Why Call Of Duty Is In BIG Trouble

Delaying The Release Is Absolutely Off The Table

Though the majority of titles slated to be released in the first half of 2020 have been delayed, Call of Duty is an annualised franchise, and Activision won't have it any other way. Pushing the October/November 2020 release date back (giving Modern Warfare more time in the field) would make the most sense, but Activision's greedy nature would never allow a delay to happen. Simply put, Modern Warfare receiving, say Seasons 5 and 6 of its multiplayer offering won't make anywhere near as much money as releasing a whole new title. It doesn't matter what state it's in, Call of Duty 2020 is shipping this year, end of story.

Delaying a game to make sure it's the best it can possibly be right out the gate is positively trendy now, but Activision simply don't care. Their cynical approach to their titles and their audience mean they're pushing consumers away each and every year. They can keep inflating their predicted sales figures in some vain hope they'll be right, but with the amount of effort they actually expect from their subsidiaries, how are they surprised when their games never seem to reach their unrealistic financial expectations? It's truly baffling.

How many assets or mechanics will be re-used? How well optimised will the title be for current, or even next-generation systems? How will the PC port of the title be handled? 2020 is a big year for video games overall, and this year's Call of Duty title is in the worst position it could possibly be in. Could the trio of studios pull this off to at least acceptable results, or could the ninth-generation never see another Call of Duty again? It's in Activision's hands at the end of the day, and if they manage to publish a title matching the quality of WWII or Modern Warfare, I will be pleasantly surprised.