Call for Money or Call of Duty? What’s Going Wrong With the Beloved FPS Franchise in 2023?

Call of Duty is one of the most iconic IPs in the world. So much so that its brand has become synonymous with the first-person-shooter genre itself. Without a doubt, the franchise has a clear influence over other rivals. Especially those that are trying to replicate the experience it offers. But such is the impact of Activision’s series that it has succeeded in amassing a huge fanbase across the globe.

However, sometimes witnessing unending success can lead to unexpected outcomes in the long run. It can be said in the case of the Call of Duty publisher as well. That’s because the ongoing situation regarding its recent entries is not good at all. To be precise, the series has gone through a problematic phase in the last few years. The games released have barely managed to impress the loyal fans.

The current installment in Modern Warfare II is a clear example in order to understand what’s been going on. Interestingly, this is the game that was overly hyped by the makers months before its debut in 2022. In other words, it was guaranteed to be nothing less than a spectacle. But that wasn’t the case when it was eventually released.

Are Call of Duty makers focused more on making profits now than offering a great gameplay experience?

More than a year ago, the gaming industry was filled with unprecedented buzz for MWII. Most of the credit for that goes to a solid marketing campaign by Activision. Undoubtedly, the makers didn’t leave any stone unturned in generating astronomical hype.

However, the end result has been nothing less than a mixed bag. Call of Duty Modern Warfare II and its free-to-play extension in Warzone 2 have become the subjects of criticism in recent months. In fact, the two installments have also lost a large player base due to the lack of an engaging experience.

READ MORE: “Won’t Move to a Cartoon Shooter” – FPS Fans Draw the Line as Loyalists Say Fortnite Can’t Match the Intensity of Call of Duty!

From bugs, glitches, and lack of content to poor mechanics, removal of fan-favorite modes, and maps, there’s a lot the ongoing entries have witnessed. Probably the biggest complaint of the players has been the ignorance of Call of Duty makers regarding the real issues. Due to them, the current titles have failed to attract the fans.

Moreover, even many professional COD players have ended up leaving this franchise in 2023. Names like Scump, Spratt, and Tom have already expressed their disappointment, earlier this year, about how the devs are treating the series. Some of them have even mentioned that the makers these days don’t care much about the gameplay itself than making profits and more money by releasing new titles. And that there’s less focus on giving a stable, phenomenal experience and more on churning out a fresh installment each year.

Is that actually the case right now? Only time will tell the answer to this question. All things considered, however, Activision will need to do something sooner than later to save the most popular and long-running FPS brand.

WATCH THIS STORY: Top 5 Best Selling Call of Duty Games of All Time