If Marvel and the MCU are not performing well currently, another franchise is also disappointing fans. This franchise is Call of Duty, with its latest installment releasing officially today, this Friday, November 10, 2023. The release is cautious compared to previous ones, especially given numerous allegations that have surfaced over several months. However, tonight, Jason Schreier’s investigation was published, featuring anonymous developers’ testimonies revealing that the game was rushed and nearly completed at the last minute.
If you have been following video game news, you may have noticed that this year’s Call of Duty scores are still unavailable. However, a visit to Metacritic reveals 21 reviews listed, yet no average score has been calculated by Metacritic. Is Activision withholding the scores? This seems unlikely as the posted reviews relate solely to the single-player campaign, which was made available nearly a week ago when Activision released the solo mode before the multiplayer component. Typically, when evaluating a Call of Duty game, both the single-player and multiplayer aspects are taken into account, with the latter being particularly significant today, even though historically, it has been the single-player mode that propelled Call of Duty to its current status as an industry leader. Remember, Black Ops 4’s lack of a solo campaign was notably detrimental to its reception.
Let us return to the main point. Why is Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 facing criticism from the press today? At least in this instance? In fact, even feedback from players and video creators is not particularly enthusiastic. And well, we were somewhat aware of this already due to last year’s leaks, but Jason Schreier’s investigation published yesterday provides insight into the unusual and especially stressful development process experienced by those involved. The Bloomberg journalist collected numerous anonymous testimonies from individuals who worked on the game, indicating that if it were released in its current state today, it is because its development was rushed. Instead of the typical three-year cycle, the project took only eighteen months, with developers kept uninformed until later stages and subjected to multiple crunch periods to meet deadlines, leading to a sense of betrayal among them. This situation contributes to another controversy and maintains Jason Schreier’s ongoing reporting on these issues.
At the end of 2022, we learned from Jason Schreier that no Call of Duty installment was planned for 2023, with a DLC for Modern Warfare 2 being the intended release. However, in February 2023, during its financial results announcement, Activision confirmed an upcoming Call of Duty title by developer Kalashnikov for that year. The details behind this sudden decision remained unclear until a Bloomberg article revealed that while development time was shortened, it was to fill a gap in the release schedule caused by the delay of another Call of Duty game originally scheduled for 2023. Additionally, the article disclosed that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III was initially proposed to Sledgehammer Games as an expansion to the previous year’s Modern Warfare 2 before evolving into a standalone full-game project during development.
On the other hand, Activision has denied that Modern Warfare III was originally intended as an expansion, and a spokesperson for the company stated that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 was designed from the outset as a ‘premium game.’ However, over a dozen current and former Call of Duty developers have declared that these statements contradict what they were told at the time. Some employees mentioned that the plan remained vague during the early stages of development, while others stated they were directly informed it would be a DLC. In short, there was no clear communication. Regardless, Activision knew this episode would disappoint some for quite some time. There were no press previews; only a multiplayer event for influencers and Call of Duty experts took place. The game was sent to the press very late, with multiplayer access available two days before the embargoed date set for release day in the afternoon, reminiscent of Disney’s approach with “The Marvels,” which was also internally criticized. As for our game test, we will be releasing it in a few days after thoroughly testing the multiplayer mode…
For those eager to dive deeper into the intricacies of Call of Duty Modern Warfare III’s solo campaign, Marcus Thompson takes you on a thrilling journey through the game’s first mission in his detailed article. Published back on August 22nd, this piece offers an exclusive look at the 9-minute sequence unveiled at gamescom, showcasing the breathtaking graphics and intense storyline set within Verdansk Fortress. Discover how Team Alpha navigates through the Zordaya penitentiary complex using innovative tactics, setting the stage for a more expansive single-player experience than ever before. Don’t miss out on this captivating preview by clicking [Read the article]. For fans eagerly anticipating the release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 on November 10, 2023, Marcus Thompson’s insightful piece from August 18 delves into the trailer’s intriguing hints about a potential return to the controversial “No Russian” mission. The author discusses how the trailer sets the stage for a high-stakes narrative that promises to captivate players and stir up old memories of one of the most debated moments in Call of Duty history. Dive deeper into this analysis and explore what lies ahead for fans on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S by checking out [Read the article].
