Microsoft forms Call of Duty committee to oversee franchise features, report

Microsoft has allegedly formed a committee to come up with a final verdict on the future aspects of Activision’s famous Call of Duty action shooter game franchise.

In October last year, Microsoft successfully acquired Activision Blizzard. Now, it intends to have direct control over what COD will look like in the coming years.

While the studios associated with the game are usually responsible for the decisions regarding different features, this will not be the case for long, according to the report.

What I am being told about the future of Call of Duty:

Microsoft has set up a new committee under Activision for Call of Duty that will control "features" & "systems" at the franchise level and let the studios make suggestions. So whether something like Omnimovement which is new… pic.twitter.com/286dDunn67

— Hope (@TheGhostOfHope) November 21, 2024

TheGhostofHope, who has developed a reputation as a COD leaker, shared on X that Microsoft is setting up a body to supervise future directions for new systems and features of the first-person shooter game. This means developer studios like Treyarch or Infinity Ward responsible for the Omnimovement recent update will not be doing so anymore.

The committee, which has not been officially confirmed yet, will decide on future updates, taking creative freedom away from the studios themselves.

The COD franchise has been around for more than twenty years. In those years, the game has gone through different updates, including energy weapons and jetpacks. By now, one would expect fans of the franchise to be used to change.

While these fans like some titles more than others, the recent addition of Black Ops 6 is much appreciated. This part has also brought the latest Omnidirectional movement, which allows payers to sprint, go prone, and dive in any direction. According to the leaker, the committee may be charged with presiding over these kinds of innovations.

Microsoft asks studios to halt UI-related innovations

The leaker’s report also states that the tech giant has forbidden the studios from making changes to COD’s UI and the Prestige system, including the rest of the features. Allegedly, it prefers that the involved studios, Infinity World, Treyarch, or Sledgehammer, continue to work on innovation relating to multiplayer maps, storytelling, and other game modes. This is because Microsoft “Want the creativity to come from” these aspects of the game.

If the report is true, which can only be confirmed by the officials, it’s unclear how much change the future holds for COD. Some fans support this decision as they think it is “best for the franchise” while others express their doubts.  As a user also says “This could be so bad or like decent.”

Only the future will tell.

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