Activision has released a rare statement on Call Of Duty’s future, as it promises to deliver ‘meaningful, not incremental’ innovation.
Almost a month after launch, it’s clear Call Of Duty: Black Ops 7 has badly underperformed against Activision’s expectations.
We already know sales for this year’s entry have plummeted to record lows in some parts of the world, as it battles both negative perception and new competitors like Battlefield 6 and Arc Raiders.
In a rare move, Activision has now acknowledged Black Ops 7’s failure, as it rules out any more back-to-back releases of Modern Warfare or Black Ops games in the future.
In a statement, Activision thanked fans for their feedback on Call Of Duty over the last few months, and acknowledged the negative criticism it had received, albeit without getting into specifics.
‘Call of Duty has enjoyed long-standing success because of all of you, a passionate community that demands excellence and deserves nothing less,’ the post reads. ‘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.’
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The statement then addresses Black Ops 7 specifically, adding: ‘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 for us to say it, more importantly it’s up to you to try it and judge for yourselves.’
Activision goes on to outline three key points relating to the future of Black Ops 7 and Call Of Duty at large. Firstly, there will be a free trial for Black Ops 7’s multiplayer and Zombies modes for everyone next week, along with a Double XP weekend.
Secondly, Activision has promised player feedback will ‘help shape’ seasonal updates for Black Ops 7, adding: ‘We won’t rest until Black Ops 7 earns its place as one of the best Black Ops games we’ve ever made.’
Thirdly, and most notably, Call Of Duty will ‘no longer do back-to-back releases of Modern Warfare or Black Ops games’, stating that they want to ‘provide an absolutely unique experience each and every year’.
‘We will drive innovation that is meaningful, not incremental,’ the post notes. ‘While we aren’t sharing those plans today, we look forward to doing so when the time is right.’
Black Ops 7, a follow-up to last year’s Black Ops 6, represents the second time the Call Of Duty has delivered a back-to-back sequel. The other was 2023’s Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, which was similarly panned.
Previously, the tradition has been to have at least two years between each sub-series, which Activision achieved by rotating through its three main developers (Infinity Ward, Treyarch, and Sledgehammer). However, in recent years they got out of synch, leading to Treyarch making two games in a row.
While it remains to be seen what the next Call Of Duty will look like, it’s clear the success of Battlefield 6 has spooked Activision, so hopefully the competition from EA, and blowback from fans, will help push Call Of Duty to deliver something fresh again.
‘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,’ the post reads. ‘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.’
Based on prior leaks, next year’s Call Of Duty is set to be a sequel to Modern Warfare 3 from Infinity Ward, with South Korea and North Korea rumoured to play a significant role in the campaign.
The last entry that wasn’t either Modern Warfare or Black Ops was Second World War game Call of Duty: Vanguard in 2021, which up to that point was the least successful Call of Duty title of recent times.
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