Activision, one of the largest video game publishers in the world, has announced that it will bring three of its recent Call of Duty titles to Steam, a popular digital distribution platform for PC games. The move comes after Microsoft’s planned acquisition of Activision Blizzard King, which raised concerns among some fans about the future availability of Call of Duty games on other platforms. However, Microsoft is outspoken about supporting the future of Call of Duty on all major platforms.
The three games that will be released on Steam are Call of Duty: Vanguard, Call of Duty: Cold War, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2019, featuring Warzone. Vanguard is the second latest installment in the franchise, releasing in 2021 prior to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, featuring a single-player campaign set during World War II and a multiplayer mode with over 20 maps. Modern Warfare II Campaign Remastered is a remastered version of the acclaimed 2009 game that follows the events of Task Force 141 and the US Army Rangers. Warzone is a free-to-play battle royale game that supports up to 150 players in a massive map with various modes and weapons.
Activision has also confirmed that it will continue to support its existing Call of Duty games on Steam, such as 'Black Ops III' and 'WWII.' Additionally, Activision has pledged to release future Call of Duty games on Nintendo Switch and other platforms as well. By expanding its reach to Steam users, Activision hopes to attract more players and fans to its flagship franchise.
Image Credit: Activision, Treyarch, IW
Why This Trend Is Growing
- PC Gaming Distribution
- Activision's move to bring recent Call of Duty titles to Steam highlights the increasing importance of PC gaming distribution platforms in the gaming industry.
- Cross-platform Gaming
- With Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard King, the future availability of Call of Duty games on other platforms raises concerns, but Microsoft is outspoken about supporting the future of Call of Duty on all major platforms, highlighting the trend towards cross-platform gaming.
- Remastered Games
- Activision's release of remastered versions of classic Call of Duty games, such as Modern Warfare II, highlights the trend towards remastering games and the potential for disruptive innovation opportunities in this area.
Industries Being Reshaped
- Video Games
- Activision's release of three recent Call of Duty titles on Steam and pledge to release future games on Nintendo Switch and other platforms highlights the potential for innovation and growth in the video game industry.
- PC Gaming Hardware
- The trend towards PC gaming distribution and the increasing popularity of PC gaming overall highlights the potential for growth and innovation in the PC gaming hardware industry.
- Digital Distribution Platforms
- Activision's move to bring Call of Duty games to Steam highlights the increasing importance of digital distribution platforms and the potential for disruptive innovation opportunities in this area.
