Activision announced today that Call of Duty will no longer have back-to-back Modern Warfare and Black Ops releases.
As part of the announcement of its Season 1 content, Activision said it had received feedback over the last few months. The statement means that there will still be an annual release, but it no longer will be back-to-back releases like Black Ops 6 and Black Ops 7 releases as the company did in the last two years. (And before that, there were two years in a row of Modern Warfare releases).
For those who have gotten used to Call of Duty releases every year, the company seems like it will still stay on the cadence as it said it wants to “ensure we provide an absolutely unique experience each and every year.”
The announcement of a weak release so far this year isn’t a surprise, as Call of Duty has had extraordinary competition from Electronic Arts’ Battlefield 6 as well as the surprise Nexon multiplayer hit ARC Raiders. Social media is full of people sharing their experiences in those games, and Black Ops 7 enthusiasm is less intense.
By way of apology to players, Activision said the following.
“Call of Duty has enjoyed long-standing success because of all of you, a passionate
community that demands excellence and deserves nothing less. We also know that for
some of you, the franchise has not met your expectations fully. To be very clear, we
know what you expect and rest assured we will deliver, and overdeliver, on those
expectations as we move forward,” the company said.
The company said it will have a double XP weekend and a free trial for people to play over the weekend.
In addition, it said the release cycle strategy is changing.
“We will no longer do back-to-back releases of Modern Warfare or Black Ops games. The reasons are many, but the main one is to ensure we provide an absolutely unique experience each and every year,” the company said. “We will drive innovation that is meaningful, not incremental. While we aren’t sharing those plans today, we look forward to doing so when the time is right.”
And to allay any fears, Activision, which is part of Activision Blizzard, now a division of Microsoft, said:
“To be clear, the future of Call of Duty is very strong and we believe our best days are
ahead of us given the depth and talent of our development teams. We have been
building the next era of Call of Duty, and it will deliver precisely on what you want along
with some surprises that push the Franchise and the genre forward. We look forward to
welcoming you in, listening to you, and moving forward together.”
Here’s the full announcement:
First off, thank you for all for the feedback we have received over the last few months.
Call of Duty has enjoyed long-standing success because of all of you, a passionate
community that demands excellence and deserves nothing less. We also know that for
some of you, the Franchise has not met your expectations fully. To be very clear, we
know what you expect and rest assured we will deliver, and overdeliver, on those
expectations as we move forward.
With respect to Black Ops 7, we set our sights to deliver a spiritual successor to Black
Ops 2 and the studios have poured their passion into making a great game that all of us
are very proud of. But it’s one thing for us to say it, more importantly it’s up to you to try
it and judge for yourselves. So as it relates to Black Ops 7 and the future of Call of Duty,
here are a few important notes.
- You’ll Have the Opportunity to Play Black Ops 7 for Free
Next week, we are opening the doors for everyone to jump in and play Black Ops
7 Multiplayer and Zombies for a free trial along with a Double XP weekend. We
would like you to experience the game firsthand and decide for yourselves. - We Are Committed to Unprecedented Seasonal Support
Your continuing feedback will help shape our seasonal updates over the coming
months. Season 1 is the largest live season ever and we’re just getting started.
We won’t rest until Black Ops 7 earns its place as one of the best Black Ops
games we’ve ever made in terms of content and support.
- Our Strategy Going Forward Is Changing
We will no longer do back-to-back releases of Modern Warfare or Black
Ops games. The reasons are many, but the main one is to ensure we
provide an absolutely unique experience each and every year. We will drive innovation that is meaningful, not incremental. While we aren’t sharing those plans today, we look forward to doing so when the time is right.
To be clear, the future of Call of Duty is very strong and we believe our best days are
ahead of us given the depth and talent of our development teams. We have been
building the next era of Call of Duty, and it will deliver precisely on what you want along
with some surprises that push the Franchise and the genre forward. We look forward to
welcoming you in, listening to you, and moving forward together.