Call of Duty 2021has been officially announced by publisher Activision and developer Sledgehammer Games, but little else is known about the title beyond that. There have been a variety of rumors and leaks that say the game will be a sequel toCall of Duty: WW2that could possibly see the game take players to an alternate history universe where Germany won the war. It has also been confirmed thatCall of Duty: 2021will release sometime this holiday season which will reignite the series' rivalry with theBattlefieldseries that will also be receiving a new entry around the same time.
That new entry is the likes ofBattlefield 2042, which was just recently revealed and shown off during this year’s E3 conference. The game was also the subject of a litany of rumors and leaks leading up to its reveal, similar to howCall of Duty 2021has been. However, many of those leaks and rumors ended up being false. Regardless,Battlefield 2042is going big, andCall of Duty 2021may also have to go if it wants to compete withBattlefieldthis coming fall.
RELATED:Call of Duty Leaker Indicates Modern Warfare 3 Campaign Remastered is Coming in 2021
How Battlefield 2042 Went Big
The two trailers released forBattlefield 2042were both explosive and energetic and features a lot of action and references to theBattlefieldcommunity like driving a four-wheeler into a helicopter and jumping out of a jet during a dog fight. One of the biggest highlights of the game’s announcement, however, is its increase in scale.Battlefield 2042has been confirmedto feature 128-player lobbies on next-gen consoles and PC. This is double the series' regular 64-player lobbies and helps to make it feel like a truly next-gen title. The game will also feature all-new gadgets and specialists to shake up the gameplay and really make the game stand out from its predecessors.
TheBattlefield 2042trailers also highlight an eye-catching new bombastic feature for the game: dynamic weather disasters. The trailers both highlight dust storms as well as towering tornadoes that makeBattlefield 2042’s new destruction mechanicsfeel like a massive leap in scope while adding a lot of interesting gameplay potential as well. It highlights the large-scale conflicts and destruction thatBattlefieldas a series is known for and cranks it up in a way that only modern gaming hardware can handle.
How Call of Duty 2021 Could Go Big
There are quite a few ways thatCall of Duty 2021could go big to match up with the precedence set byBattlefield 2042’s announcement and gameplay reveal. One of the largest ways that it can do this is through its integration withCall of Duty: Warzone.Battlefield 2042has been confirmed to not include a battle royale mode at all, andCall of Duty:Warzoneis one of the most popular games out there at the moment. IfCall of Duty 2021integrates withWarzonewell, it could be massive for both titles.Call of Duty 2021’s rumored WW2 setting could bring big changes to the battle royale with an entirely new map, gear, and operators. Solid integration would helpCall of Duty 2021attract many of the players who already loveCall of Duty: Warzonewhile also attracting new and returning players to check out the new content making it intoCall of Duty: Warzone.
RELATED:Call of Duty: Warzone Season 4 Could Include CoD 2021 Reveal
Call of Duty 2021could also go big by embracing the variety of game modes thatCall of Dutyfans have come to expect. It is has beenrumored thatCall of duty 2021may not have its own multiplayer mode, and may instead substitute a remaster ofCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 2’s multiplayer. This would be a massive attractant for longtime fans of the series, but a proper WW2-themed multiplayer mode could also be great for players who want to revisit that era ofCall of Duty’s past.Call of Duty 2021could also stand out by dedicating a lot of resources to its campaign mode.Battlefield 2042has been confirmed to not include one, andCall of Duty: Black Ops Cold Wardisappointed some fans with the brevity of its campaign.Call of Duty 2021investing heavily into that mode could attract a lot of players, especially if it is set in an interesting alternate history future setting.
What Could Stop Call of Duty 2021 From Going Big
However, some of what setsCall of Duty 2021up for success could also end up hampering its efforts in the long run. This is largely related to its integration withCall of Duty: Warzone. The integration ofCall of Duty: Black Ops Cold Warwas infamously rocky with many of its guns dominating the meta for months afterward.Call of Duty 2021will undoubtedly aim for a smoother integration, but it is very possible that the necessary coordination of multiple studios to pull it off may lead to it being rocky once again. The integration may also hamperCall of Duty 2021in the end by forcing it to use a specific engine or compromise on some of its more revolutionary design decisions to better ease the process.
Another big hurdle thatCall of Duty 2021faces is the rumored development woes that the game has been experiencing. It is heavily rumored thatCall of Duty 2021is struggling through development, which could lead to the game not launching in a very good state or leaving out a lot of its content for future updates.Call of Duty 2021’s required seasonal updates could also end up hampering the game’s launch state as it could detract resources from the core game or put an even heavier burden on an already struggling development team.
The stage for the battle betweenBattlefield 2042andCall of Duty 2021is already being set, and it will be very interesting to see how the two games measure up to one another. TheBattlefieldandCall of Dutyseries have a long history of competition, and the current positions of the two series should make this year a particularly heated and interesting one. Hopefully,Call of Duty 2021is able to push through any development troubles it is having and rise to the challenge so that fans of both series get a great new entry to enjoy this fall.
MORE:Should You Play Call of Duty: Modern Warfare or Black Ops Cold War Until CoD 2021 Releases?
