Call of Duty: Vanguard didn’t meet Activision’s expectations, World War II setting and lack of innovation blamed

Call of Duty: Vanguard underperformed for Activision Blizzard, it has been revealed. The company that’s currently being sued by New York City over mismanagement claims that the first-person shooter’s World War II setting and lack of innovation were to blame for its disappointing sales.

Activision Blizzard has opened up on Call of Duty: Vanguard’s underperformance in a new annual report. Activision explains that “while Call of Duty remains one of the most successful entertainment franchises of all time,” Vanguard didn’t meet its sales expectations. Activision blames itself and the game’s “execution” for its disappointing performance.

Specifically, Activision argues that the game’s return to a World War II setting “didn’t resonate with some” players. It’s added, too, that Activision believes that it “didn’t deliver as much innovation in” Vanguard as it “would have liked.” With multiple games now set during the Second World War, perhaps fans have had their fill of the era. There are only so many times you can re-tell the same stories, with tired tropes failing to lift the game beyond the Call of Duty games before it.

Despite its recent underperforming, Call of Duty is still a big deal. Over half of U.S. console gamers would subscribe to Game Pass for Activision games, after all. Vanguard could prove to be a blip, but without further innovation, the long-running series is in trouble of growing increasingly stale. Everyone knows what to expect in a Call of Duty game. Hopefully, the new Modern Warfare 2 can shake things up.