Recent statements from former Activision CEO Bobby Kotick suggest a significant decline in the Call of Duty franchise,though concrete evidence remains elusive. Kotick alleges a 60% year-over-year decrease in sales, a figure Activision has not yet confirmed or denied.
This claim, coupled wiht reports of a $300 million write-down related to underperforming Call of Duty titles and the relatively low peak concurrent player count of Black ops 7 on Steam-currently struggling to exceed 40,000 daily players-raises concerns about the franchise’s future. Data from SteamDB (https://steamdb.info/app/1938090/charts/) supports observations of diminished player engagement on the platform.
While Kotick’s past leadership role lends weight to his assessment, the lack of official confirmation from Activision necessitates caution. However, the converging indicators point toward a potential crisis for the once-dominant Call of duty series, signaling a critical need for ample changes to revitalize the franchise and ensure its long-term viability.