Call of Duty Insider Says Activision Aware of Criticisms That Some Crossovers Make the Games “Look Stupid”

It’s no secret Call of Duty has gone the route of Fortnite, including various crossovers and brightly colored skins that don’t fit with the series’ aesthetic, and supposedly Activision is aware of this. Fans have expressed criticism about many of the crossover skins, complaining they don’t belong in Call of Duty, with some even going so far as to say they make the game look stupid. Call of Duty’s gritty and realistic military theme definitely loses its mature look when the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or Nicki Minaj in all pink are running around with assault rifles. But Activision knows these skins print money, so the question remains if the studio will tone down on these.

Reports show that Activision is showing self-awareness and moving to reduce this view toward Call of Duty. A Call of Duty insider claims Activision wants to move away from bizarre skins and crossovers that don’t fit with the game. Another Call of Duty insider, TheGhostofHope, points to the impact Verdansk’s return has had on Call of Duty: Warzone as a major reason why Call of Duty will be showing more restraint in its cosmetics going forward.

RELATED: Call of Duty Updates Terminator Skin (And Players Are Happy)

“They are talking about showing more restraint with Warzone for skins/bundles/microtransactions,” TheGhostofHope said. “Crossovers are ‘printing money’ but they hear the criticism that the game is starting to look stupid.”

Despite the amount of money these crossover skins and bundles make, they can be seen as damaging to Call of Duty’s reputation. Earning money is good for the short term, but looking to the series’ future for Activision means restoring Call of Duty’s reputation in the eyes of longtime players. Bundles featuring more realistic military operators, ones pertaining to the series’ stories will likely be more prevalent going forward.

There is no doubt Activision was chasing the success of Fortnite with the over-the-top skins now in the game. Epic Games has shown the power of throwing over crossover at the wall, as Fortnite is one of the most successful battle royale games. Its microtransaction system has also caught on with many other developers. Activision will need to take a different route to stand out and continue competing, and moving away from these criticized collaborations and cosmetics is a step in the right direction.