Call of Duty will come to Game Pass and stay on PlayStation, Microsoft says

By Jesse Lennox September 1, 2022

CEO of Microsoft Gaming Phil Spencer has confirmed that future Call of Duty titles will be part of Game Pass, but still come to PlayStation on the same day of release.

As the purchase of publisher Activision Blizzard by Microsoft continues forward, more details regarding how the new catalog of IP that Xbox will inherit will be handled are coming to light. The most notable part of the deal in the console space concerns the massive Call of Duty franchise, which has been a mainstay on bestselling games lists for over a decade straight. Sony previously had the marketing rights to the series before the purchase was set in motion, and recently made statements arguing that Xbox making the series exclusive would influence console purchasing decisions.

In a blog post addressing regulation concerns over the acquisition, Spencer confirmed that Call of Duty will be available on Game Pass once the deal goes through. “We intend to make Activision Blizzard’s much-loved library of games — including Overwatch, Diablo and Call of Duty — available in Game Pass and to grow those gaming communities,” he says in the post.

Spencer went on to echo Microsoft’s promise that Call of Duty won’t become an Xbox exclusive, writing “as we’ve said before, we are committed to making the same version of Call of Duty available on PlayStation on the same day the game launches elsewhere.”

Spencer the points to the company’s success keeping Minecraft not only playable on other consoles but including cross-play functionality as well.

He closes his statement by stating that he and his team will continue to cooperate with regulators and remain transparent about all aspects of the acquisition, even shouting out Sony as an industry leader, and aims to prove that this purchase will benefit players.

While PlayStation owners will no doubt be pleased to know that future entries in the Call of Duty series will not be made exclusive to Xbox, the fact that it will be included in Game Pass is still a massive boon to the service that could very well sway some purchasing decisions in the future.

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Gaming

Activision teases Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III’s biggest improvements

Activision has just teased lots of new details about Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III, which launches this November. That includes the fact that the game will contain a Zombies mode, more open-ended campaign missions, and introduce a new "Call of Duty HQ" that will serve as a hub for all future Call of Duty games.

These details were all revealed in a new blog post posted on the series' website ahead of the in-game event that will give us our first in-depth look at Modern Warfare II. In it, Activision clears up a lot of rumors about the game to try and show that Modern Warfare III is still an "incredible, premium annual game experience across Campaign, Multiplayer and Co-operative modes" despite reportedly starting development as a Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II expansion.
Some of the features listed we already knew about, like the fact that this year's campaign features Makarov as a villain and that players can carry over their progression and inventory from Modern Warfare II. Others are new, though, like the fact that the campaign will feature new "Open Combat" missions. That seems to imply that Modern Warfare III's campaign levels will offer more freedom than is typical in a Call of Duty level. When it comes to multiplayer, the post states that players can expect new combat vest, perk, tac-stance movement, and after-market parts systems in addition to some Riochet Anti-Cheat Improvements.
More importantly, it's finally officially confirmed that this year's game will feature a Zombies mode. Titled Modern Warfare Zombies, Activision calls it the "largest Zombies offering to date." Finally, Activision made it clear that it plans on keeping all Call of Duty content closely bundled together going forward. After Modern Warfare III launches, Call of Duty HQ will be introduced and serve as "one access point for your future Call of Duty content."
While there aren't many specifics on all of these things, we at least now have a broader picture of what to expect from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III when it launches on November 10.

Gaming

Does Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 have Hardcore mode?

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 guy with a gun

In Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, players have access to a wide variety of multiplayer game modes including Team Deathmatch, Search and Destroy, and the new Prisoner Capture. One of the most popular modes in the series is Hardcore, which has been in the series for years. This intense mode removes the HUD and increases damage across the board. But does this mode appear in the new Modern Warfare 2?

Here's what you need to know about the Hardcore mode in Modern Warfare 2.
Does Modern Warfare 2 have a Hardcore mode?
When Modern Warfare 2 first launched, it didn't have a Hardcode mode, much to the disappointment of fans. Instead, the game had a mode called Tier 1, which was basically a rudimentary version of Hardcore mode, with some missing features. For instance, there's no HUD, whatsoever, no hitmarkers, and no killfeed, which made the mode hard to actually play in some cases. Thankfully, Activision finally did add Hardcore more at the start of 2023, replacing the Tier 1 mode from before.
What is Hardcore mode?

Gaming

These 6 Call of Duty: Warzone Season 5 changes are a step in the right direction

Main character of Warzone Season 5.

The recent Call of Duty: Warzone Season 5 update included a slew of great changes, many of which were highly requested features. While the game still needs a bit of work, the changes introduced during Season 5 are certainly a step in the right direction.

There are a lot of little Season 5 changes to dig into. Some are subtle, but each one is doing its part to fix up the base game, which still struggles to reach the heights of its predecessor. From movement tweaks to perk changes, these are some of the best and most impactful changes introduced during Warzone Season 5.
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