According to reports, people familiar with the matter revealed that Activision Blizzard will postpone the latest version of the Call of Duty game originally planned to be released next year, which will also be the first time the series of games has been delayed in the past 20 years.
Activision Blizzard decided to delay the release of the latest version of Call of Duty because the latest version of the game fell short of expectations, leading some executives to believe the new version of the game was being released too quickly, people familiar with the matter said. But people familiar with the matter said the decision had nothing to do with Microsoft’s $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard.
Other projects in development by Activision Blizzard are expected to fill the void next year, with a Call of Duty game expected to launch this fall with a steady stream of new content, in addition to a new free-to-play online game next year. Activision Blizzard-owned Treyarch Studios, which is working on the delayed game, will also work on the free-to-play game, people familiar with the matter said.
An Activision Blizzard spokesman had no immediate comment. The stock fell 1.4% in after-hours trading on Tuesday on the news.
The delay will have a huge impact on the video game industry. Activision Blizzard has released a new premium Call of Duty game every year since the fall of 2005. The shooter regularly tops annual game sales charts, having sold 400 million units since 2003.
Last year’s Call of Duty: Pioneer fell short of Activision Blizzard’s sales expectations, and company executives suspect it was cannibalized by the previous year’s release. The free-to-play version of Call of Duty: Warzone, which launched in 2020, is still a huge success, potentially robbing players of the premium game.
Activision Blizzard remains autonomous, and Microsoft won’t be involved in these decisions until after the acquisition is complete. The acquisition is expected to close in the summer of 2023, pending regulatory approval.
The Call of Duty game is developed by multiple studios at Activision Blizzard. This year’s new version of Modern Warfare is being developed by California-based studio Infinity Ward.