Call of Duty Could Move Away From Annual Release Schedule

With Activision-Blizzard being acquired by Microsoft, there have been talks about the direction that its various studios could take in the future. Xbox boss Phil Spencer noted that they would work on a “variety of franchises.” However, there may also be a chance to the release schedule for some franchises like Call of Duty.

Speaking to “two people familiar with the discussions,” Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier reported that high-level employees have discussed shifting from annual releases for the shooter. Though nothing has been finalized, Schreier said, “There’s a belief among many Call of Duty developers that releasing games at a slower cadence will please players and help bolster the franchise.” With this year’s sequel looking to “redeem the franchise’s fortunes,” he noted that if the change in releases does happen, it won’t be until next year or even later.

Other noteworthy details abound regarding the mood inside of Activision-Blizzard over the week with “lots of cautious optimism” for the merger and CEO Bobby Kotick’s departure that will reportedly occur once the acquisition is complete. While there is excitement for more creative freedom under the Xbox brand, there is also a fear of layoffs. Time will tell though so stay tuned for more details in the coming months.

In the meantime, this year’s Call of Duty is rumored to be a follow-up to 2019’s reboot of Modern Warfare. With a campaign rumored to be set in Latin America, it may also release in October instead of November as per insider Tom Henderson. At the very least, Microsoft has committed to honoring “existing Activision agreements” to have Call of Duty on PlayStation platforms.

Inside Activision Blizzard this week:
– Lots of cautious optimism about the merger and Kotick being gone
– Excitement for more creative freedom under Xbox
– Fear of layoffs
– Call of Duty could ditch the yearly release schedule
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— Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier) January 20, 2022