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'Call of Duty: Warzone' adds a solo mode
You didn't have to wait long to get some added variety in Call of Duty: Warzone. Infinity Ward and Raven have introduced a Solos mode that (surprise!) asks you to survive the battle royale shooter without help. You still have a chance to come back to the fight through the gulag duel system and self-revive kits, but there'll be no one around to buy a revival if either of those methods fails. You could technically play by yourself before by turning off team autofill, but you obviously couldn't hold other players to that standard.
'Call of Duty: Warzone' gets 15 million players in four days
Call of Duty: Warzone's take on battle royale is continuing to grow quickly in its honeymoon phase. The developers have revealed that over 15 million people had tried the free-to-play mode as of March 13th. That's more than double the 6 million who'd started playing in the first 24 hours, and no small feat when gamers had just four days of play up to that point. For context, Apex Legends was up to 10 million players in its first three days.
'Call of Duty: Warzone' is a serious contender to Fortnite's throne
Despite being pretty late to the party, Epic Games' Fortnite has become the battle royale title to beat. The cartoon-like survival shooter helped the company earn a reported $1.8 billion in 2019, thanks to a mix of slick gameplay, unique building mechanics and tons of big-budget crossovers to get players from every age group to part with their (or their parents') cash. But with popularity comes competition. Fortnite may have dispatched early incumbents like DayZ, H1Z1, Rust and PUBG, but big name publishers have since joined the battle royale arena. Respawn, with the backing of its owner EA, surprise-launched Apex Legends just over year ago and quickly amassed more than 70 million players. But before that came Blackout, a last-player-standing mode that was released as part of Treyarch's multiplayer-focused Call of Duty: Black Ops 4. While it had some initial buzz, the mode never took off quite like Fortnite and Apex Legends. There were a few reasons for this, but the most notable was that it wasn't free-to-play. Then, almost out of nowhere, developer Infinity Ward released Call of Duty: Warzone, a free-to-play battle royale. Unlike Blackout, Warzone is meant to stand alone from the main game and doesn't require you to own Modern Warfare, the game it's built on top of. It delivers the multiplayer experience Call of Duty players know and love, but plays out on an enormous map and with as many as 149 other people. It's a lot, but somehow, it works.
'Call of Duty: Modern Warfare' prepares for its first battle pass
Now that Call of Duty is officially in the post-loot box era, Activision and Infinity Ward have revealed what "season one" in Modern Warfare will bring players. As it's moved to a Battle Pass system, mimicking Fortnite and other shooters, developers are calling this "the biggest free content drop in Call of Duty history." Players who pay up for premium access will find out what the 100 tiers of Battle Pass rewards are next week when the season starts on December 3rd, but everything announced right now is available for free, although some of it will have to be earned through playing the game. New maps coming to the game include a few favorites from Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, like Crash, Vacant and Shipment. It's also expanding with three new gameplay modes, like a 2v2 gunfight where players have to find weapons and resources after the match starts, a single-life "Reinforce" mode with two teams competing to control three flags, and a new Infected survival game mode. Beyond that, there's a couple of new weapons and also some new Special Ops co-op missions on the way. Some of the content may drop later in the season, but everything's coming to all platforms at the same time -- check back next week for more information. Roadmap Announcement: #CallofDuty #ModernWarfare Changes the Rules of Engagement. Ready for the biggest FREE content drop in franchise history? Here are the first details on Season One content. Initial Intel Drop HERE: https://t.co/Tk3RrQMQb0 pic.twitter.com/uwMPXEdd7k — Activision (@Activision) November 26, 2019
'Call of Duty: Modern Warfare' devs will fix frequent Xbox One X crashes
The reborn Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is off to a rough start if you're an Xbox One X owner. Infinity Ward has identified a problem that leads to frequent crashing for some owners of Microsoft's higher-end console, in some cases rendering the game virtually unplayable. There's no timeline for the fix, but the developers said they were working with Microsoft to address the showstopping flaw.
'Call of Duty: Modern Warfare' story trailer focuses on freedom fighters
The next Call of Duty installment is a little over a month away, and a story trailer emerged for Modern Warfare during Sony's latest State of Play stream. It focuses a little more on the freedom fighter side of the game than previous trailers. You'll play as both a freedom fighter and a highly trained military operative through the campaign this time around.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare's biggest fight is in the studio
When Infinity Ward head Patrick Kelly introduced the single-player portion of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare to journalists in May, he sat at the front of a dim, intimate theater in the heart of his studio, and spoke as if he were divulging a delicious secret. This Call of Duty was going to be different than the 15 iterations that had come before, he said. It was going to be real. He showed off a preview of the solo campaign that began under a pile of rubble, right after a bombing in the fictional country of Ursekstan. The main character, a young girl named Farah, heaved at the debris and screamed as she found her mother crushed to death beside her. By the end of the demo, Farah had witnessed her father's violent murder, stabbed and killed a cartoonishly homicidal Russian soldier, run through poison gas, hidden from mass execution squads, and fired her first gun. "The vision for the game, the first thing we're trying to do is, we're trying to reflect the world we all live in," Kelly said at the beginning of the presentation. "We talk about like, you could see the story unfolding on CNN or a Frontline talking about it. Because we want this game to be as relevant as possible in the world that we live in, and a lot of the events, and a lot of the things that shaped the game, are based on the world that we live in."
'Call of Duty: Modern Warfare' arrives October 25th with cross-play
The next Call of Duty game is called Modern Warfare. Yes, just like the 2007 game. Yes, it's kind of confusing. Now that's out of the way -- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is scheduled to hit Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC on October 25th, complete with cross-play capabilities. Plus, it won't have the series' traditional, paid Season Pass for post-launch maps, gear and events. Instead, developer Infinity Ward plans on shipping more free content than they have with past Call of Duty installments.
The next Call of Duty campaign is an emotional hellscape
Jaws, not Saw. That's one of the guiding mantras for the developers building Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, this year's installment of the legendary first-person-shooter franchise. Modern Warfare comes out on October 25th and it's at once an homage to the series' history and a completely new vision for Call of Duty, with the single-player campaign thrusting classic characters like Captain John Price into overwrought situations that are ripped from current, real-world headlines.
Infinity Ward adopts two Naughty Dog employees
Taylor Kurosaki and Jacob Minkoff have joined the list of developers who have left The Last of Us developer Naughty Dog to pursue other interests. The pair will both join Call of Duty series developer Infinity Ward, with Kurosaki taking on the responsibilities of Narrative Director, and Minkoff assuming the role of Design Director. The men each tweeted their respective news earlier today. Kurosaki and Minkoff's departures are the latest chapters in a tale that is starting to feel pretty familiar; former Naughty Dog art director Nate Wells is now with Giant Sparrow, game director Justin Richmond has been summoned to Riot Games, and Amy Hennig, writer of the Uncharted series, is currently working with EA and Visceral Games on an as-of-yet unseen Star Wars game. Last of Us directors Bruce Stanley and Neil Druckmann don't seem to be going anywhere, which is good news for anyone looking forward to the upcoming movie adaptation. [Image: Naughty Dog]
Former Infinity Ward devs create VR-friendly Reload Studios
Former Infinity Ward developers announced the formation of a new Los Angeles-based studio today, Reload Studios. Co-founded by James Chung and Taehoon Oh, Reload Studios currently houses 12 individuals that will focus on game development for virtual reality, mobile and home console platforms. While the developer is being officially introduced now, Chung's LinkedIn profile indicates that the studio first formed in May. Chung and Oh are joined by former Call of Duty: Modern Warfare series producer Pete Blumel, Infinity Ward developer Hougant Chen and Disney animator Nik Ranieri. Reload Studios also has ties to independent licensed game developer Heavy Iron as well as EA. The developer is currently working on a VR-enabled first-person shooter for mobile and next-gen systems and plans to launch its first game in 2015. [Image: Reload Studios]
Neversoft nevermore, team now fully merged with Infinity Ward
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater series creator Neversoft is no more, as remaining team members have now merged with fellow Activision studio Infinity Ward to work on current and upcoming projects. Neversoft's Matt Canale posted the above image via Twitter, bringing the studio's 20-year run to a fiery end. After being acquired by Activision in 1999, Neversoft went on to create standout games like 2000's Spider-Man, Xbox 360 launch title Gun, and several entries in the Guitar Hero franchise following the departure of series creator Harmonix. Neversoft worked closely with Infinity Ward in developing its final project, the "Extinction" gameplay mode in 2013's Call of Duty: Ghosts. Infinity Ward is one of three studios devoted to the Call of Duty series, and is slated to produce a new entry in 2016 following this year's release of Sledgehammer Games' Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare and a 2015 follow-up project from Treyarch. [Image: Matt Canale]
Report: Neversoft losing name, merging with Infinity Ward
Infinity Ward and Neversoft are merging, according to Giant Bomb. Citing an internal memo written by Activision Publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg, Giant Bomb reports that the Neversoft name will be retired, as the Infinity Ward name is so closely tied to Activision's annual Call of Duty franchise. This makes Infinity Ward, according to the supposed memo, the "sensible choice." Dave Stohl, executive VP of worldwide studios for Activision, will lead the new studio, while current head Steve Ackrich will take a new leadership role. Neversoft leaders Joel Jewett and Scott Pease, studio head and studio director respectively, have, according to Giant Bomb's report, made the decision to retire from the games industry. Neversoft previously collaborated with Infinity Ward for Call of Duty: Ghosts. [Image: Neversoft]
Call of Duty: Ghosts Devastation DLC hits PC, Sony platforms May 8
The Predator will stalk Call of Duty: Ghosts players on PCs and PlayStation consoles on May 8 with the multiplatform launch of "Devastation," a DLC pack that adds new weapons and maps to Ghosts' multiplayer component. Available as part of Call of Duty: Ghosts' Season Pass, Devastation introduces the Predator as a playable character for those who complete the new Ruins map's Field Order. The pack also adds the SMG and assault rifle hybrid "Ripper" weapon, along with the second chapter in the ongoing "Extinction" series. Devastation originally launched earlier this month as a timed exclusive for Xbox platforms. The add-on pack is priced at $15. [Image: Activision]
Call of Duty: Ghosts 'Devastation' DLC brings the Predator to Xbox Live today
Call of Duty fans can square off against movie star and noted extraterrestrial hunter the Predator in the new "Devastation" DLC pack released today for the Xbox One and Xbox 360 versions of Call of Duty: Ghosts. The Devastation pack adds the new Ruins, Collision, Behemoth, and Unearthed maps to Ghosts' multiplayer component, along with the second chapter in the game's ongoing Extinction storyline. Players who complete the Ruins map's Field Order will earn the ability to become the Predator in combat, gaining access to the alien's dual wrist blades, shoulder-mounted plasma cannon, and infrared target-seeking capabilities. The Devastation DLC pack is priced at $14.99, and is included as part of Call of Duty: Ghosts' Season Pass. [Image: Activision]
Call of Duty: Ghosts multiplayer demo hits Xbox One, Xbox 360 this weekend
In a first for the series, Activision will host a free multiplayer weekend for Call of Duty: Ghosts on the Xbox One and Xbox 360 starting March 7. The downloadable demo offers up the Strikezone, Warhawk, and Prison Break maps across a selection of gameplay modes, including Search and Rescue, Domination and Team Deathmatch. Players will also get to sample the co-op Extinction mode, in which a team of soldiers fend off alien invaders on the Point of Contact map. The multiplayer demo is open to all Xbox Live members, regardless of Gold subscription status. Call of Duty: Ghosts' free weekend continues through Monday, March 10. [Image: Activision]
Ubisoft sale, free dino hunts and Riley time headline Steam weekend
Steam is making a strong case for a mini-staycation this weekend. Festivities kick off today with the Ubisoft Publisher Sale, which lasts until February 24 and offers discounts of up to 75% across just about every Ubisoft game on Steam. Daily deals, additional discounts on select games, will further add to the temptation to spend. Don't want to spend any cash? Steam thought of that. Both Orion: Dino Horde, a multiplayer shooter that pits man against dinosaur, and Call of Duty: Ghosts, a game that pits Riley the dog against helicopters, are free to play this weekend. Should you wish to buy after you try, Orion is available for $1 and Ghosts is reduced to $30. Finally, Bohemia Interactive's military sandbox game Arma 3 is 40% off this weekend and available for $36. The game features a variety of single-player and multiplayer operations, and allows active personnel to edit certain gameplay scenarios and employ custom mods. [Image: Activision]
Call of Duty now takes three years to make, three studios keep it annual
Activision has announced a new three-year development cycle for upcoming Call of Duty games, starting with this year's release. This move, which will still see individual Call of Duty games coming out annually, cements Sledgehammer Games as one of Activision's primary Call of Duty developers alongside Infinity Ward and Treyarch, which are respectively responsible for Call of Duty: Ghosts and Call of Duty: Black Ops 2. Each studio's game will take three years to develop, staggered for release on an annualized schedule. "This will give our designers more time to envision and innovate for each title. Simultaneously, it will give our content creators more focus on DLC and micro-DLC which, as you know, have become large and high-margin opportunities and significant engagement drivers," Activision Publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg said during an annual earnings call today. "Finally, we'll give our teams more time to polish, helping ensure we deliver the best possible experience to our fans – each and every time." Hirshberg went on to say that Activision "needed a third studio capable of delivering the level of excellence required for the West's biggest interactive entertainment franchise" and that Sledgehammer Games fits the bill. "They demonstrated their skill on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and on their past highly-rated games." This year's Call of Duty game has yet to be officially announced. Sledgehammer's last game, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, launched in late 2011 and was well-received by critics. [Image: Activision]
Call of Duty: Ghosts' Onslaught DLC hits PlayStation, PC February 27
Call of Duty: Ghosts' Onslaught DLC will launch on February 27 for PC, PS4 and PS3. The DLC pack first arrived on Xbox One and Xbox 360 late last month. As the first map pack for the game, Onslaught brings four new maps in addition to a dual-purpose assault and sniper rifle known as "Maverick." The DLC also includes the first episode in Extinction, a four-part episodic story. Onslaught costs $15 as a stand-alone addition to Ghosts, and is also included in the game's $50 season pass. [Image: Infinity Ward]
Call of Duty: Ghosts title update docks alongside Onslaught DLC
In addition to the launch of Call of Duty: Ghosts' latest Onslaught DLC, Infinity Ward brought forth a patch for the game. While the DLC is currently only available for Xbox One and Xbox 360 players, the title update applies to all platforms, hitting Xbox One, Xbox 360 and PC today before coming to PS3 and PS4 owners tomorrow. The update adds eSports rules to the Clan vs. Clan playlist as well as a Hunted FFA and Gun Game playlists, the latter replacing Heavy Duty, which was just added in December. Infinity Ward's patch also adds a social feed to look at when you're not shooting people and some new menu music to listen to when you're not thinking about death and destruction. The Extinction game mode also earns five new Prestige ranks in the update. Platform-specific changes are a bit more sparse, as PS4 players can enjoy a more optimized remote play experience on Vita. Additionally, Xbox One owners should have fewer issues using the Kinect's voice recognition options, and players on both Xbox platforms should now have no functionality issues when a split-screen guest signs out. The full list of changes in the game's update can be found on Infinity Ward's forums.