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According to a new report, Call of Duty may ditch its yearly release schedule. The franchise has consistently released a new entry every single year without fail since its inception in 2003, allowing it to become a consistent and dominant blockbuster series. Call of Duty has made a name for itself as one of the games everyone can expect each fall, but times may be changing as Activision faces significant internal shake-ups.
Earlier this week, it was revealed that Microsoft is buying Call of Duty publisher Activision. This has sent many into a frenzy over what the future of the shooter franchise looks like. Some fear that Xbox will make Call of Duty an exclusive franchise while others believe it may not be able to afford to lose the PlayStation player base. Given how massive Call of Duty is and how much money it takes to develop, it would be a risky move to cut off half of the player base, especially after the franchise made a home on Sony's platform.
In a new report from Bloomberg, multiple sources are saying that Activision is discussing the possibility of moving away from the yearly release cycle for Call of Duty. Xbox has some desires for Call of Duty already, so it's possible this includes shifting away from this cycle. Bloomberg's sources believe this would not only allow developer's a lighter workload but also allow fans a chance to miss the series and appreciate the time in between releases. There's also the chance that this would allow these teams to work on other projects within Activision.
Some fans have been asking for Activision to put more care into the franchise after the last few entries have felt like steps back. Call of Duty: Vanguard took heavy flack from the community for a rushed multiplayer and a lackluster zombies mode. In addition to that, Call of Duty's sales have been declining in recent years, despite still coming out on top as the best-selling game each year.
It seems like it was only a matter of time before Activision decided to start seriously considering changing the release schedule of Call of Duty, as it has become increasingly unsustainable. Other massive franchises like Assassin's Creed have found ways to make it work. As of right now, it's believed that Call of Duty 2022 could be the last entry in the series that is part of the yearly release schedule.
Source: Bloomberg