The Call of Duty franchise is the biggest in the games industry, being the top-selling game each year. It appears that the same is true for Call of Duty: Vanguard, 2021's contribution to the franchise helmed by Sledgehammer games. It's not a major surprise to see Call of Duty: Vanguard be the top seller, but the news comes at an exceptionally strange time for Activision.
Despite how many big games were released in 2021, Call of Duty accounted for the top 2 selling slots of the year according to the NPD group, with Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War snagging the second spot. Notably, Vanguard has sold worse than Black Ops Cold War overall, a response to technical issues that have plagued the World War 2 shooter since launch. Not to mention, the Black Ops series is one of the most popular sub-franchises in the series.
Technical issues might not be the only thing affecting the relatively lower sales, as Activision Blizzard's multiple sexual harassment and workplace lawsuits have left the company in a hurricane of controversy. However, neither the technical issues nor the controversies have knocked Call of Duty off of the throne, which proves just how much of a goliath the franchise is, for better or for worse.
Earlier today, Microsoft announced it's buying Activision Blizzard, securing the Call of Duty franchise – as wells as World of Warcraft, Diablo, and many others – as its own. There's no word yet on which franchises Microsoft will make exclusive to the Xbox ecosystem, but Call of Duty would be a massive addition. Even if Microsoft keeps Call of Duty as a multi-platform title, its likely inclusion on the Xbox Game Pass roster will be a massive win for Xbox.
In a strange turn of events, Call of Duty on Game Pass could mean that the series is no longer on top of the bestsellers list. If the games are included with the subscription perpetually, there's no real reason for Xbox Game Pass subscribers to buy them outright, which could grow Game Pass but also lower Call of Duty's actual sales. It would likely mean a larger player base overall, though.
Either way, the future of Call of Duty is interesting, but gamers shouldn't expect it to go anywhere. Its ability to stay on top of the sales charts regardless of technical issues and outside controversies is incredible from any angle, even though it can be viewed as a negative.
Call of Duty Vanguard is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
Source: NPD (via IGN)