Call of Duty Has Officially Collapsed & Activision Knows It

Summary

The presenter argues that Call of Duty is in serious decline. He cites monthly active users falling from roughly 40 million to 20 million and says Black Ops 7 had the series’ lowest sales in 17 years. In his view, annual releases, divisive creative choices, and a focus on monetization have steadily eroded player interest.

Modern Warfare 4: A Partial Return to Form

The presenter sees Modern Warfare 4 as a partial return to form. He praises its grounded, cinematic campaign and says Activision has responded to criticism. However, he notes that reported purchase intent is lower than Black Ops 7’s was before launch. He argues that a poorly received game can undermine confidence in the next release, even when that follow-up appears better.

He also criticizes the lack of campaign-to-multiplayer progression in Modern Warfare 4, which he considers a missed opportunity.

Crossover Cosmetics and the Franchise’s Identity

A major concern is the tension between Call of Duty’s military-shooter identity and its increasingly outlandish crossover skins. The presenter says such cosmetics can be enormously lucrative, citing Fortnite’s Kim Kardashian skin as an example, but warns that chasing this revenue risks making Call of Duty feel like a Fortnite clone.

He considers Modern Warfare 4’s option to hide certain cosmetics a reasonable compromise, though he expects unusual crossover bundles to continue.

Player Feedback and Engagement

The presenter attributes Activision’s course correction to players refusing to buy or engage with content they dislike. He sees the company’s acknowledgement that it missed the mark with Black Ops 7 as evidence that community criticism and declining engagement can influence business decisions.

He also stresses that sales alone may not make Modern Warfare 4 a success. Sustained player engagement matters, particularly given development costs and the reported end of Black Ops 7 support. He questions whether the new DMZ extraction mode will retain ordinary players and warns that competition from free-to-play and lower-cost games—as well as the anticipated attention around GTA 6—could further weaken Call of Duty’s audience.

Overall Outlook

The presenter views Modern Warfare 4 as a promising but high-stakes release, not proof that the franchise has recovered. He argues that Activision will need to maintain quality and listen to players consistently if it hopes to stop the decline.

Presenter: Endymion (ENDYMIONtv).