In a surprising turn of events, the latest in the Call of Duty world is that there will, actually, be a premium 2023 Call of Duty. Previously, Modern Warfare II was supposed to be the series' first two-year game after Activision delayed Treyarch's next Call of Duty to 2024. However, after the waning interest in Modern Warfare II, that looks to be changing.
In this article, we'll tell you everything you need to know about Call of Duty 2023.
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Call of Duty 2023 Is Real
According to a report from insider Tom Henderson, a new premium Call of Duty game is on the way.
Originally, Modern Warfare II was planned to be a two-year CoD with support for its live service side extending through 2024. Furthermore, it was expected that there would be some kind of premium expansion or DLC for Modern Warfare 2 coming in 2023. However, according to the latest leaks, this plan seems to have changed.
Now, Call of Duty 2023 is very much a real thing, although it's currently unclear if it will be called Modern Warfare II, and it's going to be helmed by Sledgehammer Games. What was originally planned to be additional Modern Warfare II content is being spun off into its own, full-fledged game.
Call of Duty 2023 is now planned to have a full campaign, a beta, and it's expected to release come this fall, as is normal for the franchise. Considering the rather quick turnaround on this Call of Duty, it's generally expected to come with a similar feel and setting to Modern Warfare II, but at this point, it's unclear exactly what's going to come with CoD 2023.
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The safest expectation, though, is that we will see a Modern Warfare III type of experience replete with remastered maps and content that would feel right at home in Modern Warfare II, on top of design changes, tweaks, and new ideas enough that it will feel like its own game. Either way, with a 2023 release date expected, we won't have to wait too long to find out.
Why Did Call of Duty Plans Change?
Of course, there's nothing in the way of official confirmation here, but the idea here isn't especially complicated.
Modern Warfare II sold well, very well, even, and that didn't come as much of a surprise. However, where the problem lies comes down to active players. Since launch, Modern Warfare II has been losing players, and as gamers continue to get more and more disappointed by the post-launch content added to the game, that trend doesn't seem to be changing.
From the beginning, Warzone 2 has had a lot of problems, too. From the start, many gamers didn't like the design changes of Warzone 2, preferring the faster pace and more robust loadouts of the first game. Plus, without maps like Rebirth yet in the game, Warzone also lost another keystone appeal.
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What's more is that since launch, Warzone 2 hasn't managed to gain a ton of traction either, so it doesn't seem like the sequel is ever, really, going to be the same massively property that the first game was. Ultimately, two huge games Activision planned on being blockbusters haven't really had nearly the staying power that the major corporation planned on.
Accordingly, dumping even more time and resources into the Modern Warfare II/Warzone 2 package just doesn't make a ton of sense for Activision. Better to change course and try to launch a new game that manages to fold in the aspects of Modern Warfare II that worked, like the graphics, map design, core gunplay, etcetera, while changing out those that didn't, like timed perks, attachment balancing, and more.
Is A New Call of Duty in 2023 Good News?
Of course, this is going to be a personal question, but for what seems to be most of the fanbase, right now, this isn't great news.
Many, many folks purchased Modern Warfare II under the impression that this would be a two-year CoD so it could be expected we'd see more content, support, and balancing than ever before, but since post-launch content has already been lacking, it seems like the existence of CoD 2023 only bodes worse for Modern Warfare II's post-launch support.
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In general, one of the biggest criticisms of Modern Warfare II comes down to the game feeling like it's out of touch. Whether it's multiplayer or Warzone, there are so many changes in Modern Warfare II that fans of the franchise didn't ask for and don't want, while it doesn't seem like Infinity Ward is making any big changes anytime soon.
Another big problem is that gamers want more content to come to the game, which again feels like a cry that falls on deaf ears when you realize that the major expansion to Modern Warfare II that was expected later this year is being turned into its own, totally separate game. Put simply, Modern Warfare II feels like, to many, that it didn't perform well enough for Activision so the company is quietly stepping away from it.
Considering that CoD 2023 will inevitably be quite similar to Modern Warfare II because of what it started out as and how much development time it got, most are not particularly excited by the existence of another CoD coming this year. In general, things aren't looking great for Call of Duty right now.
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