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Activision has officially confirmed both Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II and Call of Duty: Warzone 2. Warzone 2 is a follow-up to the massively successful free-to-play battle royale that launched in 2020. Call of Duty: Warzone found immense success off the back of Modern Warfare and being a free, brand new game to play at the start of the pandemic. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is another title that has been rumored for quite some time, especially following the monumental success of the first game.
With that said, the sturdy foundation of Warzone began to crack as the battle royale integrated with other Call of Duty titles. As a result, Warzone 2 was reportedly remade from the ground up with the intention of building a game with more long-term sustainability. The constant bugs, performance issues, cheating, and missing features like an FOV slider on consoles have frustrated the community for years, but it seems that Activision is trying to remedy this situation.
During a press event that CharlieIntel attended, Infinity Ward Co-Studio Head Pat Kelly confirmed both Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II and Warzone 2. Both titles will be developed by Infinity Ward and built on an all-new engine. Just like the first game, Modern Warfare II will also act as the foundation for the Warzone successor. The publisher is planning to include Warzone 2 with Modern Warfare II, but seemingly not at launch. The first Warzone launched about five months after Modern Warfare, so a similar staggered launch can probably be expected once again.
Specific details were kept scarce, but it was confirmed that Modern Warfare II will launch this fall and the new Warzone experience will include an ambitious sandbox mode. Kelly also stated that Warzone 2 will be “disruptive“, but didn’t elaborate any further. Although none of this is particularly shocking, Activision is starting its marketing cycle for the next entry sooner than usual, possibly indicating the scale and expectations for this year’s entry.
Rumors have suggested Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II could release in October, a month ahead of its usual November release date. With all of the leaks floating around, Infinity Ward and Activision likely wanted to clear the air and set expectations following the disappointment of Call of Duty: Vanguard. Although not confirmed, it’s likely more details and the first gameplay for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II will come this summer, as is standard for the franchise. As for Warzone 2, it’s unclear when fans will hear more, but it seems like the team is eager to say more when it can.
