For some time now, we’ve heard that the Call of Duty franchise will be taking a rare step and not releasing a new core title in 2023, something Activision hasn’t really denied. So, some were surprised when the most recent Activision Blizzard earnings report mentioned a “full premium release” in 2023. So, are we getting a full-on new CoD in 2023 after all? Well, not so fast.
According to Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier, who has very reliable record when it comes to Activision, the “premium release” we’ll be getting next year is actually a major expansion to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II developed by Sledgehammer Games. The expansion is said to have “lots of content,” including a continuation of the game’s single-player campaign, so it may end up costing somewhere in the range of a full-price game. It should also be noted that Activision attaches the “premium” label to anything that’s not free-to-play, so a major $30 or $40 expansion could be termed a “full premium release” by the publisher.
As for when the next actual full Call of Duty will arrive, that will continue to be the new Treyarch-developed (possibly controversial) Black Ops game slated for 2024. Oh, and by the way, Schreier reiterates that those rumors of a new Advanced Warfare from Sledgehammer were indeed false.
Of course, take all this with a grain of salt for now, but again, Schreier is a reliable source on these things. We've also previously heard a campaign expansion and "greatest hits" map pack may be coming in 2023. Sledgehammer has struggled to develop new CoD games from the ground up, but with Infinity Ward already providing the foundation, it may make sense to let them do an iterative expansion.
Haven’t been keeping up with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II? Wccftech’s Kai Powell found its campaign to be decent, but akin to a direct-to-DVD sequel compared to past games…
“Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II is disappointing after coming off the highs of Vanguard and even the first reboot of Modern Warfare. It’s a serviceable shooting gallery that really doesn’t have much to offer that we hadn’t seen before across prior campaigns. The return of Task Force 141 brings along with it an unusually topical storyline that lacks the signature Blockbuster appeal of your typical Call of Duty campaign and instead feels like a Direct-to-DVD sequel.”
Activision Blizzard has faced a series of lawsuits and other legal action on the heels of a suit filed by California’s Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) alleging widespread gender-based discrimination and sexual harassment at the Call of Duty publisher. You can get more details on that unfolding story here.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II is available now on PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, and PS5.
