The lead-up to the holidays is always an important time for new video games, and Activision Blizzard has proved that with its two major releases scheduled for October – Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Overwatch 2. Fans may have been worried throughout the year as so many highly anticipated titles were delayed into 2023 like Forspoken, Redfall, and Starfield, but prominent developers like Activision Blizzard are still committed to bringing big new games to gamers, packing two into a single month after an already crowded September.
Joining the long-awaited sequels Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Overwatch 2 are some other exciting releases like A Plague Tale: Requiem, Gotham Knights, and Bayonetta 3, giving Activision Blizzard some stiff competition and gamers a diverse lineup of new titles to enjoy. Activision Blizzard has courted some controversy in recent years and the studio has lost a lot of its fans' goodwill as a result, but many players are hoping the company is looking to turn things around, and getting great games out there like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Overwatch 2 is a small step in the right direction.
The State Of Activision Blizzard
Although it's not the only company to face criticism in recent years for its toxic work culture, Activision Blizzard found itself in hot water after a lawsuit alleging discrimination, sexual harassment, and unequal pay was filed against the company. Many employees and former employees came forward to add credibility to reports of mistreatment and other issues within Activision Blizzard, and unsurprisingly the studio's image became massively impacted as a result.
In addition to its legal troubles, Activision Blizzard found itself in the middle of an industry-wide shake-up after Microsoft announced its intention to acquire the company. Reactions from the community were mixed, with some welcoming the news and others seeing it as a portent for things to come, but one thing is clear – attention has shifted for the most part away from the games that it is producing to the wider drama surrounding it.
Although this is understandable, and poor behavior should never just be swept under the rug, the release of these two big games in October is a reminder of the years of hard work that goes into producing new titles, and with both Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Overwatch 2 launching shortly, gamers still have lots to look forward to. Given the state of Activision Blizzard's current predicament, both games need to perform well and meet player expectations in order to start repairing the company's reputation, which could be a tall order.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Call of Duty is one of the best-selling and most recognizable franchises in video game history and is unsurprisingly one of Activision's flagship properties. The FPS military shooter has had a myriad of different entries that span multiple developers and time periods from the Cold War to futuristic outer space. The Modern Warfare subseries was a real breakthrough for the franchise and helped to get it on the map for competitive shooters. Despite consistent annual releases causing franchise fatigue in some corners of the gaming world, Call of Duty continues to pull large audiences, and anticipation for the next entry is at a fever pitch.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is a direct sequel to the 2019 reboot, which was praised for its campaign and gameplay but did face some criticism over the realism of its violence and the way it handled some darker themes contained within the story. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 will be looking to build on the strong foundations of its predecessor, which managed to bring a slew of impressive updates and improvements to the tried and tested gameplay. With several returning characters alongside new faces like Mexican Special Forces Colonel Alejandro Vargas, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 should be a mix of old and new calculated to please fans and fresh players alike.
With the game only announced earlier this year, gamers haven't had that long to build up the hype for its release next month. However, given the pedigree of the series and the familiarity of the property, expectations are already high, and excitement levels are off the charts. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2's beta was reportedly the biggest in the series' history, showing that there's still plenty of appetite for new Call of Duty content, but this does mean that the game has a lot to live up to as well.
Overwatch 2
When Overwatch first launched back in 2016, it didn't take long for fans to flock to Blizzard's colorful cooperative hero shooter. The team-based multiplayer title impressed players with its large roster of characters, unique options for gameplay, and an immersive new world, and Overwatch received near-universal acclaim. Although the base game has received a generous amount of new content, community events, and updates over its post-launch life, a sequel of some kind still seemed inevitable. However, the much anticipated Overwatch 2 is not without its controversies.
Overwatch's servers will be shut down a few days prior to the new game's launch, and then the original will be replaced with Overwatch 2. This will come with new maps, modes, characters, and a smaller team size from six to five, as well as other updates. The new free-to-play model will include the traditional PvP setup, with a PvE format coming sometime after the title launches. This is a big shake-up for the game, and some have taken the news of all these changes better than others.
In contrast to the positive pre-launch attention that Overwatch managed to generate, Overwatch 2 has already ruffled some feathers in the fan community, and it has its work cut out for it if it wants to win over some players. The game's proposed Battle Pass model has come under fire, as well as some other new features. For a company that's already surrounded by controversy and criticism, it's clear that Overwatch 2 needs to deliver alongside Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 in order to slowly transform Activision Blizzard into a publisher that players want to support again.