8 Video Games That Could Have Just Been An Email
4. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III
The Call of Duty franchise has pretty consistently delivered the meat-and-potatoes goods, but 2023's Modern Warfare III was a tepid stew missing so much of the good stuff.
It's little secret that the game was originally developed by Sledgehammer Games as a DLC for Modern Warfare II, before Activision changed it into a full-fat retail release mid-production.
This likely explains both why Modern Warfare III released with a cobbled-together excuse for a campaign and the multiplayer suite launched with no brand new maps at all - just remastered ones from 2009's Modern Warfare 2.
Though the multiplayer at least delivered a basically fun time, it was painfully, embarrassingly clear that this product was never intended to plug a gap in the franchise's annual pipeline.
Activision made it happen because they knew it will sell anyway, even if the negativity surrounding the release is what likely prompted it to sell less than Modern Warfare II.
All in all it's a rare Call of Duty game that even some loyal fans decided to skip, because it showed so little basic respect for them and their wallets.