Recently, Activision held a Call of Duty Next event which outlined the future of the franchise. The next few months will be big for Call of Duty fans, and they can expect the release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 in October and Warzone 2.0 in November. PlayStation-exclusive content was also revealed, and such content has been controversial in the past, but this time around, Activision appears to have handled it in a way that is unlikely to ruffle too many feathers.Call of Duty Next revealed plenty more information, including some of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Multiplayer and Warzone 2.0's action-packed gameplay. Although Microsoft is acquiring Activision, PlayStation will still get to enjoy Call of Duty for the foreseeable future, though gamers should not the exclusivity deals that PlayStation usually receives from the franchise.
Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2's and Warzone 2.0's PlayStation Exclusive Content
This year's Call of Duty Next event came with plenty of big reveals for franchise fans. It was an especially good event for PlayStation gamers, as it was announced that the PlayStation versions of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone 2.0 will be getting exclusive content. Console exclusivity deals often trigger controversy, and most times it is for good reasons. It seems rather unfair for a segment of gamers to get additional content for merely being on a certain platform. However, Call of Duty has managed to handle exclusivity in a way that is less likely to upset too many gamers.
PlayStation players will get an exclusive Operator named Hiro "Oni" Watanabe, as well as a high-level weapon blueprint. Oni's design has Japanese elements, as he wields blades and wears a samurai face mask, though he still carries guns as a modern soldier. The exclusive content is appropriate, as it doesn't give PlayStation too much additional content. Furthermore, the exclusivity is not infinite, and it will only be exclusive to PlayStation for a year.
This is far from the first time Call of Duty has had exclusivity deals with PlayStation. It is natural for the franchise to want to please its PlayStation gamers, as research has repeatedly shown that the bulk of Call of Duty players are on PlayStation. Those days could be coming to an end, as Microsoft is in the process of acquiring Activision Blizzard, which makes future PlayStation-exclusive content from the franchise unlikely. This does not mean that Call of Duty will become a console exclusive, however, as Microsoft's Phil Spencer has confirmed that the franchise will continue to appear on PlayStation for years to come.
Call of Duty and Exclusivity
It is worth applauding Call of Duty when it manages to balance exclusivity correctly, as there have been several past instances when it hasn't. This was seen, for instance, with Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War featuring a PlayStation-exclusive Zombies mode for a year before it finally made it to other platforms. The worst case of console exclusivity from the franchise occurred with the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 remake which was released on PS4 a month earlier than on other platforms. Such exclusivity puts other players at an unfair disadvantage, and it understandably causes upset.
The original Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, released in 2009, holds a special place in gaming, and the upcoming game will have to be excellent if it wishes to outperform its predecessor. The game will serve as the sequel to 2019's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare which was well-received by fans. Hopefully, Modern Warfare 2 manages to maintain the momentum.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is scheduled to release on October 28, 20,22 on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.