As the gaming industry continues to grow, so too does the Call of Duty franchise. While issues like the NICKMERCS controversy and concerns about a yearly release format continuing are understandable, there is always a clear plan in place for Activision’s flagship property. From the always topical Call of Duty: Warzone to the premium releases crafted by Treyarch, Sledgehammer, and Infinity Ward, fans have no shortage of games to play. However, all of these entries are lacking in one area: user generated content.
Call of Duty made the shift into the world of live service with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2019, embracing the now-common format of paid cosmetics in exchange for free playable content like maps and game modes. While not everyone enjoys the drip-feed style of post-launch releases, the approach has managed to keep many players hooked in a world full of live service juggernauts like Fortnite. Still, one huge thing that prevents Call of Duty from being as replayable as other live service titles is its lack of a platform for community-made content.
Why Other Live Service Games Have an Edge Over Call of Duty
It does not take long to find a big live service title where player-made maps and game modes are available, nor does it take long to realize just how much variety these systems can add to a game. Fortnite Creative is one very successful example of such a feature, with players creating everything from Among Us-inspired game modes to Fortnite versions of maps from Call of Duty’s own Zombies mode. However, Fortnite’s community creations are just the tip of the iceberg.
The Call of Duty franchise’s closest competition, EA’s Battlefield, has also dabbled with user-generated content. Though Battlefield 2042 had a disastrous launch full of bugs and design decisions that went against what players love about the series, with the game only recently starting to win back fans, fans loved Battlefield Portal from day one. Accessing content from classic entries gave the mode a great hook, while creators flexed their muscles with addictive wingsuit obstacle courses and hide and seek game modes.
Even Mediatonic’s bean-focused battle royale recently got in on the fun with its own creator mode, and players have already made some enjoyable rounds for players to collect crowns on. And though players cannot make maps within Overwatch 2’s workshop, there is still enough freedom for fans to make some fun training areas and gimmicky modes, with the currently active Demon Lord arcade mode being just one of the many standouts. Halo's Forge is perhaps the best example of all, as it has become synonymous with each release, something that made the long wait for a version in Halo Infinite especially painful. All of these creator modes give fans a break from the traditional, official gameplay loop crafted by developers, which can be fun when players want a fresh experience.
Call of Duty Desperately Needs to Make Player-Made Content Available
Unfortunately, Call of Duty has rarely encouraged player-made content, and recently Activision has even gone out of its way to shut it down. A fan-made remaster of the original Modern Warfare 2's multiplayer was ended due to a cease and desist from Activision, and a Black Ops 3 mod that protected PC players from the hackers that are currently swarming the servers was also removed. Both of these cases outraged players, with many left wondering why user-generated content was being discouraged..
What makes things especially frustrating is that, on the few occasions where players have been allowed to craft their own maps and modes - like Custom Zombies - gamers have shined. Unforgettable maps on the level of Treyarch’s own creations, such as Leviathan, are playable through Steam, while entirely different spins on Zombies’ gameplay can be accessed as well. Letting players do that same thing in every release and on every platform, with multiplayer content able to be designed as well, would undoubtedly improve the experience for many fans. Hopefully, Call of Duty looks at other live service titles to see just how much this type of content can bring to the table, with Activision making creator tools available to the many talented members of the series’ fan base.