The franchise’s Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook have ‘Gone Dark,’ alluding to the reveal of what can only be Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2019. Is this the new way to hype up a game’s release? By saying nothing at all?
It was an average day at the start of February 2019. Gamers were waiting for the release of Battlefield V’s Firestorm Battle Royale mode to try out the new triple-A BR game. In the meantime, games like Ring of Elysium and Spellbreak filled the gap left in PUBG’s wake. Then Apex Legends exploded on to the scene with no prior advertising or marketing. Within a month, the game hit 50 million players.
Call of Duty’s social media and marketing team have followed in Apex Legend’s steps. Their Twitter page bio reads Going Dark. Their header picture is black and empty. Nothing about the new Call of Duty game is officially released yet.
Vince Zampella, the current head of Respawn Entertainment, was also the head of Infinity Ward. Members of the old Infinity Ward studio now work at Respawn. It’s possible some ideas about marketing were shared between the two teams. Activision is aware of how successful Respawn’s marketing strategy was, and is keen to replicate it with the release of the new CoD game. Take a look for yourself.
A new Modern Warfare game is all but confirmed now. Both Kotaku and Eurogamer sources claim the game is set for a big reveal on May 30th. Right in time for E3 on June 11th. The new Infinity Ward game has been three years in development, making it one of the lengthiest CoD projects for a long time. Dozens of rumors have spread around the next game in the Call of Duty franchise. PEGI age ratings show a remastered MW2 and a leaked source over at Kotaku claims the new game will be called Modern Warfare. The games will likely arrive as one bundle.
Infinity Ward is cautious about calling the new game a reboot. However, I do hope we return to the fundamentals of boots on the ground combat. It’s what Call of Duty excels at. Other than Counter Strike: Global Offensive, we’re missing an FPS game which has the potential to kick off a new eSports scene.
Activision will host a guest panel covering Call of Duty at E3’s Coliseum in two weeks. Although nothing concrete is confirmed, this recent change to Call of Duty’s social media channels hints at a reveal of more details about the game. Check back for more updates.
