Call of Duty’s Development Process Won’t Change Under Microsoft; 15 Studios Still Working on the Franchise

With Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard, many fans have wondered if Microsoft would change Call of Duty’s development process. However, Activision has confirmed that the game’s development structure will remain unchanged under Microsoft’s ownership.

Speaking to The Washington Post (paywalled), Matt Cox, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Call of Duty at Activision, assured fans that this established system will remain the same.

When you look at Treyarch and Raven [lead studios on ‘Black Ops 6’], they have a history of working together within the Black Ops franchise going all the way back to 2010. You have this history with people you work with, and that ultimately shows when it comes to the finished product from a publishing and go-to-market standpoint.

Cox explained that, despite the new ownership structure, Call of Duty manages a production system involving 15 different Activision studios to develop each installment in the franchise.

Furthermore, The Washington Post reported that the Call of Duty series has sold over 500 million copies, making it the second best-selling video game franchise to date. While Nintendo’s Super Mario franchise remains far ahead, Call of Duty has now surpassed iconic titles like Tetris, Pokémon, and Grand Theft Auto 5.

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The latest release, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, has already become the “biggest” Call of Duty launch ever, breaking records across platforms. The game saw a 60% year-over-year increase in unit sales on PlayStation and Steam, and a record-breaking 300,000 concurrent players on Steam—the highest since Warzone.

Additionally, Black Ops 6 marked a milestone for Xbox’s Game Pass, setting a record for first-day players and new subscribers, according to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. The recent acquisition of Activision Blizzard also contributed to Xbox’s 61% increase in revenue for the first quarter, showcasing the financial impact of Microsoft’s $69 billion deal.

Given the series’ success, it’s clear that Microsoft has no plans to interfere with the winning formula that Activision’s teams have developed over the years.

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