A leaked PlayStation Store listing appears to have prematurely revealed that Activision is planning to release Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Remastered tomorrow; its second release in a row with zero pre-launch marketing, if true. However, the game’s official title is reportedly; “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Remastered,” implying that it will be campaign-only, with no multiplayer.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 ‘Campaign’ Remastered?
At first glance, it might seem unbelievable that Activision would release a Call of Duty game without multiplayer. Although Infinity Ward certainly upped the quality of the franchise’s single-player campaign in Modern Warfare, the franchise’s focus has firmly remained its multiplayer. Indeed, the recent release of Call of Duty: Warzone cements this. As such, why would Activision release a remaster of a game likely to attract widespread attention from fans without it?
If it is indeed the case that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered is campaign-only, it actually makes a lot of sense. The most recent Modern Warfare’s multiplayer is enormously successful, particularly when it comes to player retention. According to Activision’s stats, Modern Warfare has kept gamers playing for longer than any other Call of Duty during the current console generation. Additionally, Call of Duty: Warzone managed to amass over fifteen million players in its first week alone, further reinforcing Modern Warfare’s current multiplayer success.
Of course, the decision to leave out multiplayer from Modern Warfare 2 Remastered may irk some series fans. Indeed, it may also hurt the game’s sales in the long run. After all, many Call of Duty fans treat the games’ single-player campaigns as something of an afterthought. However, releasing another multiplayer Call of Duty title now would introduce competition within the franchise. A portion of Modern Warfare’s current audience would be drawn away to the new game. No doubt Activision is sensible enough to avoid doing that. After all, their focus is on delivering a consistent stream of new content for Modern Warfare to keep players invested.