Thomas Godwin

12/12/25, 9:25 AM Call of Duty Finally Admits Franchise Fatigue — But Did It Fix the Right Problem? | by The Glitch Grimace | Dec, 2025 | Medium Open in app Search Write Get unlimited access to the best of Medium for less than $1/week. Become a member Call of Duty Finally Admits Franchise Fatigue — But Did It Fix the Right Problem? The Glitch Grimace 4 min read · 2 days ago Is anyone really surprised that Call of Duty franchise fatigue is a thing? The real surprise is the fact that it took this long. What are we looking at…20+ https://medium.com/@tdgodwin/call-of-duty-franchise-fatigue-433a7d6327e3 1/9 12/12/25, 9:25 AM Call of Duty Finally Admits Franchise Fatigue — But Did It Fix the Right Problem? | by The Glitch Grimace | Dec, 2025 | Medium mainline releases since Modern Warfare in 2007? That’s not including the various remasters, spin-offs, and mobile titles. That’s a considerable amount of “shut up and consume more product” from Activision. So, why are we talking about Call of Duty franchise fatigue now, and not 5 years ago or more? It’s not as if Activision changed course yesterday, enraging the fan base. Nostalgia? Habit? Is everybody trying to relive the good old days when Infinity Ward and Treyarch were innovating instead of regurgitating another pile of steaming canine excrement with costly glittery skins on top? Throw AI-slop into the mix, another serious conversation that needs to be had, and the result is generic garbage with as much appeal as a match-3 game. Why Call of Duty Franchise Fatigue is Hitting Players Now Everybody has their opinion, but the truth is, the reasons are widespread, finally consolidating into something more than just being tired of yearly Call of Duty releases and sequels. https://medium.com/@tdgodwin/call-of-duty-franchise-fatigue-433a7d6327e3 2/9 12/12/25, 9:25 AM Call of Duty Finally Admits Franchise Fatigue — But Did It Fix the Right Problem? | by The Glitch Grimace | Dec, 2025 | Medium Before Battlefield 6’s latest challenge, Call of Duty was the only mainstream FPS with some semblance of gritty realism available Call of Duty’s core demographic (20+ year fans) is aging out or switching Players simply tolerated the annual releases for nostalgia and habit Call of Duty is not Fortnite or Apex Legends, so releasing similar cosmetics just seems silly Aggressive microtransactions for a $70 game Battlefield 6 caters to previously alienated military sim purists, causing a degree of migration SBMM (Skill-Based Match Making), regardless of anyone’s side of the argument and which is the most persuasive, has alienated a subset of players That’s a lot of reasons, and they all seem to be coalescing into a single, giant rejection of the franchise. https://medium.com/@tdgodwin/call-of-duty-franchise-fatigue-433a7d6327e3 3/9 12/12/25, 9:25 AM Call of Duty Finally Admits Franchise Fatigue — But Did It Fix the Right Problem? | by The Glitch Grimace | Dec, 2025 | Medium Activision finally acknowledged the franchise fatigue on December 9, but admitting a thing is not the same as fixing a thing. It doesn’t help that BO7 had a lot working against it right out of the gate. The campaign is shallow and nonsensical, there’s a tangible lack of multiplayer balance, FPS drops are prevalent, and the reviews aren’t great, especially in terms of user reviews. Half a decade of annual releases, and Activision is just now admitting to quality decline and burnout. Unfortunately, for the players, CoD hit $30 billion+ revenue on evergreen Warzone support and autopilot purchases, so the answer is simple: They didn’t gaf. https://medium.com/@tdgodwin/call-of-duty-franchise-fatigue-433a7d6327e3 4/9 12/12/25, 9:25 AM Call of Duty Finally Admits Franchise Fatigue — But Did It Fix the Right Problem? | by The Glitch Grimace | Dec, 2025 | Medium What Activision’s New Release Strategy Means for CoD Fatigue Activision is far from the most trustworthy publisher out there, so everything listed as an upcoming change should be taken with a grain of salt. No more back-to-back releases of Modern Warfare or Black Ops, to make each title feel more distinct, instead of a reskin A stated goal of driving meaningful innovation, rather than an incremental one General content and identity tweaks Promised “Bundles” and items that fit the Black Ops mantra better More anti-cheat measures (Secure Boot, TPM 2.0 on PC, and expanded RICOCHET tools) The PR push flies under the banner of “this is a new era” https://medium.com/@tdgodwin/call-of-duty-franchise-fatigue-433a7d6327e3 5/9 12/12/25, 9:25 AM Call of Duty Finally Admits Franchise Fatigue — But Did It Fix the Right Problem? | by The Glitch Grimace | Dec, 2025 | Medium I think it's safe to say that many will not return. Those who feel slighted by SBMM, military sim fans, older players losing that desire for a competitive edge, and players tired of the weird and decidedly non-CoD skins will probably sit back and watch how everything unfolds. Some outlets are preaching “cautious optimism,” but it's important to remember a few things. First, the big-name outlets rely on early review code, ad buys, and access to events. Poor coverage is a risk that most are unwilling to take. Plus, CoD campaigns use massive influencer and creator marketing, like sponsored streams, ambassador programs, and paid content. Flooding feeds with positive coverage is the one area in which Activision excels consistently. If some of these changes actually take place, it's a good idea to pay attention to smaller outlets and forums to see the reality through the hype. In the Meantime, Battlefield 6 I’m no Battlefield 6 fan, but until Activision sifts through the garbage and releases a product that isn’t tailored to rake in as much cash flow as possible, without actually entertaining the players, Battlefield 6 is a legitimate option (I haven’t played it yet, but I believe the hype). Of course, there are others as well, like Apex Legends, Fortnite, Insurgency: Sandstorm, Hell Let Loose, and Titanfall 2, to name a few. They may not all be your personal cup of tea, but it's better than railing at Activision through a phone or PC screen. The idea of Activision making serious changes is iffy, at best, but there’s always reason to hope. In the meantime, play something else and vote with your wallet. The latter is the only language these industries speak. https://medium.com/@tdgodwin/call-of-duty-franchise-fatigue-433a7d6327e3 6/9 12/12/25, 9:25 AM Call of Duty Finally Admits Franchise Fatigue — But Did It Fix the Right Problem? | by The Glitch Grimace | Dec, 2025 | Medium Call Of Duty Call Of Duty Fatigue Gaming Videogames Games Written by The Glitch Grimace Edit profile 0 followers · 1 following Veteran writer with an antediluvian inclination towards gaming, movies, and books. Proponent of indies, classics, and fiction in all its forms. No responses yet The Glitch Grimace What are your thoughts? Recommended from Medium https://medium.com/@tdgodwin/call-of-duty-franchise-fatigue-433a7d6327e3 7/9 12/12/25, 9:25 AM Call of Duty Finally Admits Franchise Fatigue — But Did It Fix the Right Problem? | by The Glitch Grimace | Dec, 2025 | Medium In Designtography Magazine by Thomas Fitzgerald In Visual Narrative by Luciano Latouche Affinity Software Goes Free, but “Free” Comes at a Price The Weird Benefits of Consistent Writing Unless you’ve been living under the proverbial rock, you have undoubtedly seen the news… I didn’t expect that at all Nov 3 509 19 Anthony Gliddon Dec 4 313 6 In Level Up Coding by MohamedAbdelmenem Secretlab TITAN Evo Gaming Chair Review The $2.4B Clone: How Three Companies Carved Up One Startu… Is a regularly top-rated product really the best choice for you? Google paid $2.4 billion to license Windsurf’s code and hire its founders. Four months later… Nov 5 63 1 https://medium.com/@tdgodwin/call-of-duty-franchise-fatigue-433a7d6327e3 Dec 2 429 20 8/9 12/12/25, 9:25 AM Call of Duty Finally Admits Franchise Fatigue — But Did It Fix the Right Problem? | by The Glitch Grimace | Dec, 2025 | Medium Alex Rowe Retro Tech Show My Favorite Games That Learned From Skyrim [1984] I decided to try BASIC programming on the VIC 20 for th… And a couple of duds Then I showed it to my 10-year-old daughter. 6d ago 298 3 2d ago 440 13 See more recommendations https://medium.com/@tdgodwin/call-of-duty-franchise-fatigue-433a7d6327e3 9/9