Opinion – An Xbox & Activision Showcase Should Be the Next Big Thing for Microsoft and Call of Duty

Now that the billion-dollar Microsoft-Activision deal is done, expectations among gamers have increased. Especially Call of Duty fans, who were curiously waiting for the IP to be owned by the Xbox maker. Now that it’s done, things should be moving forward in a better direction compared to what the series has been like so far. Well, how about getting started with an Xbox & Activision Showcase?

That’s exactly the plan Microsoft should be having right now. It won’t just boost the popularity of the FPS series but also end up growing the already huge COD fandom. With a format already tried and tested with Bethesda, Microsoft should come up with a special annual showcase focusing extensively on the future of Activision’s blockbuster first-person shooter franchise.

The Xbox & Activision Showcase will be an effective way to keep Call of Duty in focus

It’s a simple and the extremely important reason why Microsoft must reveal such an event in the near future. The company now owns possibly the biggest FPS IP in the world right now. The news is not just a rumor anymore – it’s officially done. Hence, it’s important to make everyone aware, on a gigantic level, what’s in store from Activision in the coming years.

Yes, the Xbox & Activision Showcase won’t just be about Call of Duty. There’s King and Blizzard too, with their own successful IPs. Their teams can also push the efforts in order to hype the upcoming projects under franchises like Crash Bandicoot, Candy Crush Saga, Warcraft, and Diablo. However, one can hardly deny the impact Call of Duty will create on its own. Especially if the possibility of this showcase becomes a reality.

One can have a look at how the Xbox & Bethesda Showcase successfully ended up escalating the hype for Starfield. The first such event was held in 2021. By 2023, it grew exponentially in terms of the overall popularity. Fans were curious to see fresh content and footage from Bethesda’s space epic ahead of its launch.

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The event served as an amazing catalyst between the game and its players. Despite there being other Xbox exclusives on the cards in the various iterations of the event, the focus was always on Starfield. Same could be the case with Call of Duty as well in case there’s an event featuring Activision’s exclusive titles.

For example, the publisher can begin its early promotion for 2024’s rumored Black Ops installment with a huge showcase in June next year – way ahead of an expected launch date of November. That will be brilliant to generate the buzz online. Instead of unveiling a teaser or gameplay footage separately through social media channels, Activision will be able to tie the exclusive content to an event’s schedule. Xbox can just save it for a proper COD-only session to explain all things important while also raising the excitement levels.

With Xbox & Activision Showcase, Microsoft can create a new major festival for COD fans to celebrate every year

Gamers love flaunting their passion for a certain franchise. If they witness a dedicated platform giving them the opportunity to do so, they always opt in to extend their support. Call of Duty currently has a huge active player base of millions across the globe. Offering them something like an Xbox & Activision Showcase will boost their interest and existing passion for the FPS series even more. This can be similar to Nintendo Live.

They will start looking forward to the reveal of such an event every year with keen eyes. Why? It’s because the showcase will provide them a unique reason to be hyped about a new COD title, months before its arrival. It will also guarantee them an extended first look instead of just getting a reveal teaser in the first half of a calendar. The latter has been the case for the last few years.

But this pattern can change with Microsoft’s team deciding to invest its resources into making COD bigger and better. That can only happen with exclusive, attention-grabbing events. Those that only focus on the gaming content – nothing else. An Xbox & Activision Showcase will make it happen in an impressive manner to say the least.

Following the big acquisition, there have been reports of COD coming to Xbox Game Pass too. Maybe Microsoft can share such a massive news in a massive event – it will result in a greater impact. Apart from revealing what’s next from the franchise, the company can also boost the Game Pass subscriber count by announcing this kind of update on a dedicated showcase.

Right now, one can’t really see such an event taking place anytime sooner. After all, the deal was just recently closed and Activision’s dev teams are getting familiar with the Xbox ecosystem. Once that’s done, maybe there’s a chance of a COD-based showcase from Microsoft. Hopefully, the Xbox maker and Activision will plan on doing something – sooner than later.

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