Bloomberg: Call of Duty 2023 will not be released in 2023. Activision to delay the release

The publisher of the Call of Duty franchise may be gearing up for a surprising announcement. We likely will not see a new installment in the popular shooter series next year, while Treyarch has reportedly been given an extra year to polish and expand the game.

The news was reported by Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier, who claims that Activision will delay next year’s Call of Duty release, skipping a release in the blockbuster franchise for the first time in nearly two decades.

“Activision Blizzard Inc. will delay the Call of Duty game planned for next year. According to people familiar with the plans, this marks the first time in nearly two decades that the franchise will not have a mainline release.”

According to the journalist, the shift was influenced by the recent release of Call of Duty: Vanguard, or more precisely, its performance that fell short of expectations. The decline in audience interest prompted some executives to raise doubts about releasing new installments too quickly. Schreier emphasized that the decision is not related to the $69 billion sale of Activision to Microsoft.

However, the publisher will not leave players without entertainment, as in 2022 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 will most likely be supported with extra content, and a new free-to-play online game will be released next year.