Call of Duty 2023 information has reportedly leaked, depicting a picture that suggests it may be time to end the annual releases of the franchise.
The Call of Duty installment of 2023 is shrouded in controversy and mystique. The game is one of the first annual installments in the franchise that was not meticulously planned in advance; instead, rumors and disclosures provided information about it.
This is extremely unusual for the normally predictable and formulaic Call of Duty, so the 2023 release is met with a great deal of trepidation by the IP’s community. Although more information is becoming available, it is possible that Call of Duty 2023 will signal the end of the series’ long-standing annual release pattern.
The Background of Call of Duty 2023
Since 2004, Call of Duty has had annual releases, with the IP producing nearly two decades of consistent content. It is no secret that Call of Duty owed a great deal of its success to this consistency, as the series dominates the first-person shooter genre. Despite this, 2023 sparked rumors that this tradition would cease. Long ago, it was widely believed that Call of Duty would not be released in 2023. This was consistent with the scope behind Modern Warfare 2, 2022, which led many to believe the game would receive an unusual two-year mainline release window.
These rumors then shifted to a smaller-scale release for Call of Duty in 2023, with many claiming that year would see a Modern Warfare 2 campaign expansion. However, the largest and most credible reports regarding 2023’s CoD have debunked these theories. Now, some believe that Modern Warfare 3, a full premium release lead by Sledgehammer Games, will be released in 2023. Given the significance of this trilogy-concluding game and its rapid release, many believe that annual Call of Duty releases are no longer viable.
The Issues With Call of Duty Annual Releases
Given the strangely altering discourse surrounding 2023’s Call of Duty rumors, the IP’s annual release schedule may be coming to an end. Activision’s recent reboot of the Modern Warfare series was a tremendous success, and the release of the popular BR Warzone game coincided with this. These MW titles have arguably brought Call of Duty its greatest recent success, but rumors for 2023 suggest a hurried conclusion to the series.
Importantly, the three-year gap between Modern Warfare and its sequel gave supporters ample time to exhaust the game’s content and develop an appetite for a sequel. Given that MW3’s rumored release could occur only one year later, the community will purportedly not have this opportunity for Modern Warfare 2, as MW3 could be released only one year later.
If Modern Warfare 3 is to be released in 2023, the extensive involvement of Sledgehammer Games is also cause for concern. The MW franchise is synonymous with Infinity Ward, which directed the first two reboot installments, so giving the final installment to a different studio is a perplexing decision. The contradictory reports about the release date, which are almost halfway through the year, do not augur well for the title, increasing fan anxiety.
In recent years, the relationship between Call of Duty and its devotees has been strained, and Activision must work to ensure that it does not worsen. While annual releases have historically been a success for the franchise, it is evident that the ever-increasing complexity of Call of Duty games is a major flaw in this formula. Considering that games may not be given sufficient time for development and audience acceptance, annual releases may be discontinued in the future.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is now available for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox X/S.
