The latest rumor regarding Activision's plans for Call of Duty 2023 claims that a project once planned to be "premium content" for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 will now be released as a standalone game. Call of Duty players have come to expect annual releases in the military shooter franchise, but reports indicated that 2023 would be a rare year off. It seems Activision may have changed its mind and Call of Duty 2023 has become a reality.It's unclear exactly what prompted Activision to decide Call of Duty needed a year off in 2023. Early reports indicated the decision was made due to poor sales of Call of Duty: Vanguard, prompting executives to believe more time was needed for development. At a Q2 2022 earnings report, Activision made an official statement indicating that "premium content" was still planned for Call of Duty in 2023. But all the speculation may have been for naught.According to a report from Insider Gaming, Activision now plans to release a full game in the Call of Duty franchise for 2023. The title is said to still be heavily related to Modern Warfare, lending credence to the report it used to be DLC for Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 now expanded into a standalone project. The new game's title, whether it will feature original content or will be a remaster, and other specific gameplay-related information is not available.
What was confirmed, however, is that Call of Duty 2023 will have a similar testing and release schedule to past Call of Duty games. In other words, it will feature two scheduled betas as well as an early access period for its campaign, much like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. PlayStation will once again have an exclusive beta, planned for October 6 through 10, followed by an all-platform beta October 12-16. Full launch for Call of Duty 2023 would be November 10.
One other surprising confirmation from the report is that Activision will continue to support last-gen consoles for Call of Duty 2023. It will not be moving to PS5 and Xbox Series X/S alone. PS4 and Xbox One players won't need to upgrade yet, though that could change in 2024.
Given the range of rumors related to Call of Duty 2023, it should be clear that nothing is certain about the upcoming project. Until Activision makes an official announcement, likely around May or June, plans for Call of Duty 2023 should be considered a rumor. Expect more information before long.
Call of Duty 2023 is rumored for release November 10 on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.