Monster Energy marked the launch of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 with a large-scale event aboard New York City’s Intrepid, bringing together creators, athletes and several well-known esports figures.
According to a release, the activation was livestreamed on Monster Energy’s Twitch channel and featured matches, live performances and exclusive digital rewards for viewers.
Hosted by Tucker ‘Jericho’ Boner and Clint ‘Maven’ Evans, the show paired Monster’s gaming talent — including Tyler ‘TeeP’ Polchow, Jordan ‘HusKerrs’ Thomas, JayBroski, Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez and Pedro ‘ElVenado98’ Martínez — with names from the UFC and entertainment industries.
The release noted that artist Adam Fu designed custom sneakers for select participants, while DJ Sounds of Reality provided music during the programme. Attendees on-site included actor Trevor Jackson, BMX rider Tyler Rizzi and professional skateboarder Matthew Berger.
Viewers tuning into the livestream received a limited-edition Monster x Call of Duty Calling Card as a Twitch Drop, available only during the event’s broadcast window.
Esports and Call of Duty Black Ops 7
Monster’s roster of creators and esports-adjacent personalities — several of whom have long-standing ties to the franchise — showcased early gameplay and provided commentary throughout the stream.
Teams such as FaZe Vegas and Toronto KOI, both present at the event, continue to operate within Call of Duty’s wider competitive space. Their involvement helped position the launch not only as a marketing event but also as a preview for fans who follow the esport as it heads toward the next competitive season.
“Monster Energy events are all about bringing our worlds together — gaming, fighting, music and culture,” said Dan McHugh, Monster Energy Global CMO, in the release. “You could feel the energy on deck and across the livestream.”
The launch preceded UFC 322 at Madison Square Garden, where multiple Monster-sponsored fighters were set to compete. Monster Energy also encouraged fans to redeem codes from specially marked cans for in-game items such as Operator skins, weapon blueprints and Double XP.
However, the game’s launch arrives amid noticeably poor reception from players. Early community feedback has been overwhelmingly negative, with many expressing frustration over technical issues, design changes and the overall direction of the campaign.
This sets a complicated backdrop for its competitive future, even as partners and organisations continue to rally around the new release.
