The latest Black Ops 7 teaser comes from an old YouTube channel that longtime fans will remember from Black Ops 2’s marketing campaign. The video is only a 14-second teaser, but it’s already creating some speculation about Black Ops 7’s storyline.

Twelve years ago, Treyarch and Activision used an entirely separate YouTube channel from the official Call of Duty account to help promote Black Ops 2. Using the “Cordis Die” channel, a brief seven-second clip was posted, which featured a short message from the game’s main antagonist, Raul Menendez. The video was titled “New World,” and while the screen remained black, there was one line of audio. “Come my friends; it’s not too late to seek a New World,” Menendez said.

This was the only video ever shared on the Cordis Die YouTube channel until a few days ago. On June 20, a second video titled “The Lesson” was posted, and this new teaser features a man standing in front of several TV screens. While we only see the character from the back, it’s presumed to be Raul Menendez with a new message. “2025 was just the beginning. A necessary first step. Once again, you shall know fear,” Menendez says.

So, what does this tease mean for Black Ops 7? Fans are already left speculating if Menendez is going to be an antagonist in the flesh or if he’ll be an enemy inside David Mason’s mind.

In the initial Black Ops 7 reveal trailer, the story seems to suggest that David Mason might be hallucinating his confrontation with Menendez or is inside of some kind of AI simulation. The new Cordis Die trailer might suggest otherwise, with Menendez watching footage of war and chaos seemingly caused after the events of Black Ops 2’s ending.

Black Ops 2 had two potential endings, with Menendez either living or dying based on player choice. The canonical ending is supposed to be the player killing the antagonist, so Menendez is likely still dead in Black Ops 7, making the more likely theory that the character is only inside David Mason’s mind.

Additionally, Activision has described Black Ops 7’s story as the “most mind-bending” ever, and teased that the “world is on the brink of chaos, ravaged by violent conflict and psychological warfare.” The game’s tagline is also “Embrace the madness.”

Of course, we won’t know the full story until the game releases. Black Ops 7 launches later this year for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC. Activision hasn’t announced a specific release date, but the game’s full reveal is coming later this summer. For more, make sure to check out all the rumors and announcements for Black Ops 7.

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