Activision looks set to delay next year’s Call of Duty game until 2024. This means 2023 will be the first year without a new mainstream COD game for nearly two decades. Instead, the publisher will be relying on this year’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare sequel to provide two years’ worth of content until the next game is ready.
Update: An Activision spokesperson has provided the following statement regarding the report: “We have an exciting slate of premium and free-to-play Call of Duty experiences for this year, next year and beyond. Reports of anything otherwise are incorrect. We look forward to sharing more details when the time is right.”
Why was Call of Duty 2023 delayed?
Call of Duty: Vanguard’s sales have been lower than Activision expected, something that has also led to a decline in the number of players on Call of Duty: Warzone Pacific. According to Bloomberg, this has led several within Activision to conclude the new COD games are being released too quickly and that Vanguard especially had been “cannibalized by the previous year’s game”. This led to the publisher taking the decision to delay Call of Duty 2023 to give both that game and the Modern Warfare sequel a better chance to succeed. The reports also confirmed this decision has nothing to do with Microsoft’s intended acquisition of Activision.
Several projects look set to fill the void in 2023. The Modern Warfare sequel will receive a “steady stream” of post-launch content, expected to be similar to the seasons released for previous Call of Duty games. Call of Duty: Warzone 2 is then expected to be released in 2023. Treyarch, who is the developer responsible for the delayed COD 2023 title, will be drafted in to help with development on Warzone 2 as well as their own title. We can expect more news on both of these titles later this year.
In other news, 2K is currently developing three LEGO sports titles including a soccer game and an open world racing game. This confirms LEGO will not be renewing its exclusivity agreement with TT Games. Elsewhere, rumors of a Project Spartacus reveal have gathered pace after Shadow Warrior 3 was revealed to be launching into PlayStation Now on March 1.
