TheCall of Dutyfranchise has become synonymous with the first-person shooter genre, and that’s in no small part due to the series getting a yearly release. Since 2005, at least oneCall of Dutygame has released every single year, without fail. If fans are counting portable entries, then some years have even seen multipleCall of Dutys release. Even if they aren’t fans, there’s no way gamers can forgettheCall of Dutyfranchise, and that’s exactly what its developers and publishers have wanted. But that could all be about to change.
Being one of the biggest gaming properties around, theCall of Dutyseries is no stranger to leaks. But while these leaks often cover what’s coming in a future update, some of the mostrecentCall of Dutyleakscould potentially shake up the future of the entire franchise if they prove true. According to recent leaks,Call of Dutymight not release an installment in 2023, and if that’s true, then it’ll break a 17-year-long streak.
RELATED:Call of Duty 2024’s First Zombies Map Already Has a Perfect Cast
A New Call of Duty Has Released Every Year Since 2005
The very firstCall of Dutyreleased all the way back in 2003. Though it certainly wasn’t the first military shooter, it did make a sizable impact on the genre with its intense campaign and great visuals.Call of Duty 2wouldn’t appear until 2005, but by all accounts, the wait was worth it. Astellar campaign told from multiple perspectives, phenomenal visuals and sound design, and the beginnings of a multiplayer mode that would go on to change the gaming world,Call of Duty 2broke new ground for the FPS genre and essentially kick-started theCall of Dutyfranchise as fans know it today.
TheCall of Dutyfranchise has released an entry every single year since 2005. Unlike other juggernaut yearly franchises,Call of Dutyoften rotates its developers to ensure that the team has enough time to produce a title of quality. Treyarch and Infinity Ward are the two biggest names in franchise history, with theirBlack OpsandModern Warfareseries being the highlight entries for most fans, however developers likeSledgehammer Games and Raven Softwarehave given it a go in the past.
The Pros and Cons of Call of Duty Skipping a Year
For the most part,Call of Duty’s yearly release schedulehas worked fairly well. For the fans, they get a newCall of Dutyexperience every year, with a heap of new content to sink their teeth into, and if they didn’t like that particular entry then at least they know they only have another 12 months to wait for a new one. For the publisher, this business model is clearly extremely lucrative, withCall of Dutyhaving dominated the sales charts for almost two decades. However, this annual release schedule probably doesn’t benefitCall of Duty’s developers.
With such a short development time,Call of Dutydevelopers must feel fairly restricted in what they can include in their game. While that hasn’t stopped entries having multiple game modes, countless maps, and extensive progression systems, it must feel limiting to not have enough resources or time to really push the boundaries of the 20-year-old franchise. If the rumors are true andCall of Dutyskips a year, then the next game can really switch up theCall of Dutyformula, which fans have been requesting for years now.
In the absence of a 2023Call of Dutyentry, some fans have suggested introducing more live-service elements toCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. With a Battle Pass and Season structure already in place,Modern Warfare 2is just one step away from becoming a live-service title, and it seems like a natural evolution of the franchise. Releasing new maps and weapons at a more consistent rate would give fans plenty of new content to consume while they wait for another mainline entry in the series, which gives developers more time while also providing Activision with plenty of cash. ThrowCall of Duty: Warzone 2.0into the mix and fans have plenty of content to enjoy this year. Still, it would be a bold move forCall of Duty, and one that goes against a successful 17-year approach.
