The Call of Duty franchise’s futuristic era was a mixed bag to say the least. Call of Duty: Ghosts served as a precursor to this period, and while Extinction mode was an interesting concept, a messy campaign, strange multiplayer choices, and ugly visuals held it back. Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare’s extremely over-the-top movement guaranteed it would be divisive, and its use of Kevin Spacey means the campaign has aged poorly. Black Ops 3 was the one bright spot, as Infinite Warfare’s solid campaign and Zombies mode could not save it from a soulless multiplayer and a community that was tired of the future.

Considering the backlash against Infinite Warfare and its reveal trailer, Activision would be taking a risk if it ever brought Call of Duty into the future, as fans made it very clear in 2016 that they wanted boots on the ground gameplay back. Since then, they have gotten their wish, though only Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2019 has been truly well received. As fans continue to find issues with recent premium releases despite a return to boots on the ground combat, it is hard not to wonder if another shot at a futuristic game could be worthwhile. After all, it would have one massive benefit the current games lack: killstreak variety.

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To be clear, killstreaks in recent Call of Duty games has been decent enough, and Modern Warfare 2’s killstreak animations add quite a bit of immersion. However, though there was a good lineup of killstreaks on offer in games like Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War and Call of Duty: Vanguard, they were all things that fans have seen time and time again - a problem that all games based on real warfare will be unable to overcome.

By setting games fully in either a modern setting, or basing them on real wars, the developers of Call of Duty instantly back themselves into a corner. There have only been so many tools used by militaries in the conflicts that have taken place over the last 100 years, and Call of Duty has spotlighted just about all of them with its various killstreaks. Chopper Gunners, Attack Helicopters, AC-130 Gunships, Attack Dogs, UAVs - the same exact streaks are seen time and time again.

Though some Call of Duty fans may despise the idea of returning to the future, it is hard to argue against the idea that doing so would help alleviate this killstreak issue. In a fully fictional future war, Sledgehammer Games, Treyarch, or Infinity Ward would be free to make their own rules. Brand-new killstreak ideas that are not grounded in reality could be created once again, with players finally getting away from the same old streaks - something that contributes quite a bit to every yearly release feeling stale.

It’s worth noting that some of Call of Duty’s best killstreaks are tied to futuristic games. The Swarm from Black Ops 2 was always exciting to get, as the AI-controlled drones raining down from the sky on the enemy team was essentially a match-ender. RAPS from Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 were a more interesting and intimidating take on the overused Attack Dogs, while the Guardian was useful for objective players. Advanced Warfare’s Vulcan Laser and Infinite Warfare streaks like the THOR and AP-3X are just a few more examples. Even the DNA Bomb and De-Atomizer felt more interesting than a basic Tactical Nuke.

Going back to the future would make it easier to revive Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare’s customizable killstreaks, too, which is a mechanic that remains underrated over eight years after release. Obviously, a return to futuristic gameplay is highly unlikely, as Activision will likely want to play it safe with Call of Duty for a long time - especially with Warzone being a priority and the battle royale's image being tied to more grounded settings. Still, as long as familiar wars remain the focus, Call of Duty killstreaks are unlikely to feel interesting or unique.

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