No, Call of Duty is Not an MMO – Here‘s Why

As a passionate gamer and content creator, I get this question a lot – "Is Call of Duty an MMO?" So let‘s settle it once and for all.

No – Call of Duty does not currently qualify as a true MMO (massively multiplayer online game). While insanely popular as an online military shooter franchise, COD lacks the persistent worlds and deep character building typical of MMOs.

But lately, multiplayer COD titles have been borrowing some MMO-esque features which have sparked debates across the gaming community.

So I‘m going to dig deeper into whether Activision‘s crown jewel counts as an actual MMO or not. And I‘ll speculate on COD‘s chances of dethroning MMO titans like World of Warcraft if it ever went all-in on the genre!

So What Exactly is an MMO Anyway?

For the uninitiated – MMOs stand for "massively multiplayer online games". These are usually open-ended RPGs (role playing games) set in constantly evolving virtual worlds populated by thousands of players simultaneously.

Some hallmarks of MMOs include:

• Vast persistent worlds existing online 24/7
• Custom avatars for players to control
• PVE against environment and computer-controlled enemies
• Questing, leveling up and raising skills/abilities over time
• Player-driven virtual economies and trading systems
• Guilds and social groups to conquer group challenges
• Regular content expansions adding new areas and features

By comparison, your average multiplayer Call of Duty match checks exactly zero of those boxes.

COD titles like Modern Warfare 2 or Warzone may be "massive" in terms of player count. But the actual gameplay takes place in closed session-based matches rather than an open persistent world.

So by the technical MMO definition, Call of Duty just doesn‘t fit…for now at least.

But things get a bit hazy with COD‘s recent forays into quasi-MMO gameplay elements. Let‘s analyze them!

Call of Duty‘s MMO-Like Features

COD developers have actually incorporated certain MMO-esque features lately – most notably in 2020‘s smash hit Call of Duty: Warzone. These include:

So Warzone has adapted concepts like loot progression, questing, live events, social systems, and an ever-changing map reminiscent of actual MMOs.

Just take the Haunting of Verdansk limited-time Halloween event. Players completed spooky PvE missions across an undead-infested battle royale map – pretty MMO-esque right?

But at the end of day, matches still cap at 150 players and only last ~30 minutes. Rather than a sprawling fantasy realm or sci-fi galaxy to live in, Warzone takes place across isolated PvP arenas.

So while tantalizingly close at points…Call of Duty still falls a bit short of qualifying as a full-on MMO.

Does Call of Duty Need To Become an MMO?

Even without a flagship MMO title, Call of Duty dominates the gaming scene year after year as Activision‘s crown jewel.

The yearly release model generates insane sales across both console and PC platforms. Here are some mind-blowing COD franchise stats:

• 400 million+ copies sold life-to-date
• 1 billion hours played in first 10 days for Modern Warfare 2
• Top 5 highest grossing video game franchise

With the franchise minting over a billion dollars yearly…does Activision even need to take the risk on developing a standalone COD MMO?

Not at the moment. But the potential is massive if they ever decided to move the sci-fi sub-series Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare or cyber-themed Black Ops saga into expansive online worlds.

The fanbase and hunger for more multiplayer content is certainly there among COD players like myself. Destructible environments, player housing, space combat – the possibilities are endless!

And given the franchise‘s immense resources and profitability, they could easily develop something to dethrone the current king of MMOs – World of Warcraft.

Can a COD MMO Actually Dethrone World of Warcraft?

Despite its advanced age in Internet years, Blizzard‘s World of Warcraft remains the undisputed champion of the MMO mountain.

But the WOWcraft juggernaut has shown some cracks recently with falling subscriber numbers since its peak:

While still impressive figures, the downward trend suggests WoW players are growing restless and hungry for the next big MMO fix as new expansions fail to draw back lapsed users.

A best-in-class COD MMO could absolutely capitalize on that simmering wanderlust and siphon off ex-WoW players. And with hunger for console adaptations growing (see Diablo Immortal), COD could expand the overall segment by introducing a new generation of console gamers to virtual worlds on Playstation and Xbox.

Add in the current leadership troubles and employee culture crisis plaguing Activision-Blizzard…and the door seems open to a new challenger for MMO supremacy.

An Infinite Warfare or Black Ops online spin-off could dethrone WoW given COD‘s technical prowess delivering 60+ FPS competitive shooters. Leveraging that optimized netcode and buttery performance could seriously tempt gamers craving a faster, prettier, more responsive MMO experience.

As a gamer, I‘d absolutely grind random Warzone skins and weapons for my IW starfighter pilot or BO operative! An official COD MMO could rules the next decade if handled properly.

Verdict: Call of Duty Needs Its Own MMO!

While not currently an MMO, Call of Duty constantly flirts with the genre‘s features to great success lately. And with the franchise minting insane profits across console and PC releases, they possess all the resources needed to develop a world-beating MMO.

I‘m betting we‘ll see Activision announce development of a full-fledged COD online roleplaying experience within the next 2-3 years.

My money is on a space epic expanding the Infinite Warfare series into a gorgeous intergalactic backdrop filled with awesome cosmetic rewards, massive capital ship battles, and frenetic FPS ground combat.

Or possibly they‘ll go full cyberpunk dystopia with Black Ops and introduce housing, nightclubs, full augmented reality…who knows?

Either way, as both a passionate COD fan and MMO veteran…I‘m drooling over the possibilities! The MMO genre needs some new blood, and I predict a COD entry would shake up the status quo in amazing fashion.

Fingers crossed fellow gamers…the next huge multiplayer phenomenon might just storm out of Activision‘s endless military shooter catalog!