Annual series initially looked to be taking a year off
Activision has re-confirmed that it intends to release a brand new Call of Duty release in 2023, responding to suggestions that the series would be taking time out this year to focus on DLC and additional content for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Call of Duty: Warzone.
But, following a recent report by Bloomberg, the publisher reached out to new outlets to confirm that a new, premium Call of Duty game will launch in 2023, though further details on the title were not forthcoming. According to Bloomberg, developer Sledgehammer Games had initially begun the project as MW2 DLC, but the scope and scale of the project have seen it expanded into its own title — an “extension” of sorts for the MW2 narrative/timeline.
It should also be noted that while 2021 release Call of Duty: Vanguard was one of the weakest-selling entries in recent years, Modern Warfare 2 was a resounding success, having the most lucrative launch in Call of Duty history, as well as being the fastest title in the series to reach the $1 billion sales milestone. While this is purely speculation, it’s not hard to imagine Activision’s “skip a year” plan was a response to Vanguard‘s sales, with MW2‘s staggering success quickly putting paid to that tentative decision.
Call of Duty 2023 is currently in development at Sledgehammer Games.
