Call of Duty remains one of the most popular entertainment franchises in the world. So it seems strange that the series has lost about 50 million active players over the past year. In its 2021 annual report, Activision Blizzard says that last year’s premium title, Call of Duty: Vanguard, didn’t meet “our expectations.”
The publisher believes that it’s “primarily due to our own execution.” Along with the World War 2 setting apparently not resonating with “some of our community,” it also believes that “we didn’t deliver as much innovation in the premium game as we would have liked.” Both issues are “certainly” being addressed with this year’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, developed by Infinity Ward (which is also working on the follow-up to Warzone).
“We are working on the most ambitious plan in Call of Duty history, with over 3,000 people now working on the franchise and a return to the Modern Warfare setting that delivered our most successful Call of Duty title ever.”
In its recent quarterly financial report, Activision Blizzard revealed that Call of Duty: Vanguard had “lower premium sales” with net bookings for the franchise seeing a year-on-year decline. As for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Infinity Ward claims it will be the “most advanced experience” in the franchise’s history. A reveal is rumored to be coming this Summer while the sequel to Call of Duty: Warzone will receive an official reveal later this year.