At this point in time, it would be an understatement to say that Call of Duty: Warzone is a massive success, despite the constant cheating, laggy lobbies, and assorted other problems within the title. The evidence of Warzone's success can easily be viewed in the account numbers, download count, and the dedicated community who spend hours in the ever-building world of Verdansk.
As a game alone, Warzone has far exceeded the potential and quality of Black Ops 4's Blackout game mode. And as the developer pushs into Season 5, there are subtle hints behind scattered about of the upcoming Call of Duty 2020 release, and this is the only place to find those kinds of hints. Rather then some grand showing of the trailer and mass production of ads, Activision has redefined its marketing strategy and centered it around an interactive war experience.
It might not be clear at first with so many other features added on top of Season 5's launch. The explosion in the Stadium, the moving Train, Shadow Company, and so many other major features hold small details to the future of the Call of Duty franchise. All it takes to see between the lines is an understanding of the history of Warzone, and a careful eye for the minute details hidden across the massive map.
Subtle CoD Secrets In An Easter Egg Community
The first in a long trail of breadcrumbs is the Easter eggs hidden across the map. While some are special nods to the characters, others hold the potential to spoil the entire story of Call of Duty 2020. There are so many unanswered questions scattered across Verdansk that form a blurry yet fascinating picture of story potential.
The fact that Activision and Infinity Ward are using Warzone as a promotional tool is clever. The free-to-play experience draws in thousands of players a day, and with every in-game discovery, the population number rises sharply as curious players investigate the tease, Easter egg, or secret. Promotion for Call of Duty 2020 automatically bumps up Call of Duty: Warzone which in part promotes the Battle Pass, bundles, and other microtransaction opportunities built into the soul of the game.
Once the official announcement of Call of Duty 2020 launches, which will most likely be through Warzone, the population of the battle royale experience will likely skyrocket. Pure excitement for this year's Call of Duty release will bring about success for the next chapter along with the free-to-play battle royale. As long as Activision keeps the two games connected, then every Easter egg and secret found in the game will drive promotional options for both Warzone and Call of Duty 2020.
4th Wall Breaks With High Profile Streamers
The second part of this interesting puzzle is the innovative use of the Warzone streaming and YouTuber community, as fourth wall breaks can be infamously successful when it comes to promoting games. From the Fortnite Burger appearing in California to the Tentacles flowing from Larian Studios prior to the Baldurs Gate 3 announcement, these kinds of promotional tactics work on a viral level.
Streamers and YouTubers have a pre-built audience of thousands of players who enjoy the Call of Duty franchise. By sending them mysterious boxes and having them unveil Shadow Company in front of their audiences, Activision automatically taps into those communities at a minimal investment. Each Streamer's prediction stacks on top of other predictions as the entire community become fascinated by solving the strange puzzle.
This Fourth Wall strategy is already in effect for Call of Duty: 2020 with the mysterious box that many have recently received. The date on the box, August 10th, falls on the same day when Activision adds in updates to Modern Warfare and Warzone. There is a high chance that the update, box, and Call of Duty: 2020 will all come together in an event centered on Verdansk and the Warzone population.
Evolution of Verdansk To Match Call of Duty 2020's Themes
Activision has already confirmed that Call of Duty: 2020 will be linked to Warzone upon the game's release. This means that Warzone, which was originally tied to Modern Warfare, will evolve into a Black Ops Battle Royale experience without losing its inherent value built by its own foundational characteristics. Where it loses the support of Modern Warfare, it instead gains the next step in the series and evolves into a malleable Battle Royale.
This allows Warzone to act as a bridge connecting the many sub-franchisees found in Call of Duty into one concise presentation. Activision, Infinity Ward, Treyarch, and Raven Studios will never have to create another Battle Royale as long as Warzone can effectively evolve with the changing games. This evolution is revolutionary alone, but when mixed with the promotional tactics and fourth wall breaks, the entire Warzone project borders on some type of connected CoD universe.
Warzone is simultaneously a Battle Royale that is free to play while acting as a community hub and center of information for everything promotional in Call of Duty. Activision's strategy to move away from traditional release styles might have been driven by COVID-19, but to use a game that is populated by players for the same reason is genius and revolutionary on its own standard.
Whether or not the promotional campaigning works, Call of Duty: 2020 succeeds, or Warzone survives in the next 4 or 5 years, the entire attempt is worth appreciating. When advertising and promotion move from passive showing into active telling using interactive environments, game companies can give players a wider taste of their creation and amply sale based on experience rather than promise. Activision has opened a beautiful door of promotional possibilities, and it was all done under the guise of Warzone and through subtle patching throughout the year.
When Warzone launched, everyone assumed it was another standard Battle Royale built to feed a recent trend. Now, several months later, the game has evolved into something more, and it'll be interesting to see where that leads.
Call of Duty: Warzone is available on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.