TheCall of Dutyfranchise is the biggest in the games industry, being the top-selling game each year. It appears that the same is true forCall of Duty: Vanguard,2021’s contribution to the franchise helmed by Sledgehammer games. It’s not a major surprise to seeCall of Duty: Vanguardbe the top seller, but the news comes at an exceptionally strange time for Activision.
Despite how many big games were released in 2021,Call of Dutyaccounted for the top 2 selling slots of the year according to the NPD group, withCall of Duty: Black Ops Cold Warsnagging the second spot. Notably,Vanguardhas sold worse thanBlack Ops Cold Waroverall, a response to technical issues that have plagued the World War 2 shooter since launch. Not to mention, theBlack Opsseries is one of the most popular sub-franchises in the series.
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Technical issues might not be the only thing affecting the relatively lower sales, asActivision Blizzard’s multiple sexual harassment and workplace lawsuitshave left the company in a hurricane of controversy. However, neither the technical issues nor the controversies have knockedCall of Dutyoff of the throne, which proves just how much of a goliath the franchise is, for better or for worse.
Earlier today,Microsoft announced it’s buying Activision Blizzard, securing theCall of Dutyfranchise – as wells asWorld of Warcraft, Diablo,and many others – as its own. There’s no word yet on which franchises Microsoft will make exclusive to the Xbox ecosystem, butCall of Dutywould be a massive addition. Even if Microsoft keepsCall of Dutyas a multi-platform title, its likely inclusion on the Xbox Game Pass roster will be a massive win for Xbox.
Either way, the future ofCall of Dutyis interesting, but gamers shouldn’t expect it to go anywhere. Its ability to stay on top of the sales charts regardless of technical issues and outside controversies is incredible from any angle, even though it can be viewed as a negative.
Call of Duty Vanguardis available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
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