Activision is reportedly delaying its first Call of Duty (2023) after the Microsoft Xbox acquisition

According to recent reports, Activision is delaying the 2023 iteration of the annualized Call of Duty title to 2024. Meanwhile, this year’s title, Modern Warfare II, will be launched on time.

Since its first iteration in 2003, the first-person military shooter franchise, Call of Duty, has grown to be one of the biggest gaming franchises. The titles in the series are alternatively developed by three studios: Infinity Ward, Treyarch, and Sledgehammer Games.

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Call of Duty (2023) delay comes after Microsoft Xbox announcement of its plans to acquire Activision

As reported by Bloomberg, Activision has apparently decided to delay 2023’s Call of Duty title, which is currently being developed by Treyarch. The decision comes after a less than amicable response to Sledgehammer Games’ Vanguard (2021).

The report also mentions that this year’s iteration, which is a follow-up to Modern Warfare (2019), is on track to be released in time with the title, Modern Warfare II (2022). The game is being developed by Infinity Ward.

Call of Duty has been an annualized series since its first iteration in 2003, with the only exception being the following year, 2004 (between the first and the second title).

Fans have been complaining about the repetitive and uninspired design of each title for quite a while now. While 2019’s Modern Warfare was a breath of fresh air, the subsequent Black Ops Cold War and Vanguard received an unfavorable response.

Treyarch had about two years between Black Ops 4 (2018) and Black Ops Cold War (2020), as it broke the three-year cycle set in 2013. This meant Sledgehammer Games had about four years between WWII (2017) and Vanguard (2021).

With Treyarch now getting about four years of development time, it will be interesting to see what new innovations can rejuvenate the franchise.

Interestingly, this delay comes after a month of Microsoft Xbox's announcement of its plans to acquire Activision Blizzard. This means Activision will not have a new title in its biggest annualized franchise for the first year after the acquisition deal, which is set to close in July 2023.

Activision is officially operating independently until July 2023. However, it is hard to imagine Microsoft Xbox, which is known for prioritizing quality and studio creativity, not having any influence on the decision.

All in all, it is a surprising yet necessary step for the Call of Duty franchise. And one thing is for certain, a lot is riding on this year’s entry, Modern Warfare II.