Xbox Leader Acknowledges Challenges of Annual Call of Duty Releases Following Black Ops 7’s Letdown

This year hasn’t been the smoothest for the Call of Duty franchise, as Black Ops 7’s sales have lagged behind those of 2024’s Black Ops 6. Matt Booty, head of Xbox Game Studios, discussed the latest entry in the military shooter series, acknowledging the challenges that come with the franchise’s annual release schedule, even though he didn’t delve into specific sales figures. In a conversation with an outlet, Booty remarked, “Shipping a major franchise like clockwork every year is a really difficult task, and I’m really proud of what the team did to move the franchise forward in that way.” Since its inception in 2003, a new Call of Duty game has hit the shelves every year, and it seems that Activision, now under Xbox’s umbrella, has no plans to change this trend. The only adjustment to the release strategy is that the series will avoid launching consecutive titles from the same subseries, a practice seen with both Modern Warfare and Black Ops. Despite the challenges faced by Black Ops 7, Booty noted that it remains “one of the most-played games on Xbox,” and he takes pride in the team’s efforts regarding feature innovation and advancing the franchise. The Xbox team also highlighted that Call of Duty ranks as the top franchise on Xbox Game Pass in terms of player count and hours played, although this encompasses the entire series rather than just Black Ops 7. Booty further emphasized that for any Call of Duty title, it’s “not just about the launch” but also about the ongoing seasonal content that follows. Black Ops 7’s Season 1 kicked off earlier this month, introducing new weapons, maps, and integration with Warzone. In the same interview, Booty expressed optimism about the upcoming Call of Duty movie.