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Infinity Ward officially announces Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

Activision Blizzard and developer Infinity Ward have revealed Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 will be the next core entry in the long-running franchise.

This year’s Call of Duty title will take players back to the Modern Warfare side of the franchise. The announcement not only confirms the title but also reveals the upcoming title’s logo treatment.

The new era of Call of Duty is coming,” a recent announcement tweet states.

Overall, this is a rather low-key announcement given a sequel to 2019’s Modern Warfare was expected as 2022’s Call of Duty title. With That said, the logo treatment does inspire the classic feel of the original Modern Warfare series.

Eagle-eyed players will catch a glimpse at the Task Force 141 symbol. Fans of the franchise will also recognize this as the special unit operation led by Lieutenant General Shepherd, Captain John Price, and Captain John “Soap” MacTavish.

A full reveal of the game will likely take place later during the summer. Activision Blizzard traditionally releases new entries in the Call of Duty series in November following in-depth reveals of both campaign and multiplayer modes. Additionally, a sequel to Call of Duty: Warzone is expected to coincide with the launch of Modern Warfare 2.

News of the announcement comes at a time when Activision Blizzard stockholders voted with 98 percent approval of Microsoft’s acquisition bid. Although the deal is not yet confirmed, Microsoft expects it to close by June 2023. This means that Modern Warfare 2 could potentially be the last Call of Duty title to not be published by Microsoft. In fact, reports claim Activision Blizzard may skip a 2023 Call of Duty release altogether. Thought a “steady stream of additional content” is said to be planned for Modern Warfare 2.

It’s worth noting that Activision Blizzard is currently under investigation for sexual harassment claims. Since claims of “frat-boy culture” within the workplace have been surfacing, 37 employees have “exited.” The California Department of Fair Employment and Housing also filed a lawsuit last year against the company.

Image credit: @CallofDuty

Source: GameInformer

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Activision Blizzard stockholders approve Microsoft acquisition

Activision Blizzard, developer and publisher of Call of Duty and Overwatch, reveals that its stockholders approve of Microsoft’s acquisition bid. The proposal, which would see Activision Blizzard under the Xbox Game Studios banner, saw more than 98 percent of the shares voting in favour of the proposal.

Earlier this year, Microsoft announced its plans to acquire Activision Blizzard for $95.00 per share. The $68.7 billion USD (roughly $85.96 billion CAD) deal would see tentpole franchises like Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, Diablo, and more owned by Microsoft. The acquisition also folds in a laundry list of studios including Blizzard Entertainment, Beenox, High Moon Studios, Infinity Ward, King, Raven Software, Sledgehammer Games, Toys for Bob, Treyarch and more.

Microsoft expects the deal to close by the end of its fiscal year ending June 30th, 2023. However, one step to securing the deal was gaining approval from Activision Blizzard stockholders. During the Activision Blizzard Special Meeting of Stockholders, the votes were cast in favour of the acquisition.

“Today’s overwhelmingly supportive vote by our stockholders confirms our shared belief that, combined with Microsoft, we will be even better positioned to create great value for our players, even greater opportunities for our employees, and to continue our focus on becoming an inspiring example of a welcoming, respectful, and inclusive workplace,” said Bobby Kotick, CEO, Activision Blizzard.

A report detailing the results from the Special Meeting will come in a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Form 8-K by early next week.

Previous reports claim Microsoft plans to make future Activision titles multiplatform. This includes Call of Duty in some capacity, as Xbox head Phil Spencer confirms. However, some games and content will be exclusive to Xbox consoles and platforms.

Activision Blizzard continues to be investigated over sexual harassment claims. Kotick is also being investigated after reports allege turned a blind eye to the supposed “frat-boy culture” within the company. While Kotick’s future within the company has not been officially confirmed, he is expected to step down.

The next step in the Activision Blizzard acquisition is to receive the approval of the Federal Trade Commission and antitrust enforcers. However, Wall Street is currently betting the deal may fail. If the merger passes, Microsoft will become the third-largest video game company.

Image credit: Microsoft

Source: Activision Blizzard

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Activision reportedly plans to skip 2023 mainline ‘Call of Duty’ release

Activision will reportedly skip its planned 2023 Call of Duty release, marking the first time the company hasn’t put out a new title in the franchise since 2004.

Instead, Activision will delay the release.

On its own, the news may not sound like much — wow, a game publisher skipped a year. Big whoop. They do that all the time.

Except, Activision will have gone almost two decades without skipping a Call of Duty release. The first game in the franchise came out in 2003 and the sequel arrived in 2005. Since then, Activision has launched a Call of Duty game every year.

Moreover, the company’s planned 2022 release — a Modern Warfare sequel — is still on track to launch this holiday season. According to Bloomberg, which detailed the supposed plans to skip a 2023 release, Activision plans to release a “steady stream of additional content” for the 2022 Call of Duty, as well as a new free-to-play online title that will help fill the gap.

As for why Activision decided to delay, it’s apparently because a recent entry didn’t meet expectations. That led some executives to believe they were introducing new Call of Duty titles too rapidly. As Kotaku points out, the franchise has had disappointing releases before — remember Ghosts? — so it’s a bit odd that Activision only seems to be catching onto this now.

Bloomberg’s sources also said the delay wasn’t related to Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision.

Image credit: Activision

Source: Bloomberg Via: Kotaku

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‘Call of Duty’ anti-cheat shields players from incoming damage from cheaters

Call of Duty’s next big anti-cheater tactic gives regular players their own cheats so they can fight back.

In a blog post (spotted by The Verge), Call of Duty Warzone updated its ‘Ricochet’ anti-cheat software with a new ‘Damage Shield’ ability that blocks incoming damage from cheaters. The effect makes it so players can effectively walk up to a cheater without taking damage and finish them off.

A recent clip from YouTuber TimTheTatman shows the Damage Shield in action (starting at about 1:49):

In the blog post, Activision explains that the Damage Shield “disables the cheater’s ability to inflict critical damage on other players” and only activates “when the server detects a cheater is tampering with the game in real-time.” Activision also claims there’s “no possibility for the game to apply a Damage Shield randomly or by accident,” although only time will tell if that’s accurate.

Along with a fun new way to troll cheaters, Activision is clamping down in other ways. The company says it will start banning cheaters across the entire Call of Duty franchise instead of doing so on a game-by-game basis. Moreover, bans will extend to future Call of Duty games.

“Going forward, extreme, or repeated violations of the security policy – such as in-game cheating – may result in a permanent suspension of all accounts. Additionally, any attempt to hide, disguise, or obfuscate your identity or the identity of your hardware devices may also result in a permanent suspension,” Activision explains in the blog post.

For those wondering why Activision bothered adding Damage Shield instead of just removing cheaters, it likely comes down to Warzone being free-to-play. Free games tend to have more cheating because cheaters can just make a new account if they get banned. And, while there are systems in place to prevent this, anti-cheat isn’t a magic bullet. Adding things like Damage Shield could be an effective way to remove the incentive for cheating by effectively making cheats useless while also levelling the playing field for non-cheating players.

Cheating has become an increasingly significant problem for gaming, especially as more games move to free-to-play and cross-platform models (it’s easier to cheat on PC, which has led console players to reject cross-play with PC to avoid facing cheaters). Along with Call of Duty’s Damage Shield, other games implemented, or are working on, anti-cheating solutions. There are more stringent anti-cheat programs rolling out, some of which run at the kernel level, while games like League of Legends and Apex Legends suggest they could force cheaters to exclusively face off against each other instead of dominating honest players.

Source: Activision Via: The Verge

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Microsoft says it plans to release future Call of Duty titles on PlayStation

Microsoft has confirmed that it plans to continue developing Activision franchises for PlayStation platforms.

In a recent blog post focused on upcoming changes to its store likely tied to regulatory restrictions surrounding Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard, the tech giant cites Call of Duty as an example of a series that will be on PlayStation “beyond the existing agreement and into the future.”

“To be clear, Microsoft will continue to make Call of Duty and other popular Activision Blizzard titles available on PlayStation through the term of any existing agreement with Activision,” says Microsoft. “And we have committed to Sony that we will also make them available on PlayStation beyond the existing agreement and into the future so that Sony fans can continue to enjoy the games they love. We are also interested in taking similar steps to support Nintendo’s successful platform. We believe this is the right thing for the industry, for gamers and for our business.”

Phil Spencer, Microsoft’s head of all things Xbox, has previously stated that the company will honour existing publishing agreements, but this is the first definitive information we’ve seen regarding future plans. Previously, there was a widespread belief that the series would go exclusive to Xbox and PC following 2023. Rumours surrounding the Call of Duty series indicate that Modern Warfare 2 will release in 2022, while Call of Duty: Warzone 2 a new unknown Call of Duty title will drop in 2023.

Microsoft also mentions that it plans to continue supporting Nintendo hardware, and says that it won’t force PC users to purchase games through its own app stores.

“While change is not easy, we believe it’s possible to adapt to new rules and innovate successfully. And we believe it’s possible for governments to adopt new tech regulation that promotes competition while also protecting fundamental values like privacy and national and cyber security,” writes Microsoft.

The full blog post can be found here.

Image credit: Activision 

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Former Call of Duty developers’ Deviation Games expands into Canada

Los Angeles-based Deviation Games, a new developer founded by Call of Duty: Black Ops veterans, is expanding into Canada.

In a LinkedIn post first spotted by Push Square, Deviation said it has formed “Deviation Games Canada,” although it didn’t mention exactly where it’s located. Those interested in applying are asked to message one of the Deviation team members.

Following its founding in November 2019, Deviation has been working on a yet-to-be-revealed new IP. Last June, the studio confirmed that it had signed a deal to develop this game exclusively for PlayStation. Otherwise, nothing is known about the title.

Deviation isn’t the only Canadian studio with ties to Call of Duty. Apex Legends developer Respawn, the Los Angeles-based developer founded by members of the original Modern Warfare team, opened a Vancouver office in 2020. As well, Activision-owned Beenox, which is based in Quebec City, is a support studio on each annual Call of Duty.

Image credit: Activision

Via: Push Square

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Xbox boss wants to ‘keep Call of Duty on PlayStation’ following Activision Blizzard acquisition

Phil Spencer, longtime Xbox boss and newly appointed “CEO of Microsoft Gaming,” says the company has no intentions of taking Call of Duty off of PlayStation following its acquisition of Activision Blizzard.

On Twitter, Spencer tweeted that he had “good calls” with Sony leaders this week about the future of Activision Blizzard’s games on PlayStation.

“I confirmed our intent to honor all existing agreements upon acquisition of Activision Blizzard and our desire to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation. Sony is an important part of our industry, and we value our relationship,” said Spencer of these calls.

On January 18th, Microsoft announced plans to acquire Activision Blizzard for a staggering $68.7 billion USD (about $85.9 billion CAD). At the time, it was unclear what this would mean for titles that have historically been multiplatform, like Call of Duty.

Amid this uncertainty, Bloomberg reported that Microsoft planned to keep some games available on PlayStation while making others Xbox and PC exclusive. More recently, a Sony spokesperson told The Wall Street Journalthat “we expect that Microsoft will abide by contractual agreements and continue to ensure Activision games are multiplatform.”

What does this actually mean?

Given that the acquisition isn’t expected to be completed until fiscal year 2023, it’s impossible to say at this time whether Spencer is being truthful. For example, in the case of ZeniMax, Microsoft’s last big gaming purchase, Bethesda subsidiary Arkane Studios’ most recent game, Deathloop, was legally required to release exclusively on PlayStation 5 and PC in 2021.

However, Arkane’s next game, this summer’s Redfall, was later confirmed to be an Xbox and PC exclusive. Given that we don’t the exact nature of “contractual agreements” for Call of Duty, it’s possible that Xbox continues to release these games for some period but then, when these deals expire, shift to Xbox-only releases.

It’s also worth mentioning that some industry experts, including reliable VentureBeat reporter Jeff Grubb, have speculated that Xbox might take a hybrid approach when it comes to platform releases. In other words, they theorized that the massively popular free-to-play battle royale game Call of Duty: Warzone would remain on all platforms (especially amid rumours of a mobile version) while the main annualized entries could become Xbox/PC exclusive.

Of course, Activision Blizzard also owns a wealth of properties beyond Call of Duty that have appeared on PlayStation, including Overwatch, Diablo, Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon. It’s possible that Call of Duty remains multiplatform (either fully or only to some degree) while other franchises see Xbox-only releases. That would stay consistent with what Spencer is saying now — he only mentioned Call of Duty — while still allowing for other properties to become Xbox exclusive.

It should be noted, though, that Xbox’s current approach deemphasizes the need for a specific piece of hardware to play its first-party games. Outside of native releases on Xbox consoles and PC, Xbox Game Studios titles like Halo Infinite and Forza Horizon 5 are playable on mobile devices via Xbox Game Pass’ Cloud Gaming service. Further, the company has confirmed plans to bring this streaming service to other devices, like streaming sticks and apps for TVs.

Therefore, even if Call of Duty went “Xbox exclusive,” the game be playable for PlayStation owners, in theory, via streaming on one of several devices they potentially already own. Streaming isn’t as good as playable natively, of course, but it would give some options besides dropping hundreds of dollars on an Xbox console or PC.

Another big question pertains to how Microsoft will handle Activision Blizzard’s allegedly rampant workplace misconduct. The company, particularly CEO Bobby Kotick, has been accused of fostering a “frat boy” culture that regularly led to the mistreatment, including but not limited to sexual abuse, of women. Many have called for Kotick to resign, although he reportedly won’t do so until after the acquisition closes.

Ultimately, though, it’s too early to say either way regarding exclusivity and company reform. What we do know, though, is Activision Blizzard and Microsoft will operate independently for at least another year. That means that the former’s imminent slate of games, including this year’s inevitable annual Call of Duty, will definitively release on PlayStation. Likewise, Microsoft will not be able to make any changes at Activision for the time being.

Image credit: Activision

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Activision sues Call of Duty cheat maker as Warzone QA team strikes for third week

Activision has filed a lawsuit against a company called EngineOwning for allegedly distributing Call of Duty cheats.

According to the lawsuit, EngineOwning’s software enables those playing Call of Duty games to automatically aim weapons, discern the locations of players and more. Activision argues that the defendants “have been fully aware that their conduct violates Activision’s rights but nevertheless have brazenly continued their activities.”

For months, Activision has been cracking down on cheaters in Call of Duty: Warzone through a ‘Ricohet’ anti-cheat system and the banning of tens of thousands of offending accounts. However, Activision’s ongoing action against EngineOwning comes as subsidiary Raven is speaking out about its own grievances. ABetterABK, the workers alliance representing those protesting a multitude of issues within Activision Blizzard, note that the company has failed to address concerns at Warzone developer Raven.

On December 6th, over 60 members of Raven’s QA department walked off the job in protest of 12 QA layoffs at the company. The workers were laid off despite having their contracts in “good standing” — meaning that they didn’t underperform or commit a fireable offence. While Activision says the workers are free to protest without fear of retaliation, the protesting developers say leadership has failed to provide a response.

It remains to be seen what will come out of both Activision’s lawsuit surrounding Call of Duty cheats, and the protests of those who actually make the games.

Beyond Raven, though, Activision has been reckoning with a larger company-wide scandal related to an alleged frat-boy culture. In July, California’s Department of Fair Employment and Housing filed a lawsuit against Activision Blizzard following a two-year investigation, alleging that the company had a history of sexual harassment, discriminatory hiring practices and more.

Then, in November, The Wall Street Journal reported that Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick not only knew about these issues but actively tried to cover them up. Calls for Kotick to step down were quickly made, although the company’s board backed him and he has so far not done so.

As we wait for further developments, it’s worth noting that ABetterABK is running a fundraiser in support of striking Activision Blizzard workers, should you wish to donate.

Image credit: Activision

Via: PC Gamer

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Activision Blizzard reportedly laid off Raven QA following ‘Cold War’ success

Raven Software, a studio that worked on Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War and Warzone, reportedly laid off about a third of its contract quality assurance (QA) testers, or about a dozen people. However, more could follow.

Raven’s parent company, Activision Blizzard, previously reported that Cold War brought in $3 billion USD (about $3.85 billion CAD) for the company in 2020.

The news comes via reports from Kotaku and The Washington Post (via The Verge), which said team members were called into individual meetings to be told whether they’ll still have a job come January 28th. Previously, Raven’s owner Activision Blizzard had promised team members raises following a pay restructure. Unfortunately, that may still be the case — workers who keep their jobs will reportedly see a pay jump from $17 USD an hour to $18.50 an hour (about $21.83 to $23.75 CAD).

Anonymous Raven contractors said to the Post that they were told “You did nothing wrong” after being let go.

Worse, employee advocacy group ‘A Better ABK’ said on Twitter that many employees moved to Wisconsin for the job and did so without assistance from Activision Blizzard.

Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier shared in a tweet that some contractors he spoke with said they won’t know their status until next week. The studio’s developers reportedly learned of the layoffs via word of mouth instead of through an official announcement.

Activision Blizzard has a pattern of laying off workers amid booming business. For example, the company laid off around eight percent of its employees after CEO Bobby Kotick revealed its 2018 financial results were the best in its history. In 2021, the company laid off around 50 employees just months before Kotick received $155 million USD (about $199 million CAD) following a shareholder vote. The 50 employees that the company laid off received three months’ severance and $200 Battle.net gift cards. In 2021, Activision published Call of Duty: Vanguard, made by Sledgehammer Games — it was reportedly the second-largest game launch in 2021.

Moreover, these layoffs come as the company contends with the fallout of sexual assault allegations. Employees accused the company of not acting on abuse and sexual assault allegations. Kotick reportedly knew about the issues for years and had his own history of harassment.

Source: Kotaku, The Washington Post Via: The Verge

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Call of Duty: Vanguard has a few major pain points to address before it can rise on every front

The annual Call of Duty season is upon us. Sledgehammer Games, alongside a multitude of other Activision studios, has helped to release this year’s FPS blockbuster, Call of Duty: Vanguard. Whether you are a campaign-oriented player, a competitive guru, or looking for more Zombies action, the WWII-centric title caters a bit to everybody.

Over 18-odd years, the Call of Duty cycle has become a bit predictable. From the era the game takes place in, to the studio behind it, you can have a good idea of what you’ll expect before even playing the latest title. The same can be said for Vanguard to a certain extent. If you’ve followed Call of Duty long enough, you can envision what Sledgehammer can bring to the table, especially after 2018’s Call of Duty: WWII. Though, it’s what the studio does to outpace itself that sets Vanguard apart from previous projects.

WWII-era FPS games have long become saturated. We’ve seen D-Day and we’ve faced the Nazis and Axis armies. I would have thought there wasn’t much left to explore from a narrative standpoint. However, thanks to a creative narrative team that includes the likes of Sam Maggs, Belinda Garcia, Shelby Carlton and Alexa Ray Corriea, Vanguard offers a compelling story with interesting characters. The multiplayer portion of Vanguard is rich with content and is genuinely fun from a competitive standpoint. However, with cracks in the foundation, the team needs to address them for the community’s sake. When looking at the Zombies mode, inherent changes to the loop left me feeling underwhelmed.

Vanguard packs in many blockbuster moments and sets pieces throughout. Yet, they all serve the purpose of delivering character-focused moments.

First off, let’s take a look at the Vanguard campaign. While I feel that story has sometimes taken a back seat in exchange for prioritizing compelling multiplayer content, Vanguard’s narrative isn’t compromised in the slightest. Vanguard centres around a ragtag group that has formed the very first Special Forces team. The group is comprised of British paratrooper Sergeant Arthur Kingsley, paratrooper Sergeant Richard Webb, 2nd Lieutenant Lucas Riggs, Navy pilot Lieutenant Wade Jackson, Red Army medic Polina Petrova, and soldier named Novak are tasked with infiltrating a German base. While searching for a MacGuffin known as Project Phoenix, the group is captured by a Nazi regime and subjected to interrogation. The story unfolds by giving each character the spotlight during their individual moments speaking to Nazi officer Jannick Richter.

We’re shown specific moments told in non-chronological order during the war. From Kingsley’s rise as a leader to Petrova’s revenge mission to track down a Nazi sergeant, Vanguard excels in unfolding these vignettes that are emotional and powerful tales. The story also goes out of its way to tell stories from all walks of life and avoid the ones we’ve seen countless times. Vanguard packs in many blockbuster moments and sets pieces throughout, yet they all serve the purpose of delivering character-focused moments.

For the first time in many years, I felt attached to the characters in Call of Duty. There were notable performances and memorable stories incorporated that made me think a character like Kingsley could stand out as a face for the franchise, similar to Captain Price or Ghost. When the group is able to interact and play off one another, you get a sense that they are a strong, dynamic team. The only downside is that there is so much time setting up each character that by the time the gang really gets to work together, credits on the six-hour campaign begin to roll. I’m hopeful we get more of these characters in the future.

Playing on Xbox Series X, there were a couple of instances of framerate drops in the campaign. However, aside from that, the game looks immaculate. The facial animations during cutscenes sometimes air on the uncanny valley level. Lighting and particles go a long way in creating a visual treat in 4K. I oftentimes wished a Photo Mode was included so I could set up shots a bit easier.

Over on the multiplayer side, Vanguard offers the most content-rich Call of Duty launch in recent memory. It’s almost overwhelming when you first start to play. For starters, there are 16 maps available at launch, including revamps of World at War’s Castle and Dome. For the most part, I’ve been loving the map offering. Many are balanced in the right ways, offering different levels of elevation primed for various loadouts. Each map has a unique setting including the sun-kissed and sandy Oasis map to the snowy Red Star and Decoy’s mock town. They are all fitting for the era but offer a unique backdrop for multiplayer mayhem.

Sledgehammer does appear to be actively listening to community feedback.

Vanguard uses a very muted colour pallet. This fits with the muddiness and tone of the WWII era. Though, I often feel as though it impacts visibility on many maps. Oftentimes, I’ll be shot and not have an idea of where the enemy was. They blend in seamlessly on many of the maps. I’m left wondering if contrast or colour shading could be patched in to improve this or if my eyes need more time to adjust from the vibrant maps of Black Ops: Cold War.

Sledgehammer does appear to be actively listening to community feedback. The sun’s rays were drastically nerfed from the beta. No longer do I feel blinded by the light when running outdoors. This gives me hope that tweaks can be made. Audio improvements have also been made. For the first time ever, I feel as though I can actually pinpoint the general direction of gunfire. Footstep audio is also crisp and accurate, though now that everyone uses the Ninja perk, it’s a bit of a moot point.

Call of Duty: Vanguard offers an impressive array of weapons and Operators to unlock and level up. From the weapons side, many guns can now be outfitted with up to 10 attachments. Due to this, the max level can regularly reach 70, meaning there’s more of a grind to unlock everything. The same can be said for Operators. Currently, each of the 12 Operators available at launch requires you to unlock them by completing certain tasks. In certain cases, this may require you to obtain 200 kills with a certain weapon type. Others require you to complete certain actions. They are all obtainable but require a certain level of dedication.

The amount of content is staggering and I’m eager to see how Vanguard’s integration into Warzone’s Pacific map will pan out. I believe there will have to be some balancing made to make levelling up weapons more streamlined but that remains to be seen ahead of Season 1.

Granted, this is coming off the launch weekend, but Vanguard’s multiplayer does have some pain points holding it back. Currently, the spawns are unbalanced. This is likely a matter of Sledgehammer having to analyze and fine-tune spawn locations. Even when it worked to my benefit, having players pop right in front of me felt unfair. Additionally, the multiplayer struggles with Packet Bursts, Vanguard’s on-demand texture streaming feature. Even with good internet speeds, Packet Bursts are impacting connections. There are also small progression bugs, specifically towards unlocking reticles, which impact the satisfying grind. These are all things that can be patched over time. However, none have been formally addressed by the studio as of the time of writing.

Vanguard offers the usual staples of Call of Duty’s multiplayer modes. Team Deathmatch, Search and Destroy, Kill Confirmed — the list goes on. The unique game mode introduced in Vanguard is Champion Hill. Eight teams of two or three go head to head until the last team alive is standing. Each team is given a number of cumulative lives. Once those are gone, the team is disqualified. Along the way, teams can find money and extra lives, during each round. Cash can be used to upgrade weapons, buy perks etc. It’s a surprisingly fun game mode and requires a little more forethought and communication than other modes. Champion Hill is fast-paced and unique enough to stand apart from the rest.

Rather than continue the base structure that Zombies players are so used to, Vanguard’s treatment errs more along the side of a traditional Roguelite.

Finally, we’ve reached Vanguard’s Zombies offering. Treyarch helmed this mode for Vanguard, after leading the charge with the massive spread of content during the Cold War era. Rather than continue the base structure that Zombies players are so used to, Vanguard’s treatment errs more along the side of a traditional Roguelite. Thanks to the Nazi’s obsession with the occult, players and their teams are transported into an alternate universe. Upon each run of Zombies, teams will tackle a series of random runs. Between each run, teams will be transported to a hub area to purchase perks, craft weapons, and swap Covenants, which provide buffs. It’s a new gameplay loop for the long-established co-op mode in Call of Duty. Vanguard’s Zombies mode once again allows the franchise to branch off from the more serious storytelling aspects.

I’ve never considered myself an authority on the Zombies mode. When I do dabble, I enjoy a certain amount of predictability. Not knowing what my next run may look like threw me off as I approached what could be considered a series of small minigames. I anticipate that the hook of this year’s Zombies mode will be crafting the ultimate build. Perfecting the right selection of Covenants and weapons is likely what will keep die-hard players around. However, for a more casual Zombies player, the new loop could take getting used to.

Call of Duty: Vanguard is a riveting entry in the saturated WWII genre. Sledgehammer Games and partnering studios helped deliver a lot of compelling content across its various modes. The campaign is largely backed by phenomenal writing and stunning visuals, crafting a memorable cast of characters. Multiplayer is content-rich but does need an extra layer of polish to stand out and withstand the test of time. Addressing concerns and listening to feedback will play important roles in the near future. Zombies take a radical turn but may offer die-hards a satisfying enough twist to keep players coming back for more. All in all, Call of Duty: Vanguard is another strong entry for the FPS and competitive community.

Call of Duty: Vanguard is now available on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. Physical copies of the game are available at Best Buy, Amazon and more.

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Image credit: Activision

Note: Activision-Blizzard, the company that owns Call of Duty, is currently embroiled in a major gender discrimination and harassment scandal. The company has responded to allegations with a number of initiatives, including an end to forced arbitration and a 50 percent increase of women and non-binary people at the company. However, legal proceedings and investigations remain underway, and it remains to be seen whether the company will meaningfully address the multitude of concerns.