Out of all the gaming news this week, one may be the biggest this year. That would be the powerplay acquisition of Activision Blizzard by Microsoft. With the purchase came a catalog of games so large they own most hit IPs now. Of course, one of the biggest Activision games Microsoft now owns is Call of Duty. And now that the dust has settled on the acquisition, Microsoft executives are starting to speak up on plans. Regarding one of the public’s favorite FPS games, they have quite the revelation. Microsoft has confirmed that they plan to eventually lessen the yearly releases Call of Duty is known for.
Could a Change in Call of Duty Release Schedule Be Good?
Ever since its initial success, Call of Duty has been making yearly releases a regular thing. This required a lot of manpower and multiple studios. That said, the series has still been going strong. In a world where modern AAA games usually take multiple years of work and polish, Call of Duty stayed ahead of the curve. However, it seems that hasn’t worked as well lately. The latest iteration, Call of Duty: Vanguard, sold relatively low. This is most likely due to the increase in the shelf life of games. For example, Rainbow Six: Siege is now in its sixth year of active content. It seems Microsoft has taken note of this.
Overall, Microsoft has big plans for Call of Duty. That said, the release deceleration may be a ways off still. If anything, executives don’t think it will come into effect until 2023 at the earliest. Additionally, due to rumors of a sequel to Modern Warfare (2019) coming this year, that may change entirely. It all depends on how well the new game is received. Both developers and executives believe it may reinvigorate the franchise.
