Activision promises that this year’s untitled Call of Duty will be one of the biggest titles in the franchise’s 16-year history and hopes to be the best game yet. After the success of last year’s Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, Activision is already looking to the future of the gaming giant and what comes next.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 broke with tradition and controversially did away with the series’ stereotypical story mode in favor of a wholly multiplayer experience. Although Activision bosses have promised there’s plenty of in-game content coming to keep Black Ops 4 fans invested, the company is also queuing up 2019’s fall release.
Speaking during Activision Blizzard’s 2018 Q4 results call, Activision President Rob Kostich explained how he hopes to cash in on Black Ops 4’s impressive reputation with something new:
There’s plenty to take away from the call, but a notable feature is the return of a single-player campaign. While many players have come to accept Black Ops 4 for its brave move to multiplayer, there are still circles clamoring for a standard campaign.
“It’s going to feature an entirely new campaign, a huge and expansive multiplayer world, and of course, some fun co-op gameplay. But from day one, what gets me really excited, is every time we’ve shown this title internally, it just creates a ton of buzz…I think it’s going to be really worth it. We can’t wait to share with the world.”
Kostich confessed that he wants to tell gamers more, but can’t for the time being. Continuing where Kostich left off, CEO Bobby Kotick said Kostich was “underselling” he new game and admitted he hadn’t “seen this much enthusiasm that I can remember almost ever.” Activision Blizzard’s CFO Dennis Durkin went on to explain what makes 2019’s game so great:
Despite this, Durkin claims that the company is predicting lower sales for the upcoming game. 2019’s projections represent a year-on-year drop for Call of Duty’s outlook.
“I will say that the team that’s building this game for us in Activision is building what they believe the best Call of Duty we’ve ever built. And that team is certainly targeting growth even though we haven’t put it in our outlook in that fashion.”
There’s been plenty of hype surrounding 2019’s game, with recent reports suggesting the Infinity Ward-led game could be Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 or Call of Duty: Ghosts 2. Both Modern Warfare and Ghosts are subfranchises of Call of Duty’s main world with the potential to be big sellers for Activision. With Ghosts earning the label as one of the weakest entries in Call of Duty’s history, the various talks about a redefining game could hint at a completely different Ghosts. That being said, most gamers are expecting Modern Warfare 4.
The call may have slipped in the fact that Activision Blizzard is cutting its staff by up to 8%, but at least those at the top are anticipating another revolutionary Call of Duty game. Considering the long-running franchise constantly find new ways to surprise fans old and new, Call of Duty 2019 is sure to be one to watch.
More: 15 Unconfirmed 2019 Games We’re Excited To See
Source: Activision Blizzard