Is the famous FPS franchise slowly dying in 2023?

Since the release of its first-ever installment, Call of Duty has turned out to be the ‘be-all and end-all’ of the first-person shooter genre. There’s no doubt about the fact that Activision has managed to build a universal brand out of a franchise that is now a household name. Even people who are not familiar with gaming know about CoD in some way or the other. Simply put, the name is so huge that it’s become synonymous with the gaming space itself.

However, the last few years have been mostly rough for the biggest FPS series in the world. Compared to a decade ago, recent installments from Activision have failed to woo the community. Not to mention there are multiple reasons why gamers are now losing the ‘urge for CoD’.

Fans are not liking Call of Duty games of the ‘new era’ despite Activision’s best efforts

To understand why the beloved, long-running franchise is losing its sheen, it’s important to go back in time to when it was witnessing a golden phase. For hardcore players, the period between 2009 and 2013 was perhaps the best to be a CoD gamer. The IP was delivering one blockbuster after the other. Hits like Modern Warfare 2, Black Ops 1, Modern Warfare 3, and Black Ops 2 are examples of near-perfection the franchise was able to achieve more than 10 years ago.

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A decade later, though, the situation has changed drastically. Activision’s focus has been more on introducing a ‘new era of Call of Duty‘. In the CoD Next event last year, the publisher announced massive transitions for the future. It wanted to try out a fresh experiment, contrary to the traditional experience of the series. But most of the fans haven’t really embraced this idea.

In fact, the franchise has struggled to entertain loyal CoD gamers with its latest, premium entries. Since 2019, all AAA releases like Infinity Ward’s rebooted Modern Warfare, Vanguard, and the existing MWII installment have failed to engage a large section of the community. Treyarch’s Black Ops Cold War, from 2020, is an exception as it did manage to receive ample success. But that’s only because it had a solid campaign, combined with the unbeatable and evergreen Zombies mode.

There’s a lack of ‘that classic feeling’ in mechanics

As mentioned above, the latest CoD titles are performing poorly due to missing out on elements that made their predecessors legendary. Yes, the FPS franchise is known for its growing emphasis on realism, but it has also deviated from the aspects that fans loved about the classic games from Activision.

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For example, entries like the original MW2, Black Ops 2, and MW3 had fluidity in their movement mechanics. Thus, players used to enjoy the maps while getting the true satisfaction of amassing amazing kills. Recent games, on the other hand, have got a different approach. The ongoing title MWII provides a very slow-paced movement with abilities like a tactical sprint. While it has got its own advantages, most of the players haven’t really admired this approach.

In other words, if something isn’t broken, it shouldn’t be fixed. But the company still made an unlikeable move. Coming as no surprise, it has resulted in an abysmal player count for the latest title. Per the recent figures from online data collecting websites, Modern Warfare II’s average player count, on platforms like Steam, has reached to 60,000. Last year, it was close to half-a-million players after the launch. Undoubtedly, a drop like this is alarming, to say the least.

High on cosmetics, less on the experience

Moreover, the increasing trend of rolling out stylized Operator skins with expensive bundles has significantly affected the reputation of the brand. Yes, there are many fans who like to purchase in-game cosmetics but they have become disappointed with how the makers are simply releasing illogical content. Recent cases of the community bashing devs for wasting time on cringe Operator skins summarize the current state of the series. Ten years ago, it was all about good gaming. Now, it’s become more of a microtransaction-based hub.

As a result, there are numerous bundles available at the moment which, according to fans, make no sense to be in CoD. To make matters even worse, the franchise has also faced multiple controversies lately. In short, nothing seems to be going in favor of this saga. Later this year, it will complete its 20th anniversary.

What are your thoughts on Call of Duty and its current state in 2023? Do you think there’s a possibility of a silver lining going forward, especially with Treyarch’s rumored Black Ops 2024 game? Let us know in the comments down below.

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