Activision will reportedly not release a mainline Call of Duty game in 2023, a move that would break the annual release streak since 2005.
There will be no new Call of Duty game in 2023, according to a report from Bloomberg.
Instead, Activision will continue to support its free-to-play battle royale in Warzone, along with the 2022 release in the reported Modern Warfare 2.
A separate and yet to be revealed free-to-play title is expected to launch at some stage in 2022. There’s currently no telling what this free launch may entail.
Call of Duty 2023 delayed
Call of Duty 2023 – expected to be a Treyarch project – has been pushed back in its development until 2024.
The report suggests Activision wants to prevent Call of Duty titles from conflicting with subsequent releases. That’s what the company believes contributed to Vanguard’s lackluster sales since it launched in 2021.
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Sources close to Dexerto have also confirmed that the report is accurate, meaning that 2023 will mark the first year in almost two decades that Call of Duty fans won’t have a mainline game to sink their teeth into.
A new premium Call of Duty has come out every year since 2005. Next year's offerings will include a new free-to-play game as well as content for Warzone 2 and 2022's Modern Warfare.
— Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier) February 22, 2022
Activision is still prepared to launch a new title in 2022, though there’s no indication of what this free-to-play project will look like. We do know, however, this new launch is separate from Warzone 2.
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Despite reports that 2023 will be a ‘gap year’ for the franchise, an Activision spokesperson soon clarified that both “premium and free-to-play experiences” are on the way next year.
“Reports of anything otherwise are incorrect,” the Activision statement read. “We look forward to sharing more details when the time is right.”