The Hidden Fortune Call of Duty is Unknowingly Ignoring

Highlights

Call of Duty, with its successful free-to-play games and annual premium releases, has established a highly profitable business model.

The acquisition of Activision by Microsoft opens up possibilities for the expansion of the Call of Duty franchise through remasters, remakes, and spin-offs.

By creating a separate Call of Duty Zombies game, there is potential for immense success as it would offer a standalone experience with a single-player mode, previous maps, and frequent updates.

Call of Duty, one of the biggest franchises in gaming, continues to generate millions of dollars with each release and is expected to thrive for years to come. With successful free-to-play games like Call of Duty: Warzone and Call of Duty Mobile, along with yearly premium releases featuring paid cosmetics and battle passes, Call of Duty has established a highly profitable business model. However, the series has the potential to further excel by revisiting successful concepts and exploring new ones.

As Call of Duty and Activision are now part of the Xbox catalog, Microsoft may be seeking ways to maximize the series' potential. With a rich history of beloved games and modes to draw from, Call of Duty has the opportunity to expand in various directions, which could be appealing for a brand centered around Xbox Game Pass. Specifically, remasters, remakes, and spin-offs could be a successful strategy for Call of Duty and its numerous fans.

Bringing Back Call of Duty Campaign and Full Game Remasters

Call of Duty was initially successful in the remastering department, with Call of Duty: Black Ops 3’s Zombies Chronicles offering eight remakes in one pack and revitalizing the Zombies mode. Fans also had the option of playing the well-received remaster of Call of Duty 4, known as Modern Warfare Remastered, as an alternative to the divisive Infinite Warfare. Additionally, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Remastered was a hit, attracting both new and nostalgic players.

However, the remasters came to a sudden halt. Rumors of Zombies Chronicles 2 and Modern Warfare 3 Campaign Remastered never materialized. This discontinuation may be due to Call of Duty's new release plan, which focuses on launching pseudo-remakes every other year, like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. It would be unfortunate if this shift away from proper remakes continues, as there are significant benefits to be gained from reimagining classic games and modes.

While Activision may want to save the newer Call of Duty games for these “off-year” Call of Duty titles, there is no reason that other experiences cannot be revived. For instance, with the series seemingly moving away from World War 2, and struggling to nail this setting with newer games like WW2 and Vanguard, a full remake of World at War could be a huge hit. Alternatively, a campaign remaster of the original Black Ops is overdue, as its twist-filled narrative arguably made it even better than Modern Warfare 2. As for Zombies Chronicles 2, the sales numbers of the original map pack is all the proof Activision should need to greenlight another set of map remakes.

Treating Call of Duty Zombies As Its Own Entity

It's high time for Call of Duty Zombies to have its own game. With the addition of more remasters, campaigns, and full games, as well as the much-awaited Zombies Chronicles 2, there is immense potential for a standalone Call of Duty Zombies project to become a massive success. This game could offer a true singleplayer Zombies mode, distancing itself from Black Ops 3's Nightmares. Furthermore, it could incorporate every past map into one comprehensive package, including all the Dead Ops Arcade experiences and Custom Zombies creation tools. To ensure profitability, a dedicated in-game store could be implemented, while a team of developers could constantly update the game with exciting events and new maps, keeping it fresh and engaging for players.

Ultimately, there is no need for Activision to alter its current model in order to further expand the success of Call of Duty. The series is performing exceptionally well, thus significant adjustments are unnecessary. However, since Activision Blizzard encompasses numerous studios and has recently gained Microsoft's studios as partners, Call of Duty has the potential to diversify without jeopardizing its existing structure. The task of remastering campaigns does not require the involvement of Infinity Ward, Sledgehammer, or Treyarch, as Raven has previously demonstrated its ability to handle full game remasters. Additionally, the team at Treyarch responsible for developing Zombies should be given the freedom to operate independently from the annual Call of Duty releases, as it possesses the potential to accomplish much more with additional creative liberty.