In a recent Activision Blizzard investor call, executives from the company stated that despite the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the mass shelter-in-place, the Call of Duty franchise’s next major game is set for a 2020 release.
During the call, Activision Blizzard president and COO Daniel Alegre shared that employees have adapted to the new changes in society, and that the new CoD is still on track for its previously confirmed 2020 release. Executives at the company explained that the most recent entry in the franchise, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, has exceeded expectations. This is due in part to ongoing events with the seasons and the standalone battle royale game, Warzone–which currently has over 60 million players. While the details on the next game weren’t shared, including any plans for Xbox Series X or PS5, Alegre stated that the CoD franchise remains a key pillar for the company.
Back in February, the executives spent some time describing the current state of the series, which was shortly before the launch COD: Warzone and before the mass spread of COVID-19. Given that circumstances are far more different compared to then, and with other developers having to push the release of games back due to the shelter-in-progress, it’s surprising to see that they’ve managed to stick to their plans of releasing the next game this year.
In addition to talking what’s next for COD, the executives at Activision Blizzard also made time to talk about how the pandemic has affected the company. During this talk, Alegre also assured employees and investors by stating that “with true ingenuity and input from the team, we are managing through this.” During the mass shelter-in-progress, CEO Bobby Kotick even gave employees his personal number, allowing anyone to text or call him at any time. In the presentation to investors, the execs also raised awareness to the needs of mental health for employees, while also reiterating how the company has made donations to charities, including the company’s Call of Duty Endowment program for military veterans.
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