According to a new court filing, the Former Activision Blizzard CEO stated that Call of Duty’s performance fell by 60% compared to 2024 due to games like Battlefield 6.
New developments have started popping up in the Delaware lawsuit against Microsoft, Activision, and other board members, including Kotick. The former CEO has already claimed that this lawsuit was designed to benefit the Embracer Group at Activision’s expense. Additionally, he has spoken about Call of Duty’s performance visibly declining since his departure.
Call of Duty’s Performance Affected by Battlefield 6, Defeats FTC’s Argument About Lack of Competition
A report by GameFile indicates that Kotick has acknowledged that Microsoft has benefited from the Activision Blizzard deal. However, he noted that the recent performance of the company has fallen “well below” their long-term targets. Kotick specifically addressed the performance of Call of Duty, mentioning that it is projected to perform over 60 percent below last year’s figures due to intense competition from titles such as Battlefield.
Kotick also points out that this fall effectively undermines the FTC’s argument regarding a “lack of competition in the first-person action game category” due to the acquisition. For those unaware, the FTC was attempting to block the deal, arguing that it would diminish competition in both the console and cloud markets, ultimately harming consumers by leading to higher prices and reduced innovation in the gaming industry.
In other news, EA has announced that the start of Battlefield 6 and Battlefield REDSEC Season 2 has been delayed. Additionally, Activision has released a new patch for Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 that updates several weapons. What are your thoughts on games like Battlefield notably affecting Call of Duty’s performance? Leave your thoughts down in the comments, and join the official Insider Gaming Discord server.
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Call of Duty dug its own grave under Kotick. We are seeing the aftermath now. Shameless microtransactions and the same terrible gameplay year after year. Zero innovation.