Call of Duty publisher Activision has blamed Vanguard’s World War II setting for its disappointing sales performance.
In its annual report, the soon-to-be-acquired gaming giant also cited a lack of innovation compared to more recent entries in the first person shooter franchise.
Vanguard or Black Ops Cold War? Which Call of Duty is better?
Activision didn’t provide exact figures, though its statement below suggests that Vanguard failed to shift as many copies as Black Ops Cold War or 2019’s Modern Warfare reboot.
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.
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.
Developer Sledgehammer Games chose to continue with this setting after the runaway success of COD WW2. This gave the series a much needed shot in the arm as we returned to a boots-on-the-ground style of play.
It’s hard to say just how much the setting contributed to Vanguard’s lack of appeal. World War II shooters have been on the rise with alternative games such as Enlisted and Hell Let Loose doing reasonably well.
As for innovation, it’s fair to say that Vanguard and Cold War before it, have been building on the foundations laid by Modern Warfare. It’s also worth taking into account the behemoth that is Call of Duty Warzone and how a number of fans have likely stuck with its free-to-play offering instead of buying Vanguard.
Naturally, Activision is confident in its next game, Modern Warfare 2, which was teased last month.
In our Call of Duty Vanguard review, we scored the sequel a heroic 9/10:
The stars have aligned for Call of Duty: Vanguard. For the first time, this truly feels like a full package without any caveats. Sure, some parts are naturally stronger than others but there isn’t a weak link in sight. After back to back triumphs, Call of Duty is now on a killstreak.
Call of Duty Vanguard is out now on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
