Call of Duty is the macdaddy of shooters. It’s so synonymous with the genre that a lot of people who don’t play games will think of any game with a gun as being a ‘Call of Duty’, in the same way all games consoles used to be 'Nintendos'. If you don't remember that, you're too young and I hate you. Knowing that CoD means Call of Duty is a basic level of video game knowledge up there with knowing that Mario has a moustache and that Pikachu is yellow. But if Call of Duty is the macdaddy, Fortnite is the new kid on the block. It doesn’t have the hardcore gamer credibilty that Call of Duty has, but Fortnite doesn’t care about that - it can just stuff money in its ears every time you try to insult it.

Call of Duty isn’t short of money to stuff into whichever orifice it wants either, but as with anybody who has a lot of cash , what Call of Duty really wants is even more of it. That’s why its two latest Operators are Fortnite style movie tie-ins in the form of John McClane and John Rambo - although based off their models, they look more like knockoff action figures Jim McClone and Jack Rumbo. Fortnite’s funky artstyle means everyone translates into it seamlessly, whether that be John Wick, Harley Quinn, or a sentient banana. Warzone’s art style is more rugged and realistic, which means it's harder to integrate characters from outside Warzone into the game effectively, and McClone and Rumbo are evidence of that.

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Fortnite has had huge success with this approach. Its movie tie-ins and crossover events have become a staple of the game, and while many people have picked it up because of the opportunity to play as Iron Man or Rey or Travis Scott, they’ve stuck around long after that thrill has worn off. Fortnite’s colourful palette and wide range of skins have cost it some hardcore credibilty - again, money in the ears blocks that out - but it has established Fortnite as a game for everyone. The fact that hardcore gamers often dismiss it is an asset - not everybody likes hardcore gamers anyway.

Rambo in Warzone
via Activision

Warzone though has gone the other way. There’s lots of drab greys, harsh shadows, and manly explosions. You can play Warzone as a woman - there are female operators to choose from - but it is clearly designed to appeal to the typical gamer base, which means it targets straight white men who don’t want politics in their army game. Call of Duty has enough players that it’s unfair to say the whole base is like this, but it does feel like the entire game is geared towards such an audience. That’s a major reason why what seems like an attempt to cash in on the Fortnite trend will likely end in failure.

Aside from the models themselves, the choice of crossover fits Call of Duty’s image perfectly. Call of Duty sees itself as a ‘guy’s game’, and Die Hard and Rambo are both ‘guy movies’ - they also both began life as franchises looking to critique American violence and then ended up conforming to it, much like Call of Duty, but that’s beside the point. McCluney and Rainbo are ideal picks for Call of Duty’s audience - but isn’t the whole idea to have crossovers that reach across the aisle? There are very few people out there who don’t like Call of Duty that will be won over by the prospect of playing as John Rambo. Many people play Call of Duty to be Rambo. It’s not like either of these characters have a new film out that Warzone can ride the hype train of either, in the way that Fortnite strategically plans its crossovers and mutually beneficial advertising relationships.

Maybe it’s not about attracting new audiences so much as it is cashing in on the current one. Warzone certainly isn’t short of a playerbase. To get both Operators will cost you nearly £34, and they’re only in the game for a month. I know they’re actual Operators and not just skins, meaning they come with their own moves and whatnot, but still, it’s 30 quid. Bit steep for Jimmy McClusky and Jackie Rambunctious, isn’t it?

John McClane Warzone

Mostly, I'm confused. Warzone is either trying to be Fortnite, in which case it has misunderstood how Fortnite ensnares audiences, or it’s trying to not be Fortnite and double down on its base, in which case crossovers seem like they will lead to diminishing returns very quickly. Either way, the models need to get better and the prices need to be lower for this to have success with the casual player base that props Warzone up amongst the no scope die-hards playing as the Die Hard man. There doesn't seem to be much rhyme or reason to it, other than 'Fortnite does it'. Unless Warzone can figure out why, the gravy train is going to leave it behind.

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