Call of Duty is finally breaking its yearly pattern. After two straight years of Modern Warfare sequels followed by consecutive Black Ops entries, Activision has confirmed it is abandoning the back-to-back subseries cycle, marking a huge strategic pivot for one of the biggest video game franchises.
The huge (yet unsurprising) change follows growing criticism from fans, who have blamed the Call of Duty release formula for burnout, inconsistent quality, and, if we’re being honest, some pretty underwhelming sales as evidenced by Black Ops 7’s market performance.
The announcement came through a candid message from Activision, which opened by acknowledging months of player frustration.
“Call of Duty has enjoyed long-standing success because of all of you, a passionate community that demands excellence and deserves nothing less. We also know that for some of you, the Franchise has not met your expectations fully,” the message reads.
This marks the final time Activision will release games from the same subseries in consecutive years—a pattern that began with Modern Warfare 2 in 2022, followed by Modern Warfare 3 in 2023, and later Black Ops 6 and Black Ops 7 in the following years.
Activision emphasized that BO7 was envisioned as a “spiritual successor” to Black Ops 2, describing it as a passion project built collaboratively across its studios. But despite those ambitions, the publisher acknowledged that the release didn’t land as strongly as expected.
That said, the publisher is launching another free trial period for BO7 Multiplayer and Zombies, paired with a double XP weekend. This initiative is meant to rebuild trust, offer a more generous on-ramp for hesitant players, and, ideally, boost sales.
Activision promises unprecedented support for CoD players
Looking ahead, the publisher committed to what it called “unprecedented seasonal support,” stating: “Season 1 is the largest live season ever and we’re just getting started. We won’t rest until Black Ops 7 earns its place as one of the best Black Ops games we’ve ever made.”
Activision also reiterated its confidence in the franchise’s long-term direction: “The future of Call of Duty is very strong and we believe our best days are ahead of us given the depth and talent of our development teams. We have been building the next era of Call of Duty, and it will deliver precisely on what you want along with some surprises that push the Franchise and the genre forward.”
With its long-running formula now officially retired, CoD is stepping into a period of reinvention. For a franchise that has shaped the FPS genre for more than 20 years, the coming years look poised to redefine its identity while the developers aim to deliver on the expectations of millions of players worldwide.
