Call of Duty 2021 leaks have not necessarily been kind to the game. Outside of the promise of returning maps, leakers like Tom Henderson have claimed that this year's release will be lacking at launch. Though rumors suggesting that the game would not have a multiplayer mode at launch have been disproven, the fact that this was even rumored in the first place is concerning. Still, despite all the worries fans have with the game, Call of Duty 2021 will likely have one feature that attracts a specific audience.
Among the list of leaked Call of Duty 2021 game modes was a campaign, with a singleplayer offering likely to accompany the multiplayer and Zombies modes for Sledgehammer’s next project. While no details are confirmed about the mode thus far, its mere existence gives the game an edge over Battlefield 2042. While campaigns are irrelevant to some FPS fans, especially since both of these franchises are multiplayer-focused, some players love them. For those that prefer singleplayer content, Call of Duty 2021 having a campaign could make it a better option than Battlefield 2042.
Battlefield 2042 Lacking A Campaign Is A Risky Decision
Realistically, Battlefield 2042’s lack of a campaign makes sense for the franchise. The mainline Battlefield entries rarely excelled on this front, with the story modes being serviceable at best. While DICE did find some success with War Stories, as the mini campaigns fit well with historical settings, the feature would not work in a near future war. After all, telling an emotional story that is built to honor soldiers from a war that does not exist yet makes little sense, making the choice to leave the feature out an understandable one.
With Battlefield’s only success with traditional campaigns coming in the form of the Bad Company franchise, it is more likely than not that a Battlefield: 2042 campaign would have been average. While it would not have hurt to include one, leaving it out gives DICE the freedom to focus entirely on Battlefield 2042’s multiplayer. With the past few games struggling in this regard, particularly Battlefield 5, making sure that the multiplayer experience is polished and expansive is the right call. With most players enjoying Battlefield for its huge online battles, the community as a whole will likely be unphased by the decision.
However, while the logic behind the choice is understandable, there is no denying that the lack of singleplayer will turn away some gamers. Those wanting a mature, military-focused FPS campaign from Battlefield 2042 are out of luck, as the story will be told through post-launch Seasons of content in Battlefield 2042. While the number of gamers that have played Battlefield titles exclusively for their campaigns is likely small, that is still an audience that is being turned away from the latest entry. For those that only play games offline, the lack of a campaign instantly makes Battlefield 2042 less interesting.
While solo players can still enjoy some bot-filled Battlefield 2042 multiplayer, this is not the same as a scripted narrative full of intense action and huge setpieces. Given Battlefield 2042’s interesting premise, with Non-Patriated people fighting to restore their fallen countries, the game had potential to tell a truly unique story. For the first time since Battlefield: Bad Company 2, Battlefield 2042’s campaign could have been a defining feature, with players getting a close look at what a proxy war could look like. This is not happening, however, as multiplayer seems to be the future for the Battlefield series. For those that view campaigns as essential, though, Battlefield 2042’s main competition will still be providing that type of experience.
Call of Duty 2021 Having A Campaign Is A Safe Move
While Battlefield’s campaigns have been mostly forgettable outside of Bad Company, the same cannot be said for Call of Duty. Story modes are what put the franchise on the map, with the original game’s campaign leading to the sequels that would eventually make the series into a household name. Campaigns like Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare’s brought the franchise game of the year accolades, while an equal amount of praise came for the twist-filled Black Ops story. With even the less popular campaigns like Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 doing some unique things, story modes have been a defining part of the franchise since its inception.
A clear example of Call of Duty players caring about campaigns was seen with the release of Call of Duty: Black Ops 4. The 2018 title launched without a story mode, and while the Blackout battle royale offering kept it afloat, excluding campaign players proved controversial. In the months leading up to release, constant complaints were made about the game’s lack of a singleplayer mode, with a stigma building around Call of Duty. Fortunately, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2019 featured a campaign, as to did Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War.
Based on the harsh reaction to Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, it is unlikely that Activision will release a mainline Call of Duty title without a campaign anytime soon. As such, the rumor that Call of Duty 2021 will have a campaign is believable, and it could serve as a major marketing point for the game. Activision can point directly to Battlefield 2042’s decision to drop singleplayer, showing campaign lovers that Call of Duty is continuing to give them what they want. In this scenario, the quality of the campaign that features in the so-called Call of Duty WW2: Vanguard is irrelevant. For some, all that will matter is that it has a campaign at all.
Still, there is reason to believe that the campaign will be solid, as developer Sledgehammer Games has yet to deliver a truly bad singleplayer experience. While Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare may not be a fan favorite due to its divisive exo suits, its futuristic world was well-realized. Further, Call of Duty: WW2’s campaign may not have been as risky as Call of Duty: World at War’s, but it had a strong opening with its focus on D-Day. The undercover mission in Paris called “Liberation” was also memorable, as it changed up the gameplay in a memorable way. While neither story is as iconic as something like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, both get the job done.
With a solid campaign likely, Call of Duty 2021 can market itself as having more content than its competition. While Battlefield 2042’s experiences go all-in on multiplayer, Call of Duty 2021’s will offer something for all kinds of gamers. While there will be some traditional multiplayer, Call of Duty 2021’s Zombies mode will bring in co-op players, too. Most importantly, the campaign could bring in the singleplayer fans that Battlefield 2042 is leaving behind. Though many may not care, this could still be the deciding factor for some of the players that are still on the fence about which game to pick up.
Call of Duty 2021 is rumored to be releasing this November for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X. Battlefield 2042 releases on October 22 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.