‘Call Of Duty’ Leak Shows A Welcome Return To World War II In 2017
A new leak points to the Call of Duty series returning to a World War II setting. The same YouTube user who first uncovered the Infinite Warfare information last year is back with artwork showing a return to the beaches of Normandy for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.
YouTube user TheFamilyVideoGamers posted a video containing a handful of artwork pieces for Call of Duty: WWII and also shared them via Reddit. Two of the images are of a poster while the others are of possible front and back covers of game cases. In addition to the WWII label, the artwork shows the familiar sight of Allied forces storming the beaches during D-Day and taking cover behind anti-tank obstacles.
So far, there is nothing calling into doubt the authenticity of the artwork provided. Obviously, Activision will not confirm this until an official announcement is made for the next Call of Duty later this summer.
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The move to World War II is somewhat expected as it was just last month during an investor’s call Activision said Call of Duty would go back to its roots.
“In 2017, Activision will take Call of Duty back to its roots, and traditional combat will once again take center stage,” Activision Blizzard executive Dennis M. Durkin said (via Seeking Alpha). “This is what our dedicated community of Call of Duty players and Sledgehammer Games, who has been developing this year’s title, are the most excited about. The Call of Duty community remains strong, and Call of Duty is the most successful video game franchise of the last 20 years.”
If true, this will mark the first-time Call of Duty has gone back to World War II since 2008 with Treyarch’s World at War. In fact, the last time the series touched on D-Day was with 2005’s Call of Duty 2 for the Xbox 360 and PC with the Allied assault on Pointe du Hoc. The franchise has never touched the more famous assaults on Omaha Beach or Utah Beach, which Pointe du Hoc separated.
Following the release of Black Ops in 2010, the series went on a run of six titles set in the near or far future from Modern Warfare 3 to Ghosts to Black Ops II and III, Advanced Warfare, and finally, Infinite Warfare.
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In particular, the last three releases in the Call of Duty series have had fans complaining the most due to near identical futuristic gameplay with jet packs and wall running. Sledgehammer Games going back to revisit a World War II setting is not only a much welcome change but hopefully, a sign Activision and the three studios developing the game will consider providing more variety in the yearly releases.
While there is something to be said in building on and refining what was done in a previous release, the Call of Duty series has depended on this too much of late. The Modern Warfare setting was at least broken up by World at War and the first Black Ops. The franchise has become much too repetitive since then when it has had ample opportunity to extend itself to other eras, setting, and gameplay.
Part of the explanation for that has simply been the demands of two studios alternating in producing a yearly franchise. Sledgehammer Games became the third primary Call of Duty developer with Advanced Warfare to give Infinity Ward and Treyarch more breathing room. Hopefully, Sledgehammer going to a World War II setting is a sign the other two developers will also take the opportunity to not return to a rut.
[Featured Image by TheFamilyVideoGamers/YouTube]
