Joining the ranks of EA and Sony, Activision has decided to postpone the start date of Season Four in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare so that more important voices can be heard during these uncertain times. The publisher made its support of the Black Lives Matters protests clear with a statement issued on the official Call of Duty Twitter account.
It reads: "While we all look forward to playing the new seasons of Modern Warfare, Warzone and Call of Duty: Mobile, now is not the time. We are moving the launches of Modern Warfare Season 4 and Call of Duty: Mobile Season 7 to later dates. Right now it's time for those speaking up for equality, justice and change to be seen and heard. We stand alongside you."
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare's fourth season of content was originally scheduled to go live tomorrow, bringing with it additions to multiplayer and Warzone. We shall be sure to update you here on Push Square when a new date is announced by Activision.
[source twitter.com]
Comments (36)
Are they going to extend Season Three, or is the game in limbo now?
It literally doesn't distract from anything, I don't understand why the hell video game companies feel the need to politically grandstand nowadays.
If they were actually in the process of selling something, or expecting a payment from a consumer I guarantee you they'd not push anything back so more important voices can be heard.
Get real.
This seems strange; I know that Blizzard and Activision are supposedly treated as separate entities but given they are merged, where was this during the Hong Kong protests when Blitzchung was punished for speaking out in support during a hearthstone tournament? This feels like an empty statement for internet points rather than a meaningful gesture of support for BLM. Or is attention only given here due to it being primarily US where this is happening?
@MS7000 The Chinese government will pay to supercede morality.
No one payed them off this time apparently.
@MS7000 Was going to say about this. Bobby Kotick said they don't like putting politics in games but happy to step in when their Chinese business partners are upset.
This is fake, political posturing.
If anything this is a diminishment of the actual real situation, by all these companies rallying round triyng to out grandstand each other, in honour of getting the platinum virtue signalling seal of approval from the general public, more so since it seems to get so much praise.
If you believe these are a sign of geniuine, heartfelt pledges from companies like EA,then you really know you've been misguided somewhere. Only a few years ago they were happy to clean you out of house and home for a few loot boxes. How can people be so short sighted?
OMG, this is getting ridiculous. What does this accomplish really? More people will have the time to take part in the protests? I applaud the protesters, I understand the plight of the black community and acknowledge that racism is still deeply rooted in modern day societies all over the world. But what does that have to do with videogames? SMH. How about you release the DLC and donate some percentage of the profits to the foundations combating racism in the US instead?
@nessisonett
Come on, man. Nobody is being disrespectful here. Some people don't see the correlation (like myself) and they are expressing their opinion about it. I didn't see this kind of support from the gaming industry when Hong Kong protests were happening.
Can't wait to see hospitals delay the use of ventilators for Coronavirus to allow people to speak up 😉
EDIT: This is a joke btw, don't get dense.
@nessisonett And you've proven yourself to be a much better person by personally insulting people that have made points respectfully..
@nessisonett I am unsure if you are referring to me at all in that comment, but my gripe is not whether there are right to postpone an update (I don't personally care either way), but the fact that Activision-Blizzard have chosen now to grow a conscious when they clearly didn't have one before.
@MS7000 Maybe because they can't change chinese goverment, it's a totalitarian country, where's in usa at least they can support blm against corrupt cop. I don't think they'll do anything if usa is totalitarian country like china.
Also support blm: getting new players, against china: lose players.
@wiiware I don't think anyone is doubting the issue at hand as being nefarious. However, companies like EA have stakeholders, and stakeholders only care about profit margin, particularly this company.
Any, and all decisions made by corporate industry leaders are made with the bottom line in mind. So, I can assure you that this decision is almost entirely made with the companies image in mind, and NOT because (as someone already said) they have a conscience.
If these companies really do care about BLM, then they should make a significant donation to the cause that will actually contribute towards a measured change. If all these massive conglomerates did, the BLM movement would have enough money to make immense strides in combating this embedded tyrannical regime that runs rampant across America's policing system, rather than, empty platitudes that only looks like bandwagoning, and scheduled passive self-aggrandizing.
@Grindagger I there's many type of company, like nintendo which didn't say anything, ea which is saying something, and sony which support blm with tweets (their most liked tweets so far I think) and matching donations and delay their event.
Just when I though 2020 can't get worse
Oh great, another 260 non-gaming related comments incoming.
Where's all the usual warnings from Liam, Sammy and Robert to keep things civil? These articles usually have that standard as the last sentence. Not that it would have helped, just asking.
Maybe they are holding off assuming everybody will be playing CoD:MW since it just went on PS+? Unless that's just single player b/c the servers are down or some such. But there are a lot of PS+ subscribers out there who can play CoD:MW if they want.
@nessisonett While I agree w/ you, it's early in the morning over here, why not delete your post and let things calm down a bit? Or at least edit "entitled wankers" to "gamers" or something. I know they basically mean the same thing but at least you give yourself some cover.
@wiiware Perhaps, but if that is the case, that just makes this statement feel more empty. It just solidifies the point that they are just another business who will do anything for profit. They don't care, which would be fine if they just admitted they don't care.
@wiiware Yeah, it's been a rough year.
I genuinely am just trying to give my perspective on corporate greed, and how they use platforms like this to manipulate the general public by using sympathy to boost their image.
EA, particularly, I have a bone to pick with, because they use any underhand tactic they can to keep the general public coming back time after time, even when they've proven themselves to be a diabolically reprehensible company, and morally corrupt to the core.
It's hard to consider EA, and not immediately think of a pejorative as an explanatory word, and yet, they bandwagon like this, and suddenly they're the light of the life, people flock to it, like sheeps, hit with instantaneous amnesia about all the crap the company had done beforehand, immediately relinquished of any wrong doing.
This is textbook corporate manipulation, at it's finest, and people should see it for what it is.
What a joke. Give them a medal. Lol. We are now executing police. 7 shot last night. 1 in Vegas in the back of the head, point blank, for goodness sake. Tone deaf corporate shills.
@rjejr Urgh, it’s been a rough few days. It’s very hard not to get annoyed.
Sony delays something because of a situation and it's 'bravo Sony'.
EA delay something because of a situation and it's fake political posturing.
Make your minds up folks.
They say they postpone it to give room for a more important message, what they actually mean (and Sony too btw) is that they are afraid that their announcement/release is overshadowed by the media attention for the protests.
And the reason they don't do this for equally bad (or even worse) situations in other countries is that North America is home to their biggest consumer base. I think that is the whole story in a nutshell.
Like someone said before, every decision these companies make is with their own financial interest at their mind.
@Grindagger @MS7000 Yup, ea just doing the bare minimum, and no, it's bad for business to admit they don't care. But I heard they're pretty good with their employee, not very good with players though with all the mtx and lootbox. Oh well, that's what a company for profits is.
@ApostateMage My view is the same for both.
Here's the issue.
There are posts being critical about companies but half of them read that they don't like companies using real world politics as and when it suits them, then the other half read like they don't like companies sticking up for people who are fighting for basic respect and rights.
People getting really hurt, and people will get upset.
@zane547 "So far nothing compared to last nights madness."
It's still early here in the states, give the crazies time to wake up.
Though you are probably right about the warnings egging people on to. Guess we'll see how it goes. Not that anything anywhere is going good right now for anyone. Sad times.
@nessisonett Respect the curfew you'll be ok, go out looking to loot and trash the city and you won't, not exactly rocket science is it.
Please Sony, be realistic and say that you haven't eliminated all the bugs and need more time. Sometimes, honesty pays a lot more
Thanks Activision, I'm sure this is absolutely sincere on every level. Remember how they treated Blitzchung?
I suppose China let Activision post this one.
@nessisonett no one is being disrespectful, or entitled here.... Only you. People are just calling out Activision for their hypocrisy, that this seems insincere.
But if you bought it then more power to you. No need to personally attack people.
@nessisonett I highly doubt this is in any way sincere. Some of us don’t see a correlation, especially with something like this. I honestly can’t see any good political reason ever for COD to delay a season. As consumers, we have a right to complain for insincere virtue signaling. I’m not affected by this (I don’t play COD), but some people would want this as a break from all the violent rioting and looting that’s going on. The number of lives that are getting ruined by the mindless destruction is terrible. And this won’t do anything to help any of it. The terrible thing that happens to Floyd or the destruction caused by the rioters.
So, as it turns out, I am pretty sure that Season 3 is extended. That's good at least.
Let us see what's in the battle pass, at least!
I hate virtue signalling and that goes double from a brand!
@Nyne11Tyme It’s disgusting that no company or at least celebrity have spoken out about the riots happening, all I see is praise for the protest and how white people all need to change. A 14 year old boy was shot and killed during these riots yesterday, families houses are being put on fire and the cops are having to fight through the rioters to try and save the family.
Cops are being injured and killed and the only thing people with influence are doing is paying the bail to get these scumbags back on the street. There is no meaning to any of this anymore, black lives matter and most people know that, the lives of cops and children also matter so it’s time to stop this craziness.
You can play Modern Warfare Season 4, and that will have literally no affect on the protests.
Tired of this garbage already
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