Activision has confirmed its plans to release a new premium game later this year. However, there are conflicting reports that make one doubt the future of the shooter.
There was a Q2 earnings meeting last August, where Activision hinted at the existence of a new CoD title for 2023. At the time, they said that “new premium content development is planned for 2023 and beyond.” What exactly is this content that we can expect? Will it be DLC for Modern Warfare or a whole new title? Find out everything we know about it ni this article!
Plans for new premium release
As the Call of Duty insider CharlieINTEL shared, “premium content” used to mean releasing a whole new title. However, this announcement could also be a smaller project, such as a DLC for Modern Warfare 2. It is known that Infinity Ward has developed Modern Warfare 2 and that Treyarch’s studio for the upcoming CoD content for 2024 will be responsible.
Activision says there’s a “full annual premium release” in the Call of Duty franchise launching this fall. pic.twitter.com/lxI7oBDuVF
— CharlieIntel (@charlieINTEL) February 6, 2023
CoD leaker RalphsValve claimed in October last year that Sledgehammer Games would develop Advanced Warfare 2. CharlieINTEL was able to refute this claim about a sequel to Advanced Warfare, but he also had no idea what Sledgehammer’s next project would be. Here comes the confirmation from Activision that there will be a premium release this year, right on cue.
The Call of Duty Release Cycle
On February 6, Activision announced:
“Plans for 2023 include even more immersive live services across all platforms and the next full annual premium release of the blockbuster series.”
CharlieINTEL has drawn attention to a Bloomberg report by Jason Schreier, stating that the title will be an expansion to Sledgehammer Games’ Modern Warfare 2 this fall. They even went a bit further, claiming that the upcoming 2023 project is “a sequel to MW2.”
Bloomberg reported last year that this fall’s title would be an expansion to MWII from Sledgehammer Games, but Activision keeps calling this fall’s release a “full annual premium release.”
— CharlieIntel (@charlieINTEL) February 6, 2023
There is usually a certain rhythm in the CoD universe in which new titles and content are released. For 17 years, Activision has released a new CoD title every year, alternating between Infinity Ward, Treyarch, and Sledgehammer. Modern Warfare 2 would then be the first title in the history of the series to be given a two-year lifecycle.
It could still be a DLC though. In October 2022, CoD leaker TheGhostofHope hinted that an expansion for Modern Warfare 2 would be released in 2023. It would be a paid Greatest Hits Map Pack featuring classic maps celebrating the 20th anniversary of the series. This is sure to please fans if they can play their favorite revamped maps from yore like London Docks, Nuketown, Firing Range, and Fringe.
We can’t say exactly what we’ll actually get in the end. Until Activision reveals more details, we can only speculate and wait.
