Activision is reportedly delaying a Call of Duty game that was slated to be released next year in 2023. This is the first time the franchise will go without a mainline release in nearly two decades, according to a report by Bloomberg. However, this year’s Call of Duty, developed by Infinity Ward, an addition to the Modern Warfare franchise, is still on track, and will be released on time.

Bloomberg reported that Activision was pushing back the release after a recent entry in the Call of Duty series failed to meet the company’s expectations. The report further stated that it led to some executives believing that they were introducing new iterations in quick succession.

“The decision was not related to Activision’s agreement to sell itself to Microsoft Corp. for $69 billion, the people said,” the Bloomberg report added.

Activision’s announcements for the Call of Duty franchise in 2022

Earlier this month, Activision announced that it was collaborating with Infinity Ward for a new Modern Warfare game. It also announced that Infinity Ward will develop a follow-up to Call of Duty Warzone, and is expected to launch sometime later this year.

The Bloomberg report said that this year’s Call of Duty release would get a “steady stream of additional content.” It also reported that there will be a “new free-to-play online title,” slated for release next year, which is being developed by Treyarch, an Activision-owned studio.

The next Call of Duty game, which has now been delayed, is being developed by Treyarch and will be a part of the Black Ops series. This new Black Ops game can be expected to drop sometime in 2024.

We have an exciting slate of premium and free-to-play Call of Duty experiences for this year, next year and beyond,” a spokesman for Activision wrote in an emailed statement. “We look forward to sharing more details when the time is right.”

Why is Call of Duty 2023 delayed?

This will be the first time since 2004 that the Call of Duty series has not had a mainline entry. Given that the Call of Duty franchise debuted on Windows PC in 2003, this news means that it will miss a major release on its 20th anniversary.

According to the sources who spoke to Bloomberg, the delay was only due to the fact that last year’s Call of Duty: Vanguard failed to meet expectations, leading to fears that Activision may be pushing new games way too quickly.

The delay also comes at a time when Activision has been undergoing a massive change. Earlier this year, it was announced that Microsoft will purchase the publisher for $68.7 billion USD and the deal is expected to be carried out in FY 2023.

The delay means that the new Black Ops game being developed by Treyarch will likely be the first Call of Duty game under the banner of Microsoft.

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