As the Call of Duty League Championship prepared to close out, a new showcase was revealed to fans worldwide. On the 15th of September, Activision will host Call of Duty: Next, an event designed to reveal the future of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II and Warzone 2. It’ll also shed some light on the upcoming Warzone Mobile project, which up until now has simply been known as Project Aurora.
However, as with any gaming showcase, fans and critics have their expectations. There are countless things we’d love to see shown at Call of Duty: Next, and many things that we know likely won’t make an appearance. Fortunately, fans are that little bit closer to Modern Warfare II, as with the announcement of Call of Duty: Next also came a reveal of the beta dates for the game itself. It was an exciting time for Call of Duty fans the world over, and it made everything seem all that much closer.
Before talking about what we want to see at Call of Duty: Next, let’s discuss the Modern Warfare II beta dates. From September 16th to September 26th, a staggered beta will open up for Modern Warfare II. Here are the individual dates that you’ll need as a Call of Duty fan:
Image Credit: Call of Duty
Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s address the real topic of the day – Call of Duty: Next. Traditionally, COD showcases haven’t been monumental, and at the reveals, they’ll typically only show a small segment of what’s to come. To give credit to Activision, the firm is adept at playing its cards close to its chest. However, the Next showcase that was announced before the LA Thieves clutched up and won the COD Championship is a sign of great things to come.
Firstly, it’s rare that such a big deal is made about Call of Duty – in the past, a trailer has been dropped, and that’s it, hype train engaged. Now, Call of Duty: Next promises to be a next-generation COD reveal, showing off the future of the COD MP platform, Warzone, and Call of Duty Mobile.
But what do we want to see at Call of Duty: Next?
Regardless of how Activision does it, we want to see a full multiplayer reveal that actually is a full multiplayer reveal. That includes the full range of maps at launch, a selection of weapons, and real, honest, in-game action. We don’t want to see the poorly-acted, half-hidden, unrealistic gameplay that is dominant in Call of Duty reveals. As fans, we want to see what we’re actually going to get – what we’ll experience when the beta drops in September, at least.
This platform will serve as the foundation of the Call of Duty League in 2023, so it has to be good.
We also want to see tangible evidence of what’s happening next in Warzone, whether that’s a new map, mode, or even an early reveal trailer. There’s no questioning that Warzone has suffered from some mistakes recently, and it’s in dire need of a burst of fresh air. If Call of Duty is dying, Warzone is at the heart of the cause, and it needs revitalising now to become a viable platform again.
We’d also love to see more information on the as-of-yet unconfirmed DMZ mode in Modern Warfare II. This is allegedly an Escape From Tarkov-like mode, set in a large, open world and boasting PvPvE elements. It could be a game-changer for Call of Duty, especially if it’s swapped out in place of the traditional Zombies or Spec Ops modes.
There’s plenty we’re holding our breath for, but what will Call of Duty: Next deliver? Find out on the 15th of September.
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