Call of Duty Faces Backlash for Prioritizing Store Bundles Over Game Issues
Activision's recent promotion of a new Squid Game-themed store bundle has ignited a firestorm of criticism from the Call of Duty community. The tweet, boasting over 2 million views and countless angry replies, highlights a growing disconnect between Activision and its player base. Many feel the company is tone-deaf, prioritizing in-game purchases over addressing critical gameplay problems plaguing both Warzone and Black Ops 6.
Both titles are suffering from significant issues, including rampant cheating in Ranked Play, persistent server problems, and other game-breaking bugs. Prominent Call of Duty players, such as Scump, have publicly declared the franchise's current state as its worst ever. This sentiment is echoed by the rapidly dwindling player count on Steam, with over 47% of Black Ops 6 players abandoning the platform since its October 2024 launch. While the extent of player attrition on other platforms remains unknown, the Steam data strongly suggests widespread dissatisfaction.
The Controversial Tweet
The January 8th tweet promoting the VIP-themed bundle, part of the ongoing Call of Duty x Squid Game collaboration, proved to be a PR disaster. Instead of addressing the overwhelming player complaints regarding cheating and server instability, Activision chose to focus on monetization. This decision has fueled the outrage, with players like FaZe Swagg urging Activision to "read the room" and CharlieIntel highlighting the broken state of Ranked Play. Many players, such as Twitter user Taeskii, are boycotting store purchases until the anti-cheat measures are significantly improved.
The Future of Call of Duty
The overwhelming negative response underscores a serious problem for Activision. The combination of persistent game issues and the perceived disregard for player concerns is driving players away. Whether Activision will respond effectively to this widespread discontent and prioritize fixing the game over promoting new bundles remains to be seen. The future of Call of Duty's popularity hangs in the balance.
