The Next Call Of Duty Will Be Set In World War II

On March 8th, we heard from Call of Duty Zombies expert Eric Maynard about the franchise’s future. During that conversation, he mentioned that the next Call of Duty might be set in WWII. On March 22, the popular Call of Duty community—ModernWarzone—also stated that it would be set in WWII.

Since then, many other news outlets have reported on this rumor. Therefore, it would be safe to consider the leaks to be legitimate at this point. According to ModernWarzone, the game’s working title is Vanguard, though it is unknown what the final title will be. Additionally, the game may be set in an alternate timeline where WWII never ended. The report states that a source familiar with the project has said that the game’s cutscenes are set in the 1950s—at least five years after the historical end of WWII.

Skip to minute marker -11:30 for the first mention of the rumor (but you should listen to all of it)

However, it is important to remember that the idea is simply a working theory. Of course, that theory does fit in with the ideas that Eric Maynard presented to us during his interview. The entirety of the franchise, it seems, is utilizing a plot element that comes from Call of Duty Zombies. That is to say, in Zombies, there is something called the Dark Aether—which has the ability to transport us to alternate universes. As Mr. Maynard explained it, it is because of the Dark Aether that zombies are now invading Verdansk in Call of Duty: Warzone. It could also be the Dark Aether that takes us to a universe where WWII didn’t end.

To further bolster this theory, the Dark Aether appears to be the catalyst for the nuking of Verdansk. Thanks to the now-deleted leaked audio of the end of Season 2 of Cold War, we know that Verdansk is going to suffer a nuclear explosion that will wipe out the map—taking us to a new place to fight. Of course, this wouldn’t have happened if it hadn’t been for the zombies that appeared because of the Dark Aether. If what Mr. Maynard says holds true—and there is no reason to think that it won’t—the entire franchise will be subject to what happens with the Dark Aether and the Zombies storyline.

Apparently, that could mean entering an alternate universe where WWII never ended. With this plot device in place, the Call of Duty franchise could theoretically go wherever it wants to. Activision typically teases each year’s Call of Duty around April or May, so we may not need to wait long to see what the company has to say about all of this.

Opinion

There have been many questions about Call of Duty games and whether they should be depicting real-life conflicts in a video game. Those questions have only been amplified thanks to the upcoming release of Six Days in Fallujah—which uses one of the most controversial battles in the Iraq war as its backdrop. Assuming that these rumors are true, it appears that Call of Duty is finally leaving the realm of reality once and for all. With the addition of the Dark Aether, we have now entered a purely fictional world—except for real-world weapons in the game, and even those are starting to be phased out.

This change in Call of Duty’s tone marks the end of an era when games were based—at least in part—on real-world conflicts. Now, it seems, we have entered a phase where they have more of a comic-book feel to them. I’m not sure what that means for the franchise, but as a long-time fan (I’ve been playing since Big Red One), I’m interested to see where this all takes us.

Sources: ModernWarzone | GameRant | Call of Duty Fandom

Warzone Players Think Verdansk Will Be Overrun With Zombies

It’s a logical conclusion, to be sure, with the ship Vodianoy literally bringing zombies to the shores of Verdansk. So far, though, the zombies have been limited to a small sector of the map. Despite this, Warzone players think that Verdansk will soon be overrun—and several leaks back that up.

Yesterday, I wrote that Twitter user @ZestyCODLeaks posted leaked audio clips that suggested there will at least be a game mode showing the nuking of Verdansk. In August, I reported that the prominent Warzone news site Modern Warzone had obtained leaked information about a “zombie royale” mode and a “pandemic/outbreak” mode.

🚨Zombies have been sighted exiting the #Warzone Shipwreck.🚨

Our BCH4 reporter Mike Field is live on the scene now to tell us what he knows.

For more on the developing story, keep it locked to BCH4 News. 📺 pic.twitter.com/hpzu8ZvO2e

— Call of Duty (@CallofDuty) March 5, 2021

After nearly seven months without Modern Warzone’s leak coming to fruition, it appears that the “Zombie Royale” mode is starting to kick into gear. A parody news report from the official Call of Duty handle has prompted fans to speculate that zombies will begin to take over Verdansk, leading to the map’s eventual nuking.

As it exists now, the zombies in Verdansk are limited to the immediate area around the crashed Vodianoy ship and don’t venture out into the wider map.

If the original leak holds up, though, the “Zombie Royale” (or Plague event as it might be called) mode will not only allow players to turn to zombies, but also turn back into humans by eating the hearts of the fallen. Otherwise, the objective might be to survive an NPC zombie horde long enough for extraction, as one of the leaked audio clips suggested. Failure, of course, would result in a nuclear explosion.

The audio clips also suggested that there will be a sandbox mode where you will be able to do whatever you want. Those leaks, unfortunately, have been taken down by DailyMotion—where they were being hosted—for violating the site’s terms of use. However, their removal may suggest that the clips were legitimate game assets and will be used for upcoming events.

There is further speculation that Verdansk will be wiped from the game forever, and we will never return to it. What that means for the future of Warzone—and the COD franchise as a whole—is anyone’s guess at this point. Whatever happens, expect to see something special when Season two ends in April.

Sources: GameRant | TheGamer

Opinion: Don’t Expect A Nintendo Switch Pro Anytime Soon

There are more than a few rumors that Nintendo is working on a Switch Pro. These rumors largely rest their heads on the idea that, because the Switch is four years old, Nintendo wants to “keep up” by releasing a new console. However, this line of thinking requires you to ignore what Nintendo Presidents Doug Bowser and Shuntaro Furukawa have said: The Nintendo Switch is only at the “mid-point” of its life.  

In a recent interview with Nikkei Business (a Japanese outlet), Furukawa said, “As for the life cycle of the Switch, I always say, “we’ve just entered its midlife.” Since it is possible to play both [on a TV screen] and portable with the same hardware…the life-cycle can still be prolonged.”

Nintendo of America President Doug Bower echoed the same sentiment. “The way we build games onto the platform, and the way partners build games onto the platform, is really what matters and the experience that you have when you play,” Bowser told Polygon. “So that’s what we’ll continue to lean into as we go into really what will be the fifth year of Nintendo Switch. And as Mr. [Shuntaro] Furukawa [president of Nintendo] mentioned in his corporate management policy briefing, we believe we’re just at the midpoint of this life cycle on this platform.”

Of course, Furukawa isn’t willing to rest on his laurels either. “At present, sales of Switches are very strong, and business performance is good, but I’m not comfortable at all,” he told Nikkei.  

Throughout the interview, Furukawa reiterates that Nintendo is interested in delivering unique player experiences and being as accessible as possible. This mentality could explain Bloomberg’s report that suggests a “new” Switch will be released during the holidays—featuring a 720p OLED screen.

However, a bigger and better screen isn’t equivalent to a new console, as the rumors suggest. Furthermore, given that the Nintendo Switch outsold the PS5 in the UK by over £176 million in 2020, it’s difficult for me to understand why Nintendo would be interested in releasing a new console this year. As if to bolster that confusion for me, half of the top 20 best-selling games in December were for the Nintendo games, according to Venturebeat.

Nintendo hit a grand slam with the Switch. And, as far as I’m aware, the Nintendo Switch has been at the top of the sales charts since its release. Perhaps a new screen can keep the momentum going—specifically if Samsung is overflowing with monitors, as Bloomberg suggests. Other than that, though? I don’t see the rationale behind the rumors.

Sources: Bloomberg | Venturebeat | Nintendo Everything | Polygon | Yahoo