Activision has apparently opted to postpone next year’s Call of Duty game, marking the first time in over 20 years that the company has skipped an annual release.
According to Bloomberg, the studio opted to delay the release of a new Treyarch-led game after last year’s Vanguard failed to meet expectations, “causing some executives to think that they’re launching new versions too quickly.”
Activision is apparently working on other projects to fill the void next year, including “a constant supply of additional content” for this year’s premium Call of Duty game and a “new, free-to-play online product.”
It was just reported that this year’s Call of Duty release will be a sequel to Infinity Ward’s Modern Warfare remake, which was released in 2019. Activision is also working on a new version of the battle royale game Warzone.
If the agreement is finalized by summer 2023, Call of Duty’s year off will coincide with Microsoft’s takeover of Activision Blizzard. Bloomberg, however, reports that this had no bearing on the decision to postpone next year’s game.
It’s worth noting that Call of Duty is frequently the best-selling console game in most years, so its abrupt absence might have an impact on the gaming market.