Key Takeaways
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- Call of Duty franchise is facing competitive threats from games like Battlefield 6 and Arc Raiders, leading to underperformance of Black Ops 7.
- The Call of Duty team has acknowledged the need for significant changes and meaningful innovation to regain fan interest.
- In response, the team will avoid consecutive releases within the same subseries (like Modern Warfare or Black Ops), aiming to deliver a unique experience with each new title.
- Theres a shift in strategy with a free trial week for Black Ops 7 and improved game content and adjustments to follow. However, specific details about future innovations were not provided at the time of announcement.
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Call of Duty Team Vows Significant Changes, Innovation After Black Ops 7 Underperformance and Competitive Threats
In response to the launches of Battlefield 6 and Arc Raiders, Activision has acknowledged the Call of Duty series needs to innovate to maintain its appeal. This announcement follows the underperformance of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, which triggered concern at Activision and prompted a reevaluation of the franchise’s direction. The Call of Duty franchise includes 20 main entries with single-player campaigns, encompassing World War II titles, the Modern Warfare series (including its reboot), and the Black Ops series. The free-to-play title, Call of Duty Online, launched in China in 2015 but was discontinued in 2021 and replaced in 2019 by Call of Duty Mobile, which remains active. Warzone Mobile brought the battle royale experience to iOS and Android devices in early 2024. In a message posted on the series’ official website, the Call of Duty team outlined three measures intended to regain fan interest. They acknowledged that Black Ops 7 underperformed and promised significant changes, not just minor adjustments, across the series, with meaningful innovation planned for the future. The message also indicated that developers in Activision-owned studios may not always incorporate community feedback. In Europe, sales of Black Ops 7 were 63% lower than Battlefield 6.
Call of Duty Shifts Strategy, Emphasizing Innovation and Unique Experiences
Between 2019 and 2021, Activision studios released Modern Warfare, Black Ops Cold War, and Vanguard in quick succession. Recognizing this rapid release cadence of similar titles, the Call of Duty team announced a shift in strategy. They committed to a free trial week for Black Ops 7 and to improving the game with new content and adjustments. More significantly, they will avoid consecutive releases within the same subseries, such as Modern Warfare or Black Ops, in an effort to deliver a more unique experience with each new title. The team stated, “We will significantly boost innovation, not just incremental improvements,” but they did not provide further details at that time. In the four years following 2021, Activision emphasized its most popular subseries, releasing Modern Warfare 2 and 3 (from Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer Games), followed by Black Ops 6 and 7, both developed by Treyarch with assistance from Raven Software. In 2026, Infinity Ward is expected to release their next Call of Duty title, and there are rumors that Sledgehammer Games will launch a new subseries in 2027.
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Ah, fellow gaming enthusiasts! You’re in for a treat today. Ahmed Hassan has been busy unraveling some tantalizing mysteries that you won’t want to miss. First up, he takes us behind the scenes of Quentin Tarantino’s unreleased Fortnite chapter, “The Lost Chapter: Yuki’s Revenge,” brought to life using Unreal Engine. Published on December 8th, this fascinating piece explores the innovative techniques used in recreating this cinematic masterpiece within the game, delving into MetaHuman technology and real-time destruction simulation physics – it’s a must-read for both Fortnite fans and cinephiles alike! Check it out here Behind the Scenes of The Lost Chapter: Yuki’s Revenge by Quentin Tarantino. But Ahmed isn’t stopping there; he’s also shed some light on the enigmatic Mr. Whiskey from Dispatch in his insightful piece, “Dispatch: Unraveling a Mystery Haunting Players,” published November 30, 2025. Join Ahmed as he explores how this fan-favorite character evolved from being a central figure in Dispatch’s early television series concept to the mysterious cameo we know today. Click here to read more and perhaps uncover some hidden truths about this intriguing character! Dispatch: Unraveling a Mystery Haunting Players Meanwhile, if you’re craving a nostalgic trip back to 2005’s God of War, Jonathan Dubinski has got you covered in his latest post, “God of War Remake? Here’s What Fan Dreams Might Look Like,” published on Nov 29, 2025. Dive into Alifilmworx’s incredible remake journey, from creating a stunning Kratos model to bringing iconic enemies like the Hydra back to life. It’s not just a recreation; it’s a love letter to the original, complete with critical insights on Sony’s lack of action on fan demands. Check out this breathtaking resurrection of a classic here God of War Remake? Here’s What Fan Dreams Might Look Like.
| Specification | |
|---|---|
| Official Name | Groove Coaster: Initial Initial Echo Ego |
| Brief Summary | Touhou Project music DLC for Groove CoasterTitle: Initial Initial Echo EgoArtist: RD-Sounds*Arrange from Touhou ShinreibyouDifficulty: Simple 2 / Normal 5 / Hard 8BPM: 156 |
| Genre | Music |
| Play Modes | Single player |