After more than 36 years at the helm of Raven Software, Brian Raffel has decided to step into a well-earned retirement.
In 1990, inspired by a shared love of storytelling, Brian and his brother Steve set out to build something of their own. What began as a small creative pursuit known as Black Crypt grew into something far, far greater. Over the years, his leadership guided our studio through a wild and shifting industry, shaping it into what it is today.
From dark, otherworldly realms to places that reached far across galaxies, Brian has crafted stories that have left a lasting mark on players around the world. His work spans titles like Hexen, Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy, X-Men Legends, Wolfenstein, and many more, each contributing to a legacy of iconic experiences. Those first decades of achievements earned Raven a place among the greats and the trust to shape and evolve Call of Duty over the years.
Beyond great games, Brian’s legacy is also reflected in how he has invested in the people and places around him. His commitment to building games out of Madison, Wisconsin, has grown his home city into a strong hub for game developers and studios. Under his wing, Raven’s doors have remained open to the next generation of developers, offering a firsthand glimpse into what is possible. As a proud alumnus, his connection to the University of Wisconsin has benefited students pursuing careers in art, design, and technology. Through it all, Brian has remained loyal, humble, and true to himself.
Brian, thank you for the stories, for the path you carved, and for the lives you've changed along the way. The impact you have had is timeless, and we wish you all the best in this next chapter.
Our Legacy Games: /our-games#legacy
We're partnering with @RavenSoftware to bring the spirit of Blackout to Call of Duty: Warzone with Black Ops Royale on March 13.
Drop into Avalon for the first time in #Warzone in this Blackout-inspired Battle Royale, with no loadouts, an all-new ballistics system with bullet drop, water level changes throughout the map, lootable Perks, and much more. See you next week!
Check out the Black Ops Royale blog, a new mode coming to Call of Duty: #Warzone in Season 02 Reloaded!
- Brand new big map: Avalon
- Wingsuits, Grappling Hooks, Wall Jump
- New Survival Systems
- In-Match Weapon Progression
- New Equipment, Field Upgrades, Killstreaks
- Rewarding Activities including Cradle Breaches
- ...and so much more!
Link: /blog/2026/03/black-ops-7-black-ops-royale-battle-royale-deep-dive
Call of Duty: #Warzone Dev Talk
We've seen a bunch of questions pop up since the launch of #BlackOps7 and Pete is here to answer some of them as we draw closer to Season 01.
🤝 Open Matchmaking headed to WZ
👥 Haven's Hollow player count increase
🏠 Barn POI rework on Haven's Hollow
🛠️ More frequent weapon tuning
🎖️ Perk category & balance changes
🎯 Aim Assist improvements
⚡ New LTMs: Amped BR (Weekend-Only) & High Octane BR
❄️ Rebirth Island: Winter Refresh (S02)
Our team is super excited for everyone to drop in on December 4th. Here's to an awesome year ahead! 🥳
To celebrate the release of @callofduty #BlackOps7 this Friday, @ravensoftware hosted the @badgermbb team for a behind-the-scenes look at game development.
Welcomed by co-founder/studio head Brian Raffel and co-studio head David Pellas, they toured the grounds where over 15 years of Call of Duty has been made and put their aim to the test with a preview of Haven’s Hollow, the new Resurgence map coming to Call of Duty #Warzone in #BlackOps7 Season 01.
We’re only days away from the launch of @CallofDuty : #BlackOps7!
Prepare to step into the mind-bending Co-Op Campaign as members of JSOC - aka Specter One - led by David “Section” Mason, joined by Mike Harper, Eric Samuels, and newcomer Leilani “50/50” Tupuola.
If you missed it, be sure to check out the Story So Far blog!
/blog/2025/11/call-of-duty-black-ops-7-story-so-far
For the first time ever, Campaign concludes with Endgame, an entirely new and shared experience where the narrative continues to unfold for you and your friends in #BlackOps7. Get the intel in our new Dev Talk:
✅ 32-player PvE epilogue to Campaign
✅ Discover intel throughout Avalon
✅ New looks at the Avalon map
✅ POIs from Black Ops history
✅ Expansive Skill Tracks
✅ Power & Combat Rating explained
✅ New gameplay details
Prepare to embrace the madness - with friends!
In partnership with @Treyarch , we’re bringing a whole new spin to what a @CallofDuty campaign is in #BlackOps7!
This time, you can squad up and dive into our Co-Op Campaign to take down a whole new threat.
It’s our 35th birthday! 🎉🎂🎁
Today marks another milestone made possible by the passion of our team, the support of our community, and the journey we’ve shared.
We were honored to have Steve Raffel back at the studio to celebrate this special occasion, alongside several other legends who helped us become who we are today.
Here’s to the memories we’ve made and the many new ones that await us!
#Warzone Season 01 with all new #BlackOps6 integration is now live!
New weapons, equipment, perks, killstreaks, field upgrades, operators, blueprints, and so much more.
Read the patch notes here: /patchnotes/2024/11/call-of-duty-bo6-warzone-season-01-patch-notes
