Activision Blizzard's 2022 earnings report: MW2 and Overwatch 2 are a hit

Activision Blizzard, on February 6, shared its data for the last quarter of 2022, and investors can be pretty pleased. According to Activision’s Q4 2022 financial report, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is a financial success. Just as it shows that Overwatch 2 has also been very successful.

Call of Duty sales increased by 60% with Modern Warfare 2

MW2 publisher confirms:

“Delivered the highest opening-quarter sell-through in franchise history.”

Where Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 operating income increased by approximately 60% in the fourth quarter compared to Call of Duty: Vanguard in 2021.

In the report, you can also see the cumulative hours played at the end of Q4 2022 were the highest in franchise history for a premium product at this stage of its launch.

On the other hand, Activision says it has plans for 2023 to include more engaging live services across all platforms and the next full yearly premium release of the hit series. But no further details were given on what this might mean.

According to previous rumors, a full Call of Duty game, probably the next Black Ops, is postponed from 2023 to 2024. On the other hand, leaks about the 2023 premium release for MW2 are paid DLC. In which everything from old maps to single-player content is included.

According to the company, the launch of Warzone 2 and DMZ in November contributed to the record quarterly player investment. Also, to a substantial year-over-year gain in the franchise’s reach and share on console and PC in the quarter. Moreover, Activision expects growth to continue as new seasonal material is released.

Credits: Activision

Overwatch 2 generates the highest quarterly numbers in franchise history

According to Activision Blizzard’s financial report for the fourth quarter of 2022. The debut of Overwatch 2 was one of the company’s most anticipated achievements late last year.

With the introduction of the new game mode and the five-versus-five format, the transition from a single-pay model to a free-to-play model was not very well accepted.

However, in the report’s results, Activision demonstrates that the free-to-play model has been and continues to be quite successful financially.

The report shows that the free-to-play launch of Overwatch 2 in October accounted for the highest quarterly number of players and hours played in Overwatch history.

Although the game is now free to play, all cosmetic accessories, such as skins, sprays, and weapon charms, are purchased with real money. The game’s new monetization strategy seems to be working according to Blizzard’s expectations, despite continued criticism from the general public.

According to the report, user investments are off to a solid start, with net in-game bookings. In addition, players continue to purchase expensive Battle Passes and featured cosmetics in the new in-game store, despite the general public not liking the new method of generating money.

For Overwatch 2’s third competitive season, Blizzard is making several adjustments. Among them are many new cosmetic rewards that can be purchased for very few coins. The charm of the original game, where virtually all event appearances were free. But to earn them, you need to complete in-game tasks. This style seems to be making a comeback to some extent with these additional cosmetics and events.

However, these modifications do not imply that Overwatch 2 will return to the original Overwatch design. According to Activision Blizzard’s report, the new monetization strategy is profitable for the corporation. Moreover, its success will likely influence development and design decisions.