AI Image
Activision's Head Marketer Says Modern Warfare 4 Faces A 'Call Of Duty Tax'
Kotaku • • technology
Key Points:
- Call of Duty has released a new game every fall for over 20 years, maintaining strong sales but experiencing a decline in cultural impact and critical reception over the past decade.
- Activision's CMO Tyler Bahl refers to the "Call of Duty tax," where the franchise faces harsher reviews and diminished excitement despite the extensive effort of its large development team.
- Recent Call of Duty titles have seen declining Metacritic scores, with 2024's Black Ops 6 scoring an 83, but previous entries like Black Ops 7 and Modern Warfare 3 receiving much lower ratings, reflecting waning critical enthusiasm.
- Player engagement has dropped significantly since Black Ops 7, with monthly active users halving to around 20 million, though nostalgia-driven releases of older Black Ops ports temporarily boosted interest.
- Activision plans to revitalize the franchise with a new sub-series and the upcoming Modern Warfare 4, which aims to address player feedback and will have an early access campaign starting October 16.
