Activision Blizzard is changing its launch strategy for its Call of Duty games. The publisher will no longer release Modern Warfare or Black Ops games back-to-back. The decision comes just weeks after the release of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, the first back-to-back Black Ops release in Call of Duty history.
The Call of Duty maker shared its new strategy in a Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 update on its website. Activision says the future of Call of Duty is “strong” but has laid out a new publishing strategy for the future of the series.
“We will no longer be releasing Modern Warfare or Black Ops games back-to-back,” the company said in the post. “There are many reasons, but the main one is to ensure we deliver absolutely unique experiences every year.
“We will drive meaningful innovation, not incremental innovation. While we are not sharing those plans today, we look forward to doing so when the time comes.”
Activision Blizzard’s new strategy follows the underwhelming release of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, the first Black Ops game in the series’ history to release back-to-back. Last year, Activision launched Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.
The “next era” of Call of Duty
However, the company sounded optimistic in its update. Activision says it’s developing the “next era” of Call of Duty to give players what they want.
“To be clear, the future of Call of Duty is very bright, and given the depth and talent of our development team, we believe the best days are ahead,” Activision said. “We’ve been building the next era of Call of Duty that will do exactly what you want and deliver some surprises that push the series and genre forward. We look forward to welcoming you aboard, listening to your input, and moving forward together.”
In addition to the latest news about the future of Call of Duty, Activision also thanked fans and admitted that the series has not lived up to expectations. “To be very clear, we know your expectations and rest assured we will meet and exceed them as we move forward,” Activision said.
The company also announced that players will be able to play Black Ops 7 multiplayer and Zombies modes for free next week. Activision also promised “unprecedented seasonal support” for Black Ops 7.
“Season 01 is the biggest live season ever, and we’re just getting started. We won’t rest until Black Ops 7 is one of the best Black Ops games we’ve ever made,” Activision said.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 releases on November 14th on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series S/X.
