COD Hackers Provoke Community Backlash

Call of Duty Faces Backlash for Prioritizing Store Bundles Over Game Issues

Activision's recent promotional tweet for a new Squid Game-themed store bundle has ignited a firestorm of criticism within the Call of Duty community. The tweet, boasting over 2 million views and thousands of angry replies, highlights a growing disconnect between Activision and its player base. The company's focus on promoting in-game purchases while neglecting persistent game-breaking issues in Warzone and Black Ops 6 has pushed many players to the brink.

Both Warzone and Black Ops 6's ranked play modes are plagued by rampant cheating, a problem that remains largely unaddressed. This, coupled with ongoing server issues and other bugs, has led to a significant decline in players on Steam, with over 47% abandoning Black Ops 6 since its October 2024 release. Prominent Call of Duty players, including Scump, have publicly voiced their concerns, stating the franchise is in its worst state ever.

Activision's Tone-Deaf Promotion

The January 8th tweet promoting the Squid Game VIP bundle is seen as particularly insensitive. Many players feel Activision is failing to "read the room," prioritizing profit over fixing the core gameplay experience. Popular content creators like FaZe Swagg echoed this sentiment, urging Activision to address the issues. CharlieIntel highlighted the absurdity of broken ranked play, stating that some players can only manage four matches in four hours, yet new bundles are deemed more important. Player Taeskii voiced a common sentiment, vowing to boycott store bundles until the anti-cheat measures are improved.

A Dying Franchise?

The dwindling player count on Steam, while not reflecting the entire player base across all platforms, strongly suggests a significant problem. The combination of persistent cheating, server instability, and Activision's apparent disregard for these issues is driving players away. The outrage underscores a critical need for Activision to prioritize fixing the game's core problems before focusing on new cosmetic content. Until then, the future of Call of Duty remains uncertain.