Activision’s Decision to do DLC Differently is Paying Off
Activision has released the first season of DLC for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019).
If you didn’t know, this year’s Call of Duty is doing things differently. Instead of going the typical route of season passes and a la carte DLC packs, they are adopting a battle pass model, which has been successful for games like Fortnite and Rocket League.
Activision said in an announcement in October that the decisions to implement a battle pass, cross platform play and free DLC content was to break down walls and bring the community together.
Modern Warfare has already been pretty successful at the mission it aimed to achieve. “Growing up, you either had an Xbox or you had a PlayStation and that was it,” said AJ Laudemann, a student at Kansas State University. “Now, I don’t have to worry about that problem. If I want to hang out with my friends, I can.”
Laudemann isn’t the only college student enjoying Activision’s decisions to make the game more community and user friendly. Devon Ellicott, a student at Pittsburg State University, is enjoying new content being brought to his game without having to shell out more money. “Well obviously I love that it’s free,” said Ellicott. “I always hated paying for a game I’ve already paid for, and I think it shows they listened to the fans and are giving us some respect.”
Players can financially support the game post launch still by getting the paid battle pass. Much like Fortnite, the battle passes come and go in seasons. There is a free battle pass for players to acquire, and there is one that costs 1,000 COD Points or $10 USD. Thankfully, everything in the battle pass is essentially cosmetic; meaning all weapons, attachments and anything that actually impacts your level of play can be unlocked simply by playing, according to Activision’s October announcement.
While the battle pass may bring some cool new skins and calling cards to Modern Warfare, not everyone is totally sold on it. “It’s pretty cool but I feel as if they are trying to be like every other game has one,” said Parker Stokes, a high school student and Call of Duty enthusiast. “Theirs is cool enough where I can’t complain.”
More and more games are developing the battle pass and free DLC model. Most games seek monetary support after launch, but this new model allows players to not have to choose between saving money and checking out new content on your favorite game.
