By Sagar V. Mankar The Call of Duty franchise has long been known for its thrilling, linear single-player campaigns.
But according to recent reports, the legendary first-person shooter series is ready to shake things up with a full embrace of open-world gameplay.
This dramatic shift is rumored to debut in 2024’s Call of Duty: Black Ops – Gulf War.
While past CoD games have dabbled with open-world elements, Gulf War will feature a “completely” open-world campaign on the scale of blockbuster franchises like Far Cry.
How Open Will Gulf War’s Campaign Be?
As per Insider Gaming, Gulf War’s open-world campaign is being built from scratch to fully realize the concept, unlike the limited “open-world missions” of Modern Warfare 3.
The game world will be seamless and explorable, with players utilizing vehicles and fast travel to navigate the map.
Some linear missions will likely be woven into the free-roaming gameplay, but the core experience will be the new open-world CoD.
Franchise characters like Adler may return to join players’ squads in this bold new take on Call of Duty.
What Does This Mean for Call of Duty’s Future?
The open-world elements in Gulf War are not likely to be a one-off experiment.
According to leaks, 2025’s Call of Duty, codename Saturn, will also feature a non-linear campaign with diverse biomes and locales.
While plans could change over the next two years, anonymous sources suggest moving the franchise toward open-world campaigns could simply be more feasible for developers than rigid linear experiences.
This shift follows in the footsteps of other major shooter series like Halo and Far Cry which made a similar transition.
The Promise and Potential Perils of Going Open-World
An open-world structure could breathe new life into Call of Duty’s long-running but predictable single-player offerings.
Giving players autonomy in a reactive world could heighten the signature blockbuster moments the franchise is known for.
However, some fans have concerns about the complexity of NPC AI and the mission design required to make a compelling open-world shooter.
There are also worries about potential bugs and performance issues arising from a massive, interactive environment.
Ultimately, Call of Duty’s success has always relied on smooth, polished gameplay.
Maintaining the franchise’s high standard of quality will be critical amidst this rumored open-world paradigm shift.
But if they can pull it off, an open-world Call of Duty could set new benchmarks for first-person shooter campaigns. It’s an exciting frontier.
The Next Chapter for a Blockbuster Franchise
If Gulf War and Saturn deliver on their ambitious open-world visions, it may signal a major shift for Call of Duty moving forward.
Open worlds provide more replayability for fans to keep exploring long after the credits roll.
It also streamlines development, allowing creators to build out huge connected spaces instead of constantly creating new linear levels and set pieces.
Of course, only time will tell if this gamble pays off. But for a series that releases a new title every year, reinventing its signature campaign structure could be just what Call of Duty needs to feel fresh again.
Gulf War is poised to drop players into bold new open worlds in October 2024 – an exciting glimpse into the future of Activision’s blockbuster franchise.