Call of Duty
GameBy Infinity Ward · Released Oct 29, 2003
Documents about Call of Duty
Plus: Risk of Rain Returns, Football Manager Go Out Huge!
This analysis examines the performance of recent video game launches and provides a forward-looking assessment of upcoming releases across major digital platforms, including Steam, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and Meta Quest.
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III dominated the market, topping console sales charts and seeing Steam concurrent users (CCU) surge from 40,000 to 180,000 at launch despite mixed critical reviews.
- Football Manager 2024 maintained its annual market dominance with 78,500 CCU, while Risk of Rain Returns achieved a strong debut of 45,000 CCU, driven by a 93.5% player overlap with its predecessor.
- Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name reached a franchise-record 12,500 CCU on Steam during its second week of November 2023 release window.
Oxygen Esports to Host Call of Duty League 2024 Major I Tournament
Oxygen Esports has announced that it will host the Call of Duty League 2024 Major I tournament in partnership with Live Nation.
- Oxygen Esports will host the Call of Duty League 2024 Major I tournament from January 25–28, 2024, at the MGM Music Hall in Boston.
- The tournament features a $500,000 USD prize pool for competing franchised teams, including the host team, Boston Breach.
- The event is being produced in partnership with Live Nation and expects an attendance of approximately 15,000 guests over the weekend.
Infinite Reality, KOI Announce Amicable Separation
Metaverse company Infinite Reality and the Barcelona-based esports organization KOI have announced an amicable separation, concluding a strategic partnership established one year prior.
- Infinite Reality and esports organization KOI are ending their strategic partnership following the conclusion of Worlds 2023.
- Infinite Reality’s subsidiary, ReKTGlobal, will assume full ownership of the Carolina Royal Ravens (CDL), as well as its Rocket League, Rainbow Six: Siege, and LEC teams.
- KOI will take full control of its League of Legends LVP Superliga, FIFAe, and Valorant Champions Tour EMEA League teams, the latter pending Riot Games approval.
Top Selling Mobile Games: Nigeria 2023
The mobile gaming landscape in Nigeria experienced significant revenue generation during the first half of 2023, with the top ten titles collectively earning over $1.2 million.
- The top ten mobile games in Nigeria generated over $1.2 million in revenue during the first half of 2023.
- Candy Crush Saga was the highest-grossing mobile game in Nigeria for the first half of 2023, accounting for over $330,000 in revenue.
- May 2023 was the peak revenue-generating month for Candy Crush Saga, contributing more than $59,000 to its total.
Microsoft Q1 FY24 Financial Results: Gaming Business Update
Microsoft’s financial results for the first quarter of fiscal year 2024 demonstrate a period of record-breaking performance for its gaming division, characterized by strong software engagement despite a decline in hardware sales.
- Microsoft Gaming revenue reached $3.919 billion in Q1 FY24, a 9% year-over-year increase driven by a 13% rise in content and services revenue.
- The integration of Activision Blizzard and the release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III are projected to drive Q2 FY24 revenue growth between 45% and 49%.
- Console hardware sales declined by 7% year-over-year, contrasting with the strong performance in software and service engagement.
Microsoft’s Done Deal / Predicting Holiday Hits / When Will Layoffs End?
The gaming industry is currently navigating a significant strategic reset following the finalization of the Microsoft-Activision Blizzard acquisition.
- The Microsoft-Activision Blizzard acquisition marks a strategic shift away from mega-deals toward internal studio integration and operational efficiency.
- Macroeconomic pressures and the end of cheap capital have triggered widespread industry layoffs and the cancellation of long-term projects to focus on proven, high-performing titles.
- Future consolidation is expected to focus on smaller acquisitions and private equity-led streamlining, with EA and Capcom identified as potential targets for media conglomerates.
Microsoft’s Acquisition of Activision Blizzard King Reshapes the Global Games Industry
The $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard King by Microsoft marks a significant shift in the global video games industry, solidifying Microsoft’s position as the third-largest entity in the sector by revenue, trailing only Tencent and Sony.
- Microsoft finalized its $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard King in October 2023, establishing itself as the world’s third-largest gaming company by revenue behind Tencent and Sony.
- To satisfy regulatory requirements, Microsoft committed to keeping the Call of Duty franchise on rival platforms for 10 years and divested cloud gaming rights for Activision Blizzard titles to Ubisoft for 15 years.
- The acquisition significantly expands Microsoft’s portfolio across console, PC, and mobile platforms, with King’s mobile dominance serving as a key strategic asset for the Game Pass subscription service.
Layoffs Hit Hearthstone Development Team
In September 2023, Activision Blizzard implemented a round of layoffs affecting the development team for the digital card game Hearthstone. The reduction in force resulted in the departure of at least 10 employees.
- Activision Blizzard laid off at least 10 employees from the Hearthstone development team in September 2023.
- Affected staff reported that the layoffs were conducted without advance notice.
- Activision Blizzard characterized the cuts as organizational changes resulting in a small number of redundant roles.
OverActive Media Launches Content Creator Academy
OverActive Media, a publicly traded Canadian esports and gaming organization, has launched the Content Creator Academy to expand its influence and engagement capabilities within the creator economy.
- OverActive Media has launched the 'Content Creator Academy,' an initiative featuring a roster of 20 influencers aligned with its professional esports teams.
- The academy's roster supports the company's competitive teams, including the Toronto Ultra (Call of Duty League), Toronto Defiant (Overwatch League), and MAD Lions (League of Legends EMEA Championship).
- The initiative leverages a combined reach of over 15 million followers across streaming and social media platforms, including Twitch, YouTube, TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Trovo.
London Royal Ravens Moving to Charlotte, North Carolina
The Call of Duty League franchise formerly known as the London Royal Ravens has officially relocated to Charlotte, North Carolina, and rebranded as the Carolina Royal Ravens.
- The London Royal Ravens have officially relocated to Charlotte, North Carolina, and rebranded as the Carolina Royal Ravens.
- This move marks the end of the Call of Duty League's presence in Europe, following the previous relocation of the Paris Legion to Las Vegas.
- The franchise is owned by Infinite Reality, which acquired the team's parent company, ReKTGlobal, in a $470 million all-stock deal in July 2022.
Diablo IV: July Market Performance in the US and UK
Diablo IV demonstrated strong market performance throughout July 2023, securing its position as the highest-grossing title across both PC and console platforms in the United States and the United Kingdom.
- Diablo IV was the highest-grossing title across all PC and console platforms in the US and UK throughout July 2023.
- The game achieved the highest monthly active user (MAU) count of any RPG globally, with 8.65% of gamers across 37 key markets playing the title in July.
- Diablo IV successfully captured significant player migration, drawing 16.3% of the player base from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II and Fortnite, and 13.6% from Final Fantasy XVI.
The Guard Will Not Be a Participating Team in VCT Americas 2024
The Valorant Champions Tour (VCT) Americas league officially excluded The Guard from its 2024 season due to the organization’s failure to meet a critical deadline regarding the Team Participation Agreement.
- The Guard will not participate in the 2024 VCT Americas League after failing to meet the deadline to sign the required Team Participation Agreement.
- Riot Games confirmed that no replacement team will be promoted, leaving the VCT Americas league with 10 teams for the 2024 season.
- The Guard’s parent company, Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, is actively winding down its esports division, which previously included teams in Apex Legends, Call of Duty League, and Overwatch League.
Companies behind it
- Activisionpublisher, developer508
Microsoftdeveloper1,053
Overwolfowner21
Activision Blizzardowner, publisher404
As the documents state it.