Since its release last year, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare has evolved from a serious multiplayer shooter into a more casual experience. Through bugs, graphics downgrades, and a large supply of blueprints, Activision and Infinity Ward have evolved the game above its initial standing. While Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is being rotated out of the Call of Duty cycle, many fans wonder if anything is left for the game in 2021.
It is important to realize that Call of Duty games tend to only live for a year. Activision and its many developers work hard to produce a new shooter every year, and until now that system has worked. The main difference with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is its companion game Call of Duty: Warzone, and while the two are separate entities, the community has so far seen the titles as two sides of the same coin.
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This fact means that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare community members are continuing to hold on as Call of Duty: Warzone grows. With a dedicated future for Call of Duty: Warzone, there is a chance for some additional content and support to trickle down into Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. Still, there is no telling what will happen when Call of Duty 2021 releases, so until then, the community can hold out on its hope.
One thing that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare fans are guaranteed in the near future is new maps, rotating game modes, and bug fixes. If Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 is any evidence, long into the life of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, the previous game continued to receive its weekly cycle of content. Although Call of Duty: Modern Warfare was the newer title, the older game was still gaining minor events and maps throughout the year. This only stopped when Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War was launched.
There is still tons of work to be done in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. Considering that Call of Duty: Warzone is built in the same engine, a ton of the problems in one game can easily be found in the other. This means that the updates can be tested and applied in both instances, in a general sense. As players continue to find problems in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, the developer can use those problems to its advantage and make Warzone a better game at the same time as fixing the errors.
While the number of new maps will most likely diminish, there is a chance for at least one or two more to be snuck into the game before its life is up. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare has a dedicated community, and although Activision is focused on Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, it still needs to cater to that community.
As with every old title, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare will be seeing a gradual decrease in support, especially as Activision has been rather blatant with its push for Call of Duty fans to join Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. Although there is some level of fan resistance, there is a heavy chance that the community will eventually give in.
This gradual decrease in support is expected though due to Call of Duty being on a yearly cycle. The games are not intended to survive for more than a year, and Call of Duty: Warzone's persistence is an oddity for the franchise. While Infinity Ward is shifted to a new title, there is going to be a noticeable fall in developer attention regarding bugs, maps, and game modes. As the year draws closer to Call of Duty 2021, the community will start to feel the more direct loss of developer support. Game modes will stop rotating, maps will no longer be patched, and only the current content will be relevant at the time. This will end up being the make it or break it point for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare as Activision officially moves on to the next best thing.
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As developer content continues to decline, a new trend has appeared that may be carried later in the year. Using the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare custom game controls, players are starting to create their own variant game modes. While this has been a long-time feature, the only difference is that now fans are sharing them on social media. Platforms like TikTok, Twitter, and Instagram as slowly passing around player-made game modes like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Blood Pressure.
There is a strong chance that this trend continues in one form or another. Players will start to put out community content supporting the slowly declining title, and with it, a renewed sense of support could easily form. While it is still too early to tell if this trend will stick, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare could see a revival due to its strong connection with the Call of Duty: Warzone audience.
Despite developer attempts, players are already drawing back to the foundations of what made Call of Duty: Warzone a great game. In its core, it is the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare experience and engine that defines the title and draws in community support. While the players seem vaguely aware of this, it will be an interesting transition as Call of Duty: Modern Warfare slowly fades yet its community struggles to hold on. Despite fan efforts, Call of Duty 2021 will launch, and with it will come the next generation of Call of Duty content. Although Call of Duty: Modern Warfare had a strong foundation, this year will be the year that the community has to let go and move on to the next title. Call of Duty: Warzone may look like Modern Warfare, but as fans already knowm they are two very different titles.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
