Call of Duty
News, coverage and analysis tracking Call of Duty across the outlets.
Latest coverage
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.
Phil Spencer to Retire as Microsoft Gaming CEO, Xbox President Sarah Bond Resigns — Too Much Gaming | Video Games Reviews, News, & Guides
Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer and Xbox President Sarah Bond are stepping down, with Asha Sharma appointed as the new CEO of Microsoft Gaming. Satya Nadella's internal email highlights Sharma's experience in scaling services and platforms, and Matt Booty will serve as Executive Vice President and Chief Content Officer, emphasizing a focus on great games and the future of play with AI integration.
Level Up Your Gamer Cred: The Ultimate Guide to Funny Usernames for Games
This guide explores the strategic and psychological benefits of using funny usernames in online gaming. It discusses how humor can reduce toxicity, improve team dynamics, and make players more memorable. The article offers tips on finding a unique and effective comedic tone, including using puns, irony, and absurdity, while also advising against overused tropes and offensive language.
Godot veteran laments 'AI slop,' Highguard's mystery investor, and a big doc for Big Hops - Patch Notes #41
This week's gaming news highlights concerns over generative AI's impact on hardware availability and the influx of low-quality submissions to open-source projects like Godot. Unity claims its AI can now generate full casual games from prompts, while a documentary explores the six-year development of the indie platformer Big Hops. Other news includes Hasbro shutting down its Atomic Arcade studio, Tencent's secret funding of Highguard, a banned Call of Duty ad, ByteDance potentially selling Moonton, and Valve warning of Steam Deck OLED stock issues due to RAM shortages.
Report: NetEase is cutting jobs at internal studio Spliced Inc
NetEase-owned studio Spliced Inc is reportedly undergoing a redundancy process, with multiple employees indicating their roles are at risk. Spliced Inc was established in 2023 by NetEase with a focus on an anti-crunch, remote-first approach and comprised senior staff from various major game franchises. This follows a trend of NetEase downsizing its internal studios, particularly those in the west.
Industry leaders honour Vince Zampella at DICE Summit
Industry leaders including Todd Howard, Geoff Keighley, and Laura Miele paid tribute to the late Vince Zampella at the DICE Summit. Zampella, co-founder of Respawn Entertainment and co-creator of Call of Duty, was honored for his leadership, talent nurturing, and contributions to the gaming industry. Tributes highlighted his dedication to his teams and putting players first.
Legendary game creator Vince Zampella has passed away
Vince Zampella, a legendary figure in the video game industry known for co-creating the Call of Duty series and founding Respawn Entertainment, has died at the age of 55. Zampella was instrumental in the development of major franchises including Call of Duty, Titanfall, Apex Legends, and the Star Wars Jedi series. His death, resulting from a car crash, has sent shockwaves through the industry, with many mourning his significant contributions to game development.
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond Review | Giant Bomb
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is a triumphant return to form, closely mirroring the tone, gameplay, and quality of the original Metroid Prime. The game masterfully balances combat, puzzle-solving, atmosphere, and platforming, offering a deeply satisfying exploration experience with excellent motion controls. It stands as the best-looking game on the Nintendo Switch 2 and a strong contender for the series' best entries.
Battlefield 6 may have actually done it: beaten Call of Duty
Battlefield 6 has achieved unprecedented sales success for the franchise, becoming the best-selling game of 2025 year-to-date and surpassing the lifetime sales of Battlefield 1 in its launch month of October. The game also set a new record for the highest single-month dollar sales across all platforms in the last three years. It is now positioned to potentially outsell Call of Duty titles for the year, a feat that has eluded the Battlefield series for over a decade.
