Why does Google AI Overviews say Call of Duty 7 doesnt exist? Wishful thinking, perhaps.
In a curious turn of events, Google’s AI Overview has been erroneously labeling the newly released video game “Call of Duty: Black Ops 7” as fictional, despite the fact that it is very much a reality. This bizarre situation has been unfolding since the game’s announcement, with the AI consistently stating that “Black Ops 7” does not exist, even providing details about its supposed release date of November 14, 2025, and its narrative set in 2035. Ironically, these claims about the game, including its co-op campaign, multiplayer modes, and Zombies feature, are accurate. Currently, “Black Ops 7” is the 22nd installment in the “Call of Duty” franchise and the eighth in the “Black Ops” series, but it has faced criticism from players, reflected in its dismal 1.8 user score on Metacritic due to a lackluster single-player campaign and the use of generative AI for core game assets.
This glitch in Google’s AI responses highlights a significant issue with big tech’s AI systems, which often struggle to keep pace with real-time information, particularly concerning breaking news and new media releases. While the AI correctly identifies other games launched around the same time, such as “Yakuza Kiwami 2,” it falters with titles like “Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero,” initially mislabeling it as a mobile game before correcting itself. This inconsistency raises concerns about the reliability of AI as a source of information, especially as more people turn to these tools for fact-checking during critical events. As noted by Mashable’s Chase DiBenedetto, the shortcomings of AI assistants in accurately reporting news could lead to the spread of misinformation, a risk that becomes increasingly relevant in today’s fast-paced digital landscape. The ongoing issues with Google’s AI Overview serve as a reminder of the challenges that remain in the development of reliable AI systems, particularly in the realm of real-time information dissemination.
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At this point, it should be clear that anything you read from Google’s AI Overview
needs to be taken with a grain of salt
— including when it starts labeling
real
video games as fictional. Case in point:
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7
.
For the past few months, searching “Black Ops 7″ on Google has returned a bizarre response from the search engine’s Gemini-powered AI Overview, which insists the game doesn’t exist. ”
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7
is a fictional video game that does not exist,” the AI claims. It even elaborates: “The search results describe a hypothetical game with a November 14, 2025, release date, a story set in 2035 that continues the narrative from
Black Ops 2
and
Black Ops
… The fictional game includes co-op campaign, multiplayer, and a Zombies mode.”
Credit: Screenshot: Google
What makes the situation even stranger is that everything the AI lists — from the release date to the 2035 setting to the available modes — is actually
true
. Yet it still labels the game as “fictional.”
Black Ops 7
is the 22nd mainline entry in the
Call of Duty
franchise and the eighth installment in the
Black Ops
universe. Right now, it’s sitting at
a grim 1.8 user score on Metacritic
, with players voicing frustration over a disappointing single-player campaign and the
blatant use of generative AI
for core assets throughout the game.
The issue was first spotted about three months ago by
a Reddit user in the r/google subreddit
. As of Nov. 13 — the day before the game’s release — I was able to replicate the same problem multiple times, and it’s still happening as of this writing. Interestingly, the glitch appears to be limited to mobile devices and AI Overviews; Google’s AI mode correctly recognizes that
Black Ops 7
is real. Mashable reached out to both Google and Activision-Blizzard, but have not yet received a comment from either.
What’s happening with AI Overviews is a small but telling example of a much larger problem: Big Tech’s AI systems still struggle to keep up with real-time information, especially around breaking news or newly released media.
AI Overviews has no trouble recognizing the release and existence of other games that launched around the same time as
Black Ops 7
. For example, it correctly tells me that
Yakuza Kiwami 2
received a Switch 2 release this month. But in the same breath, it completely fumbles
Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero
— first labeling it as a mobile game, then immediately correcting itself and saying it isn’t, all while failing to mention that it also just launched on Switch and Switch 2.
Credit: Screenshot: Google
As Mashable’s Chase DiBenedetto
has reported before
, “While AI assistants may be helpful for simple daily tasks… their weakness at reporting news is a liability for everyone, according to watchdogs and media leaders alike.” And while this current glitch may only involve a video game, it highlights the same broader issue.
We’ve already seen how easily AI chatbots can spread or reinforce misinformation in far more serious contexts — like Grok’s
viral claim
that the Charlie Kirk shooting was a hoax. As more people rely on
AI tools as on-demand fact-checkers
, especially during highly volatile events, these inaccuracies could be seen as a danger.
