Despite receiving some of the worst reviews in Call of Duty history, Call of Duty: Vanguard managed to sell over 30 million copies, making it one of the best-selling games in the franchise. Released in 2021, Vanguard fell short of Activision’s expectations as their first core World War II-themed game since Call of Duty: WWII in 2017.
While Vanguard boasted visually stunning graphics, the game was plagued with bugs and issues. Its short and forgettable story, along with an unbalanced multiplayer mode, left many players disappointed. However, the game still managed to achieve remarkable sales numbers, solidifying its position in the Call of Duty franchise.
The Unforgettable Vanguard
Despite its commercial success, Call of Duty: Vanguard received mostly negative reviews, with a maximum score of 74/100 on Metacritic. However, it is not the worst Call of Duty game ever released; that title goes to ‘Black Ops Declassified’, a 2012 PS Vita exclusive with a Metacritic score of 33/100.
In a post-release statement, Activision admitted that Vanguard did not meet their internal expectations. The World War II theme failed to resonate with fans, and the game lacked innovative features. The subsequent release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II further emphasized the diminishing interest in Vanguard.
Vanguard quickly lost player interest, with dwindling numbers before its lifecycle was over. The introduction of the World War II-themed Warzone map, Caldera, was also believed to have disrupted the popular battle royale title for a period.
For all the latest Call of Duty news, make sure to follow Esports.net.
