In a live service game like Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Warzone, fresh content is king. I know this. I spend too much time and money on this. It took me four days of trying to get the Trail Blazer skin when Verdansk returned.
What splits opinion massively is the continued onslaught of celebrity collaborations. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were OK, I mean, I loved those guys as a kid, but this season has gone completely off the rails.
I’ve already written my rant about the continued, overwhelming, weed-themed content in Call of Duty, so I’m not treading over old ground. But with Season 03 Reloaded it continues, with the Blazetown map variant, and a new event starring… *checks notes*… Seth Rogen?
Seriously, what the hell is going on? If we’re getting celebrity collaborations, for one, I think they should be a little more current. For that, I have a perfect suggestion. Are you ready, Activision?
I believe in Joe Hendry.
Wait, what? Joe Hendry?
Is this partly just an excuse to talk about Joe Hendry? Sure. But I do have a point to make with it.
If you’re unfamiliar, Joe Hendry is a professional wrestler currently contracted to TNA and is their champion. Through a business deal with WWE, stars from both companies are cross-promoting, and Joe Hendry is the biggest of those.
60,000+ fans believed in Joe Hendry at Wrestlemania a couple of weeks back.
But why would this guy be a good fit for a celebrity collaboration in Call of Duty? For one, he’s a current, viral star. His popularity continues to grow, in no small part thanks to the impact of social media.
But especially after Wrestlemania, Joe Hendry is very much a man of the moment, someone in the public eye. He’s a popular wrestler, he’s a meme, and everything in between.
PUBG has already jumped on the Hendry train, adding him to the mobile version of its battle royale. But now I’ve said his name, Activision has to add him to Call of Duty. I don’t make the rules.
This is the sort of move Call of Duty needs to make. Just who, aside from obviously stoners, are collaborations like this supposed to appeal to?
I sound ridiculous, but there’s a serious point to be made
I’m obviously just pulling an example of something I think would be fun out of my behind here. But there’s a more serious point behind it.
If we’re going to get these collaborations in Call of Duty, which we are, because they make money, can we at least get something that doesn’t feel completely random and out of touch.
I don’t hate Seth Rogen, I have very much enjoyed movies he’s been in. Superbad will never stop making me laugh. And I suppose the weed content is at least timely, even if half of it has been delayed into May.
I just don’t feel like there’s any rhyme or reason behind this content. It’s all Fortnite’s fault for making it a viable business, I get that. But there’s a better way to do it, and I think it could start with embracing currently popular stars and franchises.
That’s what Fortnite does. Epic Games is about to launch an entire season that’s dedicated to Star Wars.
Call of Duty’s efforts, by contrast, feel like Fortnite from Temu.
