Call of Duty
News, coverage and analysis tracking Call of Duty across the outlets.
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Highguard stänger för gott
Wildlight Entertainment has confirmed that their free-to-play shooter Highguard will be shut down on March 12, less than two months after its January 26 release. Despite efforts and a player base of over two million, the game failed to build a sustainable community. Developers with experience from Apex Legends and Titanfall were involved in its creation.
Activision shuts down Call Of Duty leaker to not 'mess with player expectations'
Activision has taken legal action against prominent Call of Duty leaker TheGhostOfHope, demanding they cease disseminating confidential information. The company stated that leaks, even if sometimes accurate, can negatively impact game developers and player expectations. TheGhostOfHope has confirmed compliance with the demands.
Morning Legal Briefs
Activision has issued a legal demand against a Call of Duty leaker, asserting that even inaccurate leaks negatively impact developers and player expectations. The company is taking action to address the unauthorized dissemination of game information.
Highguard will shut down just 45 days after launch — 'We are witnessing the era of two month lifespan…
Wildlight Entertainment has announced that its online shooter Highguard will shut down on March 12, 2026, just 45 days after its January 26, 2026 launch. The studio cited an inability to build a sustainable player base despite over two million players engaging with the game. This closure follows a trend of high-profile live-service game failures, including Sony's Concord.
Call of Duty is sick of leaks that "mess with player expectations," allegedly shuts down well-known insider
Prominent leaker TheGhostOfHope claims Activision has issued a legal demand to cease sharing future Call of Duty plans. This action suggests Activision is actively trying to prevent leaks that may negatively impact player expectations for upcoming titles.
Xbox nyckel till framtiden – gör bättre spel
The article analyzes Microsoft's challenges in making the Xbox console relevant again, contrasting its struggles with Sony's success in game sales and exclusive titles. It highlights Xbox's past strengths with games like Halo and Gears of War, and its current need to focus on developing compelling first-party titles rather than relying solely on services like Game Pass.
Bungie unveils Marathon's first season, confirming that, yes, it'll wipe all your loot and progress every three months: 'Each season of Marathon brings a clean slate for the whole community'
Bungie has detailed the post-launch plans for Marathon, confirming that each season will feature mandatory server wipes, resetting all player gear and progression. The first season, 'Death is the First Step,' will run from March to June and introduce new content and a ranked mode. While Bungie states these wipes keep the game dangerous and loot meaningful, this approach contrasts with games like Arc Raiders, which offers optional resets.
Games Inbox: When will the next Legend Of Zelda game be announced?
Readers express frustration over the lack of official Nintendo Direct announcements and speculation about the next Legend of Zelda game, with some questioning Nintendo's current strategy. The discussion also touches on the surprising positive reception of Pokémon Pokopia and the enduring legacy of the Sega Mega Drive's sound chip.
The Marathon server slam consumed my weekend: 21 hours later, I've gone from 'meh' to believer
After an initial period of skepticism, the author became a believer in Bungie's upcoming extraction shooter Marathon during its server slam test. The game's lethal PvP, satisfying gunplay reminiscent of Halo, and deep progression systems, particularly its gun modding and loot scarcity, were highlighted as key strengths. The author found the methodical pacing and emphasis on positioning and stealth to be a refreshing departure from faster-paced shooters.
Ubisoft’s XDefiant Will Shut Down in June 2025
Ubisoft has announced that their free-to-play first-person shooter XDefiant will be shut down on June 3, 2025. The game, which launched in May 2024, struggled to compete with established titles like Call of Duty and will not receive further content updates beyond the upcoming Season 3. Players who made in-game purchases will receive refunds.
Xbox Game Pass in 2026: every tier, price, and change explained
Microsoft significantly restructured Xbox Game Pass on October 1, 2025, introducing new tiers, bundling additional services, and increasing prices, with Ultimate jumping 50% to $29.99 per month. The service now offers Essential ($9.99), Premium ($14.99), PC Game Pass ($16.49), and Ultimate ($29.99), with day-one access to first-party titles like Call of Duty restricted to Ultimate and PC Game Pass. The changes reposition Game Pass as a premium entertainment bundle, omitting a family plan and annual subscription options.
XDefiant Season 01 Is Here! - The Game Fanatics
Ubisoft has launched Season 1 for its free-to-play first-person shooter, XDefiant. The update introduces a new battle pass, maps, weapons, cosmetics, and game modes. XDefiant is available on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X, with purchases limited to cosmetics and boosters.
Call Of Duty players are 66 times more likely to cheat than Battlefield 6 fans
A study by Surfshark reveals that Call Of Duty players are 66 times more likely to search for cheats than Battlefield players. The analysis, based on global search volume, also highlights Rocket League and Rainbow Six Siege as games with high interest in cheating. The study suggests that robust anti-cheat software may deter players from searching for hacks, and warns that high search volumes for cheats can pose cybersecurity risks.
Scientists Make Breakthrough That Allows Lab-Grown Brain Cells To Play A Sort Of Video Game
Researchers have successfully trained lab-grown human brain cells to play a simplified video game, demonstrating a significant advancement in bioelectrical interfaces. The brain organoids learned to solve a 'cart-pole' problem by receiving electronic signals as rewards or punishments, improving their success rate dramatically. This breakthrough could pave the way for future applications combining AI with biological brain cells, while AI itself continues to integrate into the gaming industry, with companies like Activision Blizzard using generative content.
Paramount Could Own All These Warner Bros. Game Studios Soon
Paramount is reportedly in talks to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery's gaming assets, potentially gaining control of major studios like Avalanche Software, NetherRealm Studios, and Rocksteady Studios. This move could significantly expand Paramount's presence in the video game industry, which it has already touched upon with the upcoming Call of Duty movie.
Mass pre-order cancellations have gamers wondering: Is Marathon the next Concord?
Marathon is experiencing a significant player drop following its Server Slam event, with player counts falling drastically from a peak of 144,000 to around 60,000. This decline, coupled with criticism of its UI, art style, and gameplay, has led to pre-order cancellations and demands for a price reduction. The game's struggles are contrasted with ARC Raiders, which maintains a much higher player count, raising concerns about Marathon's future in the extraction shooter genre.
How the video games industry will finally destroy itself - Reader's Feature
This reader's feature argues that the video game industry is unsustainable due to a financial system that disincentivizes innovation and leads to conservatism and consolidation. The author suggests that increasing costs, reliance on finance capital over productive labor, and the rise of AI threaten the industry's long-term survival, potentially leading to a crisis similar to broader economic issues.
Console gaming is growing much quicker than mobile as EA named top publisher
A new industry report indicates that console gaming is experiencing significantly faster growth than mobile gaming, with PC and console revenue rising by 13% compared to a 1% increase for mobile. Electronic Arts was named the top publisher for console and PC in 2025, despite Microsoft spending the most on advertising. The report highlights that high advertising spend does not guarantee success, as evidenced by Microsoft's underperforming releases despite significant marketing investment.
"The rumor factory working overtime" - Call of Duty's social media account shuts down talk of a standalone Zombies game
Activision has officially denied rumors of a standalone Call of Duty Zombies game through the franchise's official X/Twitter account. This denial comes amidst speculation about the future of yearly Call of Duty releases following a lukewarm reception to Call of Duty: Black Ops 7.
New Xbox Console Delay May Have Affected Call of Duty Release Plans
A leak suggests that the delay of Microsoft's next Xbox console, now expected in 2027, has impacted release plans for future Call of Duty titles. Originally, Modern Warfare 4 was slated to launch with the new hardware, but Activision may now opt for multiple releases, including a standalone zombie game. This shift aligns with a broader trend of Activision moving away from annual releases towards more polished titles.
