New character customization options (Rorke, Makarov, Hazmat, & Zakhaev) now available on Xbox
The new character customization options and the Makarov Legend pack are now available for purchase on Call of Duty: Ghosts on the Xbox One and Xbox 360. As a reminder, these micro items do not transfer between platforms.
Here's the new options:
Legend Pack – Makarov $3.99
Play as Vladimir Makarov, one of the most ruthless villains in Call of Duty® history. This Pack contains a Makarov Multiplayer Character and unique Personalization Pack featuring a themed weapon camo, reticle, patch, playercard and background.
Character – Rorke $1.99
Play as Rorke, the former leader turned nemesis of the Ghosts. Take control of this battle-scared villain in Multiplayer.
Character – Hazmat $1.99
Though it won't protect from a hailstorm of bullets and shrapnel, the all-new Hazmat Suit ensures you will stand out from the crowd in any Multiplayer match.
Character – Zakhaev $1.99
Zakhaev is one of the most dangerous villains in Call of Duty® lore. Play as this insane revolutionary in Multiplayer.
The character options are $1.99 each, and the Legend Pack is $3.99. These will be available on other platforms at a later date.
Activision executives reportedly discussing end of Call of Duty annual releases
A new report claims Activision are considering scrapping the series' annual release schedule following Microsoft's buyout.
Matt Porter
Activision Blizzard executives are reportedly considering ending the Call of Duty franchise's annual release schedule, with Bloomberg claiming discussions are ongoing.
For years, fans have become accustomed to receiving a new Call of Duty game every year. Without fail, Activision have published the latest entry in the legendary FPS franchise in October or November, giving players a new game to grind into the holiday seasons.
Some players have suggested this isn't always a good thing, as this cycle gives CoD's three developers a limited time to work on games, which can sometimes lead to issues when they launch. Sledgehammer Games have already delayed Vanguard Season 2 to try and address the problems plaguing the game.
Now, it appears that Activision's higher-ups may be coming around to the idea of ending yearly releases for good.
According to a new report from Bloomberg, high-level employees at Activision "have discussed moving away from the annual release schedule."
Jason Schreier reports that these plans haven't been finalized yet, but there is a belief among the franchise's development teams that this would "please players and help bolster the franchise" by lightening the intense workloads they currently face.
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This debate has been sparked after the lackluster reception to Vanguard, although Schreier states any change is unlikely to happen for at least a year or two, with Activision banking on 2022's rumored Modern Warfare II to boost the franchise.
NEW: Bloomberg is reporting that there has been high level conversations at Activision executive team about stopping the annual release of Call of Duty. Nothing final yet, but discussion is happening. pic.twitter.com/6wmYG8d0NR
The move away from yearly releases would certainly offer developers more time to tweak and polish the game, and avoid many of the criticisms leveled at their games in the early days. Halo fans had to wait 6 years for Infinite, but the game was met with widespread acclaim at launch.
With the Microsoft acquisition of Activision, it's expected that we could see some major changes to the publisher's titles, although Phil Spencer has moved to calm fears that CoD could become an Xbox exclusive title.
For more on what could happen, check out how Microsoft and Xbox Studios could change Call of Duty forever.
Image Credits: Activision Blizzard
How Microsoft buying Activision could change Call of Duty forever
Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard is a seizmic shift for gaming, and Xbox could make make some major changes to Call of Duty.
The world of gaming was rocked on January 18 when Microsoft confirmed they had agreed to buy Activision Blizzard. With Xbox Studios set to add CoD's developers to their sprawling family of game creators, we take a look at five ways Call of Duty could change forever.
It's rare that real surprises take place in the gaming industry, but everyone was left speechless when word of Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard broke on January 18. Worth close to $70 billion according to reports, it immediately becomes gaming's biggest buyout ever.
The deal, which will close before June 2023, will see CoD developers Treyarch, Infinity Ward, Sledgehammer Games, and Raven Software all become wider parts of the Xbox Studios family, bringing past and future Call of Duty titles with them.
With such a seismic change, what could the Microsoft buyout mean for the future of the series, and what changes could Xbox Studios make to Call of Duty moving forward? We've picked out five ways the legendary FPS franchise could change forever once the deal is complete.
Call of Duty becomes Xbox-exclusive
The topic on every Call of Duty fan's lips right now is Xbox exclusivity. With Microsoft adding the biggest console FPS title to their portfolio, they could use it to drive consumers away from the PS5 by announcing that future CoD titles are only available on the Xbox Series X|S.
Thankfully, that seems fairly unlikely, at least for the time being. Microsoft Gaming's CEO Phil Spencer has already eased fears, telling Bloomberg that "it's not our intent to pull communities away from [Sony's] platform, and we remain committed to that."
Xbox's Phil Spencer to Bloomberg: "I'll just say to players out there who are playing Activision Blizzard games on Sony's platform: It's not our intent to pull communities away from that platform and we remained committed to that."
Still, we wouldn't expect to see Sony's deal for exclusive content on PlayStation consoles continue for long, with Microsoft likely to move that feature to Xbox as soon as possible.
A focus on Ranked Play
Ranked Play is a controversial word for CoD players. For years, players have bemoaned the franchise's lackluster, and sometimes entirely missing, ranked playlists. A decade on, Black Ops 2's League Play is still the gold standard in the franchise.
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Under Xbox though, this might finally change. Halo Infinite featured a ranked playlist at launch, something we've been begging developers to do for years.
It's unlikely that this will be Xbox's biggest focus, but perhaps we could see CoD developers following 343 Industries' path in the future.
CoD's annual release schedule ends
This one is pretty unlikely, but as it stands, Xbox don't have any titles that release on a yearly schedule – something Call of Duty is synonymous with.
Halo fans had to wait six years between Guardians and Infinite, and while we don't think there would ever be such a huge gap between titles, Xbox Studios may be more open to granting developers more time to polish games before release.
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A greater focus on frequent Warzone updates, and using existing Xbox studios to help Raven Software, could help to plug a longer gap between mainline franchise releases.
Remastered CoD games & Xbox Game Pass
Game Pass has been a huge focus for Xbox, giving players the opportunity to play hundreds of games, starting at $9.99 a month. What better way to get Call of Duty players on the service than adding fan-favorite titles to its extensive library?
Who wouldn't be pulling out their credit card to get back into CoD 4's legendary campaign, or to dive into World At War's classic Zombies mode?
If Microsoft wanted to go the extra mile, they could even add remastered versions of these games. Rumors suggest that an updated version of Modern Warfare 2 multiplayer was in development at one point, and Game Pass could be the perfect place to release it.
Amazing crossovers
Minecraft Steve in Zombies? Master Chief in multiplayer? Forza cars in Warzone? All of these crazy ideas are now possible, as we expect to see major crossovers between Xbox games and Call of Duty.
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While CoD's Attack on Titan collaboration wasn't well-received, the teams who create Microsoft's iconic characters could actively work with studios like Sledgehammer and Raven to create awesome skins and cosmetics.
And really, who wouldn't want to win a Warzone match as a kitted-out Spartan from Halo?
Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard creates so many options and theories, it could make your head spin. The reality is that we've never seen any deal as big as this in gaming, and the possibilities are endless. These are just a few possibilities, but Xbox may have even bigger plans than we could imagine.
With so many ideas and concerns, all we can do for now is wait and see how it all plays out. Still, we can't contain our excitement at what could come next when the deal concludes before June 2023.
Image Credits: Activision Blizzard / Microsoft / 343 Industries
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