Skip to main content

Infinity Ward Promises No Subscription Fee for Call of Duty, for Now

Image used with permission by copyright holder

The idea of charging for Call of Duty’s online games has been circulating for awhile now. When asked if he thought Call of Duty should be online, Bobby Kotick, CEO of Activision,  the publisher of the Call of Duty games, seemed under the impression that gamers were dying for the idea, going so far as to claim that fans were “clamoring” to give Activision their money, not to mention the additional fees that Xbox Live gamers pay. It seemed a slightly ridiculous claim, but then the industry started to sag.

After the disappointing June numbers for the industry were released, analysts began to line up with their advice on how to fix the woes of video games. Wedbush Morgan Securities analyst Michael Pachter claimed that he knew how. In a recent report, Pachter claimed that part of the reason that the industry is experiencing slow sales is that the games that have deep online replayability are discouraging gamers from shelling out for new titles while they can still get enjoyment from old ones online. If you think it seems slightly ironic that the suggested solution for people not spending money is to charge them even more, then you are not alone.

The story made the rounds, and gamers did not seem all that thrilled by the prospect of yet again paying Activision more money. Each of the two expansion packs for Modern Warfare cost a record-setting $15 apiece. People still bought them in record numbers, but they did so grudgingly. Then last night, a new YouTube video appeared online, claiming that a gamer accidentally came across a membership request to play Modern Warfare 2. While totally unsubstantiated, more than 35,000 views in one day suggest that people are taking the video at least somewhat seriously.

In answer to the growing concern, Infinity Ward’s Robert Bowling addressed the video via Twitter, and while not denying its legitimacy, did state that Call of Duty would remain free.

“For the record, nobody has to pay to play Call of Duty or Modern Warfare 2 multiplayer, nor will they.” Bowling said.

Again, these could all just be reactionary rumors, and the video could very easily be fake, but Call of Duty: Black Ops is due out November 9, and we haven’t heard much about its multiplayer.  More on this if and when it develops.

Ryan Fleming
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Ryan Fleming is the Gaming and Cinema Editor for Digital Trends. He joined the DT staff in 2009 after spending time covering…
Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile is out to eliminate mobile gaming’s stigma
Gameplay from Call of Duty: Warzone mobile

Activision may be under new ownership at Xbox, but that’s not slowing down its flagship series. After a few years in development, Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile is finally launching worldwide under the Microsoft banner. It’s a major moment for the shooter series that’s endured multiple industry changes over its long lineage. The new mobile game is the latest evolution for Call of Duty, bringing a high-quality battle royale experience to phones.

The importance of that evolution isn’t lost on Chris Plummer, the co-head of mobile at Activision. In an interview with Digital Trends ahead of Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile’s launch, Plummer painted a picture of how much has changed in the game industry since Call of Duty Mobile launched in 2019. An industry-shifting war between Epic Games and Apple, an enormous acquisition that’s turned Xbox into a mobile king, and a gradual shift in the general attitude towards mobile games -- all of that has led to this moment. Plummer believes that the old days of players bemoaning cash-grab mobile games are coming to an end. The industry just needed its killer app; he believes Warzone Mobile could be that game.

Read more
All Call of Duty games in order, by release date and chronologically
e3 2021 missing games call of duty

Call of Duty is one of the most successful video game franchises of all time. The original Call of Duty set a new standard for first-person shooters, the series' online multiplayer work has been a must-play for gamers for nearly two decades, and Warzone has been one of the top battle royale experiences of late.

The series has covered a lot of warfare, from World War II to futuristic fictional wars in 2187, but never in any set order. Players have been bounced around from era to era with each annual COD release and even revisited the same conflicts multiple times from different perspectives through direct sequels and remakes.

Read more
Call of Duty: Warzone is finally coming to mobile in March
Gameplay from Call of Duty: Warzone mobile

Activision's popular battle royale game Call of Duty: Warzone is making the jump to mobile in March. Specifically, it launches for iOS and Android devices on March 21.

This is a separate game from Tencent's Call of Duty: Mobile, which is currently available on the App Store and Google Play Store. Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile is made in-house by several Activision teams, including Beenox, Digital Legends, Solid State Studios, and Shanghai Studios. Further signifying that connection is that Warzone Mobile has shared progression with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III and the PC and console versions of Warzone. Payers can level up the same weapons, access content from the BlackCell Battle Pass and store, and gain XP on the same account across all three games. Warzone Mobile will also have full controller support, although it will have a virtual controller overlay that's highly customizable.

Read more