"Call of Duty" is back. After rumors ran rampant about what the next title of the franchise would be, the announcement finally came on Friday. As was expected based on leaks and other information, the next game will be called "Call of Duty: WWII." Whether or not the next installment of the series will install the franchise to its former glory, however, remains to be seen at this point, as well as other pivotal details about the release.
'Call of Duty: WWII'
Activision confirmed that the first-person shooter franchise would be reverting to old form with the latest title on Friday.
"Call of Duty: WWII," which is being developed by Sledgehammer Games, will feature elements and plots similar to that of some of the older games of the series, which also took place around World War II. In fact, most of the games over the past decade have blasted into the future, using sci-fi weaponry and increasingly vast settings, perhaps to the detriment of gameplay.
More details still need to be learned about the newest title, however. After all, a title is not a trailer. The gameplay elements and the visual elements remain a mystery, but perhaps not for much longer. A livestream on the franchise's official website is coming soon. The "Call of Duty" stream will take place on Wednesday, April 26 at 1:00 PM ET.
Reviving the franchise
"Call of Duty" used to be the top-selling video game annually, smashing records every time a new title was released. As the game moved more and more to its futuristic style with games such as "Black Ops" and "Infinite War," however, sales started to depreciate. The makers of the game likely saw a positive response to rival franchise "Battlefield" setting their most recent installment in World War I, and are looking to copy that blueprint of success.
Over 250 million copies of "Call of Duty" have been sold since the advent of the franchise in 2003. Sales have cumulatively topped $15 billion. There's a reason that "Call of Duty" has been considered across the board as one of the best gaming franchises of the century and of all-time. The three original games, which set the franchise up for such lucrative success, all took place in a World War II narrative as well. Time will tell if their latest title puts them back on top.
