But that doesn't necessarily mean a brand-new entry in the series.
Call of Duty publisher Activision Blizzard says the annualized franchise will see a "full premium release" in 2023.
During its Q3 2022 earning results, Activision Blizzard wrote about Call of Duty heading into next year, revealing that the company has plans for "the most robust Call of Duty live operations to date, the next full premium release in the blockbuster annual series, and even more engaging free-to-play experiences across all platforms."
However, whether this means a brand new game or more premium-priced content for this year's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 remains unclear. Bloomberg's Jason Schreier addressed Activision Blizzard's wording, saying the "full premium release" Activision Blizzard is talking about is "a continuation of Modern Warfare II. It's called a full premium release because they're probably going to market and sell it as a $70 game with new single- and multiplayer content. But it's more MWII".
Man lol you keep falling for the same PR language. It's a continuation of Modern Warfare II. It's called a full premium release because they're probably going to market and sell it as a $70 game with new single- and multiplayer content. But it's more MWII
— Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier) November 7, 2022
Schreier also clarified his knowledge of the upcoming Call of Duty timeline. According to Schreier, 2023 will see a Modern Warfare 2 paid, premium expansion from Sledgehammer, which is set to have a lot of content. Apparently, the size of the expansion is what could justify Activision's "full premium release" wording. Then, Schreier claims the next Call of Duty entry is coming from Treyarch in 2024.
Officially, Call of Duty 2023 has not been delayed. In a statement to IGN earlier this year, Activision said “We have an exciting slate of premium and free-to-play Call of Duty experiences for this year, next year and beyond. Reports of anything otherwise are incorrect. We look forward to sharing more details when the time is right."
Activision Blizzard's revenue drops
Elsewhere, the company also reported its revenue dropped nearly $300 million year-over-year from the third quarter in 2021, and is pointing the blame at 2021's Call of Duty: Vanguard. In Q3 2021, the company's net revenue was $2.07 billion, compared to Q3 2022's $1.78 billion.
Activision Blizzard wrote that the lower financial performance was due to "reduced engagement for Call of Duty following the weaker reception for last year's premium release." The company is expecting to see improvement for the rest of 2022, thanks to the blistering hot start from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.
Every IGN Call of Duty Review
Modern Warfare 2, which just became the fastest Call of Duty game to cross the $1 billion sold mark, is also seeing great success on PC. Activison Blizzard said Modern Warfare 2 PC sales are around double the level of "recent strong titles in the series." The game is also setting franchise records for engagement, with with hours played in the first 10 days over 40% higher than the previous record.
Vanguard's comparitive sales struggles when pitted against the rest of the franchise have been well documented. Even though it was the best-selling game of 2021, Activision Blizzard was unhappy with its performance, saying “The game’s World War II setting didn’t resonate with some of our community.”
For more on Call of Duty, check out why the future of the franchise on PlayStation is safe, according to Xbox's Phil Spencer.
Logan Plant is a freelance writer for IGN covering video game and entertainment news. He has over six years of experience in the gaming industry with bylines at IGN, Nintendo Wire, Switch Player Magazine, and Lifewire. Find him on Twitter @LoganJPlant.
In This Article
What’s new with Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® II
Beyond day one
Modern Warfare II connects with the new Call of Duty®: WarzoneTM 2.0 experience, and with it, the evolution in Battle Royale with a brand-new play space and sandbox mode. Expect a massive calendar of free content post-launch featuring evolving gameplay with new maps, modes, seasonal events, community celebrations and more.
New and innovative experiences
Modern Warfare® II will feature a rebuilt, advanced AI system, enhanced rendering and photogrammetry technology, a new Gunsmith system, allowing for more customization than ever before, and a suite of other gameplay and graphical innovations that elevate the franchise to new heights.
Red Team 141 Operator Pack
The Vault Edition includes the Red Team 141 Operator Pack featuring the operators Ghost, Soap, Farah and Price
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Game features
Globe-trotting campaign
From small-scale, high-stakes infiltration tactics to highly classified missions, players will deploy alongside Task Force 141 in a globe-trotting single-player campaign.
Immersive multiplayer combat
Infinity Ward is bringing back signature Multiplayer game modes as well as introducing new maps and modes. Modern Warfare II will hit the ground running on day one, ready to welcome newcomers and veterans alike.
Evolved Special Ops
Experience an evolved Special Ops game mode featuring tactical co-op gameplay.
Game details
Welcome to the new era of Call of Duty.
Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® II drops players into an unprecedented global conflict that features the return of the iconic operators of Task Force 141. From small-scale, high-stakes infiltration tactical ops to highly classified missions, players will deploy alongside friends in a truly immersive experience.
Infinity Ward brings fans state-of-the-art gameplay, with all-new gun handling, advanced AI system, a new Gunsmith, and a suite of other gameplay and graphical innovations that elevate the franchise to new heights.
Modern Warfare®: II will launch with a globe-trotting single-player campaign, immersive multiplayer combat, and an evolved Special Ops game mode featuring tactical co-op gameplay.
Additional information
Rating Pending
- May contain content inappropriate for children. Visit ESRB.org for rating information.
- Publisher
- Activision
- Developer
- Infinity Ward
- Genre
- Shooter
- Platforms
- Xbox Series X|S
Xbox One
- Release date
- October 28, 2022
Digital Vault Edition
Includes:
- Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® II for Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One
- Red Team 141 Operator Pack
- FJX Cinder - First Ever Weapon Vault1
- Battle Pass (1 Season) + 50 Tier Skips2
Digital Cross-Gen Bundle
Includes:
- Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® II for Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One
Add-ons
POWER
YOUR
DREAMS
1Weapon Vault design limited to Weapon Vault contents at launch.
2Battle Pass and Tier Skips, or equivalent versions, will be accessible in Modern Warfare II once the Season 1 Battle Pass, or equivalent system, is made available in game. Battle Pass redemption applies to one season of Modern Warfare II Battle Pass, or equivalent system, only.
For more information, please visit www.callofduty.com.
© 2022 Activision Publishing, Inc. ACTIVISION, CALL OF DUTY, MODERN WARFARE, CALL OF DUTY WARZONE, and WARZONE are trademarks of Activision Publishing, Inc. All other trademarks and trade names are the properties of their respective owners. This product contains software technology licensed from Id Software ('Id Technology'). Id Technology © 1999-2021 Id Software, Inc.
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