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There have been reports that Activision may be planning to switch up its annual “Call of Duty” schedule by not releasing a new full game next year. However, the publisher seemingly denied such claims in a recent financial report.
Activision Blizzard held its earnings call and released financial results for the Q3 fiscal year 2022, which ended in September. In this document, Activision noted that the “Call of Duty” series has garnered more than half a billion players annually in three years.
The publisher added that it wants to keep this momentum with the lineup of “Call of Duty” games in the pipeline, including an upcoming “full premium” title. “Activision is looking forward to building on its current momentum in 2023, with plans for next year including 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 platforms,” the financial report reads.
Hearing about a new full premium “Call of Duty” game slated to launch next year might not seem headline-worthy. However, fans may recall that established games industry insider Jason Schreier reported on Bloomberg earlier this year that Activision has decided not to release a full-fledged “Call of Duty” iteration in 2023.
The report claimed that Activision decided to have a one-year break for its mainline “Call of Duty” series next year after the lackluster reception of “Call of Duty: Vanguard” last year. The publisher, however, later denied the report.
Meanwhile, in the same financial report, Activision Blizzard told investors it still expects the ongoing acquisition deal with Microsoft to be approved next year. The publisher reiterated that it anticipates the $69 billion transaction to be finalized by the end of Microsoft’s current fiscal year, which will end in June 2023.
The “Call of Duty” franchise was unsurprisingly one of the main points of contention by Xbox rivals like Sony as it tries to convince regulators to block the deal. In response, Microsoft gaming chief Phil Spencer has repeatedly said during media appearances that the series will not be removed from PlayStation. Microsoft recently pointed out that the expansion of its mobile gaming business is more of a priority in the pending merger.
