‘Call Of Duty: Vanguard’ Flopped Because Of World War II Setting, Activision Says

Activision Blizzard‘s 2021 Call of Duty: Vanguard release fell far short of expectations and the videogame developer indicated the game’s World War II setting as the cause.

“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 own execution,” Activision Blizzard’s annual report to investors read. “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,” they added.

They didn’t mention the number of bugs and content delays, but even more notably, failed to acknowledge the allegations of sexual harassment and discrimination that derailed their marketing leading up to the game’s release. Activision fell under investigation last fall for internal allegations of a toxic work environment, especially toward women. California sued the videogame developer for having a “frat boy” culture that included gender-based discrimination and an unfair pay gap.

This year’s installment, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, was announced last Saturday.