Call of Duty: Black Ops is a 2010 first-person shooter game developed by Treyarch and published by Activision. 💲 It was released worldwide in November 2010 for Microsoft Windows, the PlayStation 3, Wii, and Xbox 360, with a separate 💲 version for Nintendo DS developed by n-Space. Aspyr later ported the game to OS X in September 2012. It is 💲 the seventh title in the Call of Duty series and the sequel to Call of Duty: World at War.

Set in 💲 the 1960s during the Cold War, the game's single-player campaign follows CIA operative Alex Mason as he attempts to recall 💲 specific memories in order to locate a numbers station set to instruct Soviet sleeper agents to deploy chemical weapons across 💲 the United States. Locations featured in the game include Cuba, the Soviet Union, the United States, South Vietnam, China, Canada, 💲 and Laos. The multiplayer component of Black Ops features multiple objective-based game modes that are playable on 14 different maps 💲 included with the game. Improvements to loadout options and killstreak rewards are made. A form of virtual currency, COD Points, 💲 allows players to purchase weapons and customization options for their in-game character, as well as attachments and customization options for 💲 their weapon.

Development for the game began in 2009. Whereas Treyarch worked on both World at War and the tie-in video 💲 game for the James Bond film Quantum of Solace simultaneously, they focused specifically on Black Ops during this development cycle. 💲 Different teams within Treyarch focused on a certain game mode. Black Ops runs an enhanced version of the IW 3.0 💲 engine used in World at War. The improvements made allowed for bigger campaign levels to be made as well as 💲 enhanced lighting. Music was composed by Sean Murray, with licensed music by the Rolling Stones, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and Eminem 💲 appearing in the game. Avenged Sevenfold also recorded an original song for the game as well. The marketing of the 💲 game began in April 2010.

The game received generally positive reviews from critics with praise for its story, voice-acting, darker tone 💲 and multiplayer modes, although some criticized it for its linear gameplay and technical issues. Among other awards and nominations, Call 💲 of Duty: Black Ops was nominated Game of the Year by numerous media outlets and award shows, including the Interactive 💲 Achievement Awards, British Academy Games Awards, and Spike Video Game Awards. Within 24 hours of going on sale, the game 💲 had sold more than 5.6 million copies, breaking the record set by its predecessor Modern Warfare 2 by some 2.3 💲 million copies. The game had sold over 25 million copies worldwide, making it, at the time, the best selling game 💲 of all time in the United States,[4][5] and it remains one of the best-selling games of all time. A sequel, 💲 Call of Duty: Black Ops II, was released in 2012. Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, set between Black 💲 Ops and Black Ops II, was released in November 2024.[6][7]