When things don't go as planned, you find a reason; however, sometimes that reason doesn't always make the most sense.
For Activision, Call of Duty: Vanguard sales haven't gone as planned, and they claim to have figured out why. Activision highlighted the disappointing sales during their annual report to investors and pointed the finger at the game setting, which is World War II. There have been complaints about the games' time-hopping and globetrotting as you try and take down the Nazis while they're looking to execute some secret plots during the end of the war.
"While Call of Duty remains one of the most successful entertainment franchises of all time, our 2021 premium release didn't meet our expectations, we believe primarily due to our execution," Activision explained in the report "The game's World War II setting didn't resonate with some of our community, and we didn't deliver as much innovation in the premium game as we would have liked."
"We are certainly addressing both of these issues with the 2022 launch. Developer on the 2022 premium and Warzone experiences is being led by Activision's renowned Infinity Ward studio. We are working on the most ambitious plan in Call of Duty history, with over 3,000 people now working on the franchise and a return to the Modern Warfare setting that delivered our most successful Call of Duty title ever."
In their statement, Activision refused to acknowledge any criticism about the actual gameplay or how production was rushed because of the pandemic and burnt-out employees still being pushed through their schedules.
The game has reportedly sold just over 30 million copies to date.
