The massive brand that is Call of Duty requires many development studios to be at work on it year round, and in the past, some studios have pitched or prototyped prospective Call of Duty games that never came to fruition. The latter has been immensely successful in its own right. This tally doesn't take into account console exclusive games like Finest Hour or Big Red One, any of the handheld titles, or Call of Duty: Mobile. The release of Call of Duty: Vanguard will mark the series' 18th mainline installment, not counting Warzone. Despite its seeming inability to fail, Call of Duty has had a handful of canceled games. Recently, Call of Duty has even adapted to the industry shift toward live-service formats with its popular battle royale, Warzone. The series is successful and releases a new installment nearly every year. The Call of Duty franchise has been an industry staple and pillar of the first-person shooter genre since the first game came out in 2003. The full details of the Activision Blizzard lawsuit (content warning: rape, suicide, abuse, harassment) are being updated as new information becomes available. Activision Blizzard has denied the allegations. Editor’s Note: A lawsuit has been filed against Activision Blizzard by the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing, which alleges the company has engaged in abuse, discrimination, and retaliation against its female employees.
