print from Windows, macOS, ChromeOS, iOS, and Android devices.
A 256MB memory and 1200MHz processor ensure documents output quickly, even during heavier workloads.
Security features include SSL/TLS, SNMP support, WPA3, and 802.1x authentication, making it a sensible choice for shared office environment. HP also includes a one-year onsite repair warranty for added peace of mind.
In his four star review, our Senior Printer Editor, Jim said: "I found the HP LaserJet Pro 4001dn to be an easy printer to use, with the right features to meet a heavy print load and print quality that’s good enough for most purposes." He also declared it "One of the fastest laser printers in its price category."
Although it isn't the cheapest laser printer available, this is a great price for a dependable HP business model that balances speed, print quality, and everyday practicality.
For more options, check out our round up of the best HP printers, best home printers and fastest printers we've tested and reviewed.
Also considerA color laser printer delivering up to 35ppm in both black and color, with automatic duplex printing, 512MB memory, ImageREt 2400 technology, a 4-line LCD, and support for busy offices printing up to 4,000 pages monthly. In his review of this model, our printer editor Jim rated it even higher than the 4001dn, stating: "I love this laser printer’s rich black text, and hate the retro dial."
In the UK: now £432 (was £500)View Deal
If your PC is starting to feel sluggish, upgrading the storage drive is one of the quickest ways to give it a major boost. And this is one of the best deals I've seen recently.
Right now, the WD_Black SN7100 1TB NVMe SSD has dropped to just under $190 (was $375) at Amazon, which is a massive 49% saving on a speedy PCIe Gen4 drive.
Read speeds reach up to 7,250MB/s, while write speeds climb as high as 6,900MB/s, making it an excellent upgrade for anyone tired of waiting for Windows and large applications to load.
Today's top SSD dealThis is a high-performance 1TB PCIe Gen4 NVMe SSD delivering read speeds up to 7,250MB/s and write speeds up to 6,900MB/s, using next-generation TLC 3D NAND for fast boot times, quicker loading, and responsive everyday performance.View Deal
At almost half its regular price, this is one of the best SSD deals I've seen recently.
The SSD uses next-generation TLC 3D NAND, providing speedy responsiveness and dependable everyday performance.
The compact M.2 2280 form factor makes installation straightforward in compatible desktops, laptops, and handheld gaming devices.
1TB of storage isn't massive, but it provides plenty of room for a growing software library, creative projects, photos, videos, and everyday files.
Power efficiency helps compatible laptops and handheld systems run for longer between charges, making it a sensible choice if you regularly work away from your desk or travel with your computer.
Windows users can also download the WD_BLACK Dashboard to monitor drive health, check performance, and keep everything running smoothly over time, providing a useful extra layer of management.
The impressive transfer speeds will be handy for creators, professionals, and anyone moving large files every day.
Faster boot times, quicker application launches, and reduced loading screens will make a noticeable difference across almost every workload.
If you've been planning to upgrade an ageing PC, replace a slower drive, or add fast storage to a compatible system, this is a great opportunity to pick up a high-performance 1TB PCIe Gen4 SSD for a bargain price.
Other top SSD dealsCrucial's P310 NVMe SSD delivers blazing read speeds up to 7,100MB/s, ensuring faster boot times, game loading, and file transfers. Its compact, heatsink-free design suits desktops and laptops, offering reliable, high-capacity storage with efficient everyday performance.View Deal
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