I’m pretty sure we’ve had more Call of Duty games than actual wars at this point. That’s factually correct*.
I’m not a huge fan of shooters, and the ones I do enjoy stand out because they do something new, have a unique style, or lean into a theme that’s vastly different from the norm. I’m talking FragPunk, Titanfall 2, or Splatoon – you know, real shooters. Okay, no, I’m sounding very special and different right now – I like Marvel Rivals, I’m not that unique.
But here’s the thing: I think there’s a big gap in history that Call of Duty could explore, bringing a whole new experience to its colossal audience. What history? Literally anything before the last 120 years. Specifically, I’m talking about a medieval game. Not zombies, just straight-up medieval, swords, castles, and maybe a jolly tavern map or two.
This Is Nothing New, I Know, But Just Hear Me Out
I know we have Chivalry and Mordhau – I’m not saying a medieval Call of Duty is going to be significantly better, either, because… well, these are all toxic games. But for me, this is purely a selfish thing that I want, and I’m making you read about it.
Chivalry and Mordhau are just not big enough, or sustainable enough, and the player count is in the pits. Just recently, I jumped back into Mordhau for some ‘large-scale’ battles, except there were only about 12 people online. There might be peak hours, but if things are that dire outside of them, I don’t think peak is the word to use.
As a fan of medieval stuff, I watch on as Call of Duty churns out another war shooter each and every year, and another, and another. Oh boy, I can’t wait to… shoot some guys? Or cling onto Warzone and its strangely out-of-character quirkiness in a desperate attempt to replicate the unending strangeness of Fortnite. I’m hating right now, let me work through this.
Kingdom Come To Tilted Towers, Or Something
If we could get a medieval Call of Duty entry, even just one, would it still have a toxic culture? Yes. Would it be crammed full of exploitative monetisation? Yes. Would it be enjoyable? I don’t know. But can I have just one like this? We already did futuristic stuff with Jon Snow, just get him back in for this too.
A title as recognisable as Call of Duty would be assured to have a longer-lasting audience too, and that’s all I want. Maps in castles, maps in large fields, maps in… more castles. Maybe not loads of variation, but let’s not pretend there is now already. Nuke Town is just a cul-de-sac.
Hell, I’ll even just take a medieval mode in Warzone or whatever the Call of Duty hub thing is. Give us swords, give us strongholds, let me mute other players, and then just have an okay time – but an okay time with loads of other people, without guns for once. Is that so much for a poor boy to ask for?
Does anyone else even want this? Probably not. In fact, if I had the choice for this as the next game or Call of Duty to just stop being made, I’d be okay with never seeing it again. But I want medieval things. And the other medieval things are dead now. I don’t want to fight for my life in the Gulag, put me on a horse and let me joust some fools.
