A former Infinity Ward developer has levied some harsh criticism against the perennially popularCall of Dutyfranchise, claiming it’s growing stale. The first-person shooter titan has released a mainline game every single year since 2005’sCall of Duty 2, and the originalCoDonly released two years prior to that.
Speaking with Oklahoma’sNews 9(viaPolygon), Tulsa native Chance Glasco spoke about creating theCall of Dutyfranchise and his experience working on some of the series' most iconic installments after being a founding member of Infinity Ward. He said thatCall of Dutyhas “been around so long that it feels like they’ve run out of ideas at times. It kind of wandered into left field.” Glasco pointed to the series' foray into multiplayer as the turning point where “it became huge.”
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Glasco got in on the ground floor at Infinity Ward after being an intern working onMedal of Honor: Allied Assault. Activision then poached key developers to form Infinity Ward. Of the series' earlier days, Glasco said,“I wouldn’t say it peaked at Modern Warfare 2, but that was probably the best game we made.“Glasco admitted to still playingWarzone, and said of the series' move to a modern setting, “I spent more time making WW2 games than America was actually in WW2, so moving to modern settings felt refreshing.”
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfarewas indeed a watershed release, laying the groundwork for multiplayer systems that persist through to thewell-receivedBlack Ops 6,CoD’s 2024 release.Modern Warfareis also emblematic of the lack of originality expressed by Glasco. The subseries was shelved afterModern Warfare 3in 2011, butthe entire trilogy has since been rebooted, starting in 2019, featuring the same characters but alternate plot lines. Similarly,Black Ops' seventh installmentis expected to arrive later this year.
Has Call Of Duty Really Run Out Of Fresh Ideas?
Yes & No
Glasco’s words sound harsh, but they aren’t necessarily so, even if there’s some truth to them.Call of Dutyhas built its reputation on repeatedly refining a winning formula;CoDis successful year after year simply because it’sCoD. Despite new content often being negligible between each release, the series is regularly polished and feels good to play, and that’s exactly what the series' many fans expect.
Despite the familiarity,CoDdoes actually iterate, even if in small ways.Black Ops 6’s omnimovement systems are novel, and I even wrote in myreview ofModern Warfare 2in 2022 that I wished the game would have leaned into the lite survival elements it introduced more.Black Ops 7likely won’t be a major step forward for the series, but it doesn’t really have to be (especially for Activision, as long as it remains profitable). Glasco isn’t wrong –Call of Dutyisn’t really innovating anymore, but it’s the premier shooter series for a reason, even if I, and many others, wish it would return to the cutting edge.
Source:News 9(viaPolygon)
Call of Duty
Call of Duty is a popular first-person shooter franchise known for its fast-paced action, immersive war settings, and engaging multiplayer modes. Spanning World War II, modern combat, and futuristic warfare, it features both single-player campaigns and competitive online play, evolving with innovative gameplay mechanics and blockbuster storytelling since its 2003 debut.
