Call of Duty and platform exclusivity have gone hand in hand for most a decade at this point, and most fans likely think a time in the not-besides-afar past when PS3 and PC players were forced to look through an agonizing month-long period before CoD's DLC would release on their platforms. These heinous, consumer-unfriendly corporate decisions proved exactly where Activision'south priorities were, and information technology merely served to segregate the customs, generating an unhealthy temper of brand elitism.

Phone call of Duty: Black Ops IIII was novel in that, instead of separating releases by an entire month, the gap was shortened to just seven days. It was a major footstep in the right direction, merely Sony'due south grip on the series—something they pried from the hands of Microsoft around the dawn of the current console generation—still put a damper on the proceedings.

That said, October's Telephone call of Duty: Modern Warfare is set to be the nigh divisive and damaging in terms of exclusivity. Survival mode, a gameplay selection within Modernistic Warfare'south forthcoming Spec Ops mode, is set to remain a PlayStation four exclusive for an entire yr. Well, just shy of a year, actually; the reveal trailer indicates (in ultra-minor, near-hidden fine print) that, while Survival will exist a function of the PS4 package from twenty-four hour period i, information technology will only launch on Xbox One and PC come Oct 1st, 2020.

This has incited a massive backfire from fans, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, a revitalization of the series the likes of which fans have been clamoring for for years, is receiving quite a bit of negative press, a negative change of step for the previously well-regarded title.

Activision and Infinity Ward reps take been eager to betoken out that this will just be a small sliver of the content available in the Spec Ops mode and that non-PS4 players shouldn't experience like they're missing out on a major pieces of the experience, but it'south nonetheless a scummy, underhanded tactic, specially since it's been announced well after pre-orders went live on all platforms.

What'south more, this puts a huge damper on crossplay, one of Modern Warfare's defining features. For the start fourth dimension, gamers could team upwards and play together regardless of platform, and, judging past last week's beta, it worked pretty well. That, however, won't exist the case for those looking to tackle Survival mode, and it'south a baffling decision, as farther exclusivity will essentially kill the much-touted feature.

In truth, this is a classic example of Activision'south bait-and-switch tactics. Although the Survival mode won't be available to two thirds of the community for eleven entire months, they've scrapped the DLC exclusivity bargain with Sony, meaning that everyone will get new content as soon as it comes out. Information technology's a option-your-poison affair; nosotros've got a universal DLC release date at present, but that has come up at the cost of an entire gameplay mode.

While this news probable won't have a drastic touch on on the game's sales—Call of Duty is e'er one of the year's highest-selling games—it sets a troubling precedent. What else volition be carved from the base game in the name of console exclusivity? Is this something that will exist a part of the franchise for years to come up? Perhaps the most sinister implication here is that Activision is certainly going to unleash some more than outrageous, widely-disliked details in the weeks leading up to release, proving in one case again that no goodwill shall go unsullied by these massive, acquisitive publishers.

NEXT: Call of Duty Mobile Volition Launch On October 1st

Genshin Impact Devs Side by side Game Zenless Zone Nix Teased

Read Next

Virtually The Author