Call of Duty

Call of Duty is published and owned by Activision; its first release came out in 2003 and was developed by Infinity Ward. Call of Duty (CoD) is probably the world’s most popular shooter series, exploding onto the gaming scene with the ridiculously popular Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare.

CoD 4 was the first iteration of the soldier-simulator to include the now famous multiplayer format, where plays match up constantly in one of the title’s many game modes and gun each other down.

In 2013 the series boasted 100 million unique players and tallied 32 quadrillion bullets had been fired in multiplayer games so far, and it’s gone from strength to strength since then.

Boasting over 250 million sales of games by 2016, the Call of Duty franchise is one that dominates the gaming scene, with it now offering a total of 15 games, coming from four different arcs. Arguably what makes this series so adaptable and enjoyable, is the fact that there’s so much diversity in its content, with the games covering both past wars and offering futuristic ones yet to have happened.

If we strip all of its history back and go to 2003, when the original CoD was developed by the company Infinity Ward and released by Activision, we can see much has remained the same. The stories over the years may have transformed, but the core elements of what makes this franchise so great have stayed the same, chiefly those textured and realistic graphics.

Having been witness to the release of the Black Ops and Ghosts arc games, we’re excited to move onto the future, with the latest release being Call of Duty:WWII. This new installment is going to take CoD back to where it all began, to World War 2, giving players a back to roots type of aesthetic and feel. There’s so much that these games offer, that no end of different players take up their weapons and fight for their comrades – will you be one of them?

Like most online shooters, CoD gives its players plenty of choice when choosing a game mode to get stuck into. As multiple developers share the production of CoD annual releases, each version of the game has slight variations in the game modes they offer. Having said that, there are staple activities that appear in every Call of Duty title. A stereotypical Team Deathmatch is always the most popular, in which two teams of players rack up kills against each other until a pre-designated score has been met.

Then you’ve got: Free for All, Headquarters, Capture the Flag and the relatively new game mode Kill Confirmed. This variety is one of the main reasons that Call of Duty has remained as popular as it has for so long. There’s always a new game mode to try out – some aimed towards providing an authentic military experience, and others purely to encourage enjoyment.

Enhance your character and give them abilities to push ahead and win

The real defining aspect of Call of Duty in comparison to other shooters, is its custom class setup system. They weren’t the first to do it, but Infinity Ward definitely made class setups the mainstream when they designed CoD4’s menus.

In pre-game systems, players are able to setup their soldiers gear, giving them choices between primary guns (Assault Rifles, Submachine Guns, Sniper rifles etc), secondary guns (pistols, anti-vehicular launchers), equipment (grenades) and special equipment (smoke grenades, flashbangs and stun grenades). On top of this, the game gives players a choice of three perks. These are split into three categories: Primary Perks, Secondary Perks and Third Perks. These enhance a player’s gameplay by giving them options.

For example, if you wanted to sneak around the map and pick people off, you could choose the Cold Blooded perk, which traditionally keeps you out of sight of enemy radars and killstreaks, or if you wanted to go in all guns blazing, the Scavenger perk which allows you to recover ammunition from dead soldiers may be more fitting.

In addition, players can also choose from a list of killstreak bonuses that they receive when they successfully attain kills without dying. These usually involve a flying vehicle being called in for support, that guns down the opposing team without mercy.

Starting in 2020, the Call of Duty League introduced a franchising system consisting of twelve teams. Each year teams play a Feb-Seb season, with the ultimate goal of reaching the post season playoffs. During the regular season, weekly match days and pre-game shows entertain fans and provide a wholesome experience.

However, Call of Duty is not only about the CDL. Warzone, the battle royale mode for COD is also gaining massive popularity, with plenty third-party organized competitions each month. CoD is now a multi-title esport with athletes competing in both a team-deathmatch and battle royale game modes.

The teams currently franchised by the Call of Duty League are:

• Atlanta FaZe
• Florida Mutineers
• London Royal Ravens
• Los Angeles Guerrillas
• Los Angeles Thieves
• Minnesota ROKKR
• New York Subliners
• OpTic Texas
• Paris Legion
• Seattle Surge
• Toronto Ultra

The twelfth spot will be known before the 2022 season commences. Previously the OpTic Chicago and Dallas Empire merged, and settled in Texas, leaving the Chicago spot up for grabs.

When we talk COD Betting, there is two avenues of approach. You can either opt-out to place traditional wagers on CDL matches, or the Battle Royale tournaments or you can engage with Fantasy COD. Plenty of markets are available at various esports bookmakers, with coverage spanning between January and September.

In total, over 250 matches are played each season leaving plenty of opportunities for wagering.

Plenty of our authors have played a CoD title at a certain point in time. Competitive play is a very complex endeavor, and every match will be a different experience. Unlike other shooters, playing CoD depends on your team-mates and opponents approach to each match. As such, raw mechanical skill and situational awareness are more valued then repetitive practice. This is especially true considering Call of Duty releases a new version of the game almost bi-annually.

If you’re keen working out interesting new strategies to best your opponents, CoD is the shooter for you.