'Call of Duty: Modern Warfare' posts blockbuster sales after launch: Here's what it earned
"Call of Duty: Modern Warfare," the latest edition of the blockbuster video game franchise, debuted to $600 million in sales over the first three days after its launch, Activision-Blizzard said on Wednesday.
A soft reboot of "Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare" from 2007, the military action game topped three-day sales figures for every other "Call of Duty" release on current consoles and ranked as the best-selling launch in Activision's history, the company added. It also ranked as the top-selling game at the premium $60 price point in 2019.
"Call of Duty is once again the top-selling new premium game of the year, proving the enduring nature of the franchise across console, PC, mobile, and esports," Activision-Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick said in a statement. "In its first three days of release, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare more than doubled the box office opening of Joker."
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"Modern Warfare" added updated features to the "Call of Duty" franchise, including cross-play multiplayer support among all consoles and PCs. The release also altered the divisive "Call of Duty" micro-transaction model, scrapping randomized loot boxes – a source of frequent criticism from consumers and growing scrutiny from lawmakers – in favor of a "battle pass" to sell post-launch content.
Activision-Blizzard said earlier this month that "battle pass" and in-game store content would be cosmetic-only and would not impact competitive balance for players.
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"Through the first three days, Modern Warfare has more total players and total hours played than any Call of Duty opening release in the last six years. More importantly, our players are having a great time playing," Activision President Rob Kostich said. "Congratulations to Infinity Ward and all our teams involved on an incredible game and its spectacular launch. We also want to thank the community for your incredible support. The launch of Modern Warfare is only the start. There's much more to come."
Earlier this month, the company confirmed that "Modern Warfare" would not be released in Russia, where state-run media outlets have slammed the game’s depiction of the country’s role in the ongoing military conflict in Syria.
The game’s three-day sales figures rank among the most successful video game launches in recent memory. Last year, Take-Two Interactive’s acclaimed “Red Dead Redemption 2” pulled in $725 million in its first three days.