Former Call of Duty Director Critiques Recent Games as “Not Very Good”

Call of Duty is currently at a crossroads. With Black Ops 6 really going hard on licensed-based IP crossovers, many fans feel like the addition of Seth Rogen and Beavis & Butthead skins took the series far away from its original intent, among other issues. A former Call of Duty director agrees, based on a new interview.

Speaking to VGCfamed game director Glen Schofield had some choice words for Call of Duty in its modern era. In fact, Schofield called out basically everyone COD entry since he left Sledgehammer Games, which worked on many mainline games in the series.

A Lot Of People Seem Torn On Where Call Of Duty Should Go

For Now, It’ll Keep Going Forward

In the interview, Schofield laments the current state of Call of Dutyhaving worked on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Advanced Warfareand WWII nor co-director. He participated in the multi-developer initiative of the 2010s, where Activision tasked Treyarch, Infinity Ward, and Sledgehammer with making a rotating series of games. Although COD is technically an annual franchise, each studio at least had breathing room.

Here is how Schofield sees it: “I hate doing this, but since I left Sledgehammer, none of the games have been very good. I mean, the last one (Modern Warfare 3 (2023)) was a 50. They still sell well.” He goes on to elaborate: “They just aren’t as good. They aren’t the same. Treyarch’s still really good but you know… I got lucky. I feel like I was at the heyday of EA during my time there. I mean, it was a who’s who working there. And then when I got to Activision, I made Modern Warfare 3 (2011).”

Microsoft is also an issue for Schofield, which is now a conglomerate of many celebrated FPS franchises after acquiring a lot of studios over the years: “Where’s Halo, you know what I mean?… once you’re assimilated by one of these companies, I think you take on some of their traits.”

Call Of Duty Still Sells

Hopefully, Black Ops 7 Changes Course

Naturally, some of these comments come with the gift of hindsight. Even someone who has played every entry in the series, I can attest that there have also been good Call of Duty games since he left the studio. Not all the entries Schofield worked on are perfect, but conversely, not every Call of Duty game after he left the studio has been flawless. The series has been going through some growing pains in recent years, and the annual nature of the franchise doesn’t help the teams slow down and course-correct.

In any case, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is set to arrive on November 14, and will apparently be toning down some of the crazier crossovers of Black Ops 6. We’ll see just how long that lasts, and if this new Call of Duty entry can still sell truckloads of copies.

Systems

Released

November 14, 2025

ESRB

Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Drugs

Developer(s)

Treyarch, Raven Software

Engine

IW Engine

Multiplayer

Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op