Call Of Duty Series Desperately Needs An Overhaul, Says Former Dev

A former Call Of Duty developer has hit out at the series, explaining why he feels it's time the popular FPS franchise received a substantial "revitalization.

There's been growing unrest among Call Of Duty fans in recent months. Both Warzone and Modern Warfare are currently in rough shape, while Vanguard has failed to capture the hearts of the community. All of this comes at a time when the top brass at Activision Blizzard is being called out over toxic work environments and harassment.

Robert Bowling, who previously worked as a creative strategist at Modern Warfare studio Infinity Ward between 2006 and 2012, has shared his thoughts on the future of Call Of Duty. On Twitter, Bowling said he believes the Call of Duty franchise is in need of a systemic overhaul.

"We need more than iteration, we need revitalization," Bowling said in response to a tweet from Modern Warzone about where Call Of Duty is currently at. He added that the series would greatly benefit from refocusing on "core gameplay" rather than "content gateways".

"We used to treat our players like community and not consumers. We brought them in to the fold for map feedback not market feedback," the developer explained.

It’s time to build from the studs up.

We need more than iteration, we need revitalization.

A focus back on core gameplay and not content gateways.

We used to treat our players like community and not consumers. We brought them in to the fold for map feedback not market feedback

— Robert Bowling (@fourzerotwo) December 31, 2021

Bowling is currently a studio head at Midnight Society, a new developer that was recently founded by controversial streamer Dr. Direspect alongside former Halo and Call Of Duty alum. The hope of this new group is to "usher in the new era of online PvP multiplayer titles," which is certainly admirable. If Bowling truly believes in community first, then I look forward to seeing what he and his team come up with next.