Activision's surprise PS5 ports of Call of Duty: Black Ops and Black Ops 2 have proven a significant commercial success, according to a new report from CharlieIntel, reigniting debate over how the publisher will manage its ageing back catalogue alongside new releases. The strong performance of these budget re-releases raises questions about Activision's future strategy, including whether more classic titles will be ported, and how this affects the current live titles and upcoming releases within the franchise.

The two ports, originally released in 2010 and 2012, have sold more than seven million units combined since launching on 9 July, with Black Ops 2 reportedly becoming the most-played game on PS5 in the week ending 18 July, surpassing Fortnite and even newer Call of Duty entries such as Black Ops 6 and Black Ops 7. The decision to port the games came from Activision's Strategy and Finance team, and speculation is growing that other classics, such as the original Modern Warfare titles, could follow, with Xbox players also hoping for native ports given ongoing issues with hacked lobbies on backwards-compatible servers. The success has drawn attention away from the final seasons of Black Ops 7 and the upcoming Modern Warfare 4, which enters beta next month ahead of an October launch.