Despite its impressive sales figures, the Call of Duty franchise is currently grappling with a significant decline in critical reception. Over the past two decades, each new Call of Duty release has been met with varying degrees of acclaim, with some hailed as exceptional FPS games while others were seen as lackluster cash grabs. However, the majority of Call of Duty titles have rarely been deemed outright poor, until the arrival of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.

Scoring a meager 56 on Metacritic from critics and an alarming 2.0 from users, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 stands as the lowest-rated installment in the franchise. This is attributed to its graphics and gunplay, which remain top-notch within the industry. However, the game symbolizes a larger predicament for the entire franchise, featuring an unacceptably short campaign, a lack of original 6v6 maps at launch, and an overdependence on previous year's weapons and mechanics. For many enthusiasts, Call of Duty appears to be faltering, and the most viable solution might be to remove its two safety nets.

It's Time to Bid Farewell to Modern Warfare and Black Ops

Recognizing the Legacy of Modern Warfare and Black Ops

Prior to advocating for their retirement, it's imperative to acknowledge the significant contributions of Modern Warfare and Black Ops to the Call of Duty franchise. In 2007, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare essentially popularized the modern military shooter genre, particularly in the realm of online multiplayer, by introducing now-standard features such as custom loadouts, killstreaks, and a continuous sense of progression. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 further solidified these pivotal features, establishing this new trajectory for the Call of Duty franchise as a whole.

Following this, Call of Duty: Black Ops hit the market in 2010, continuing to build on Modern Warfare's groundbreaking features while incorporating its own distinctive elements into the mix, and strengthening Treyarch's previously successful Zombies mode. Even now, well over a decade later, the majority of fans regard these early Modern Warfare and Black Ops installments as the franchise's finest. While nostalgia plays a part in the current reception, it's undeniable that the campaigns, maps, additional modes, and progression systems were superior back then.

Modern Warfare and Black Ops are Impeding Call of Duty's Progress

However, times have evolved, and Modern Warfare and Black Ops no longer serve as the guaranteed indicators of quality they once were. The release of Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 hinted that the series might have overstayed its welcome, although it managed to maintain a fair level of popularity among enthusiasts through commendable post-launch support. Nevertheless, Black Ops 4 marked the initial significant letdown from either series, lacking a campaign mode and making perplexing decisions in its multiplayer segment.

While the 2019's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare succeeded in injecting fresh vitality into the franchise, the successive Modern Warfare 2 and 3 releases have intensified the impression that Call of Duty is stagnating, excessively leaning on nostalgia and relying heavily on its live-service model to rectify issues at a later stage. It's reasonable to assert that Call of Duty is simply leveraging the Modern Warfare and Black Ops titles to drive sales, rather than fostering genuine innovation in line with the original themes or vision of each series. Eliminating these series entirely might ultimately compel Call of Duty to create something fresh and truly deserving of evolving into a distinct series, rather than just an ephemeral addition.