"It used to be just more about the quality," XDefiant exec. producer says Call of Duty's main focus is mostly money

XDefiant's executive producer, Mark Rubin, recently commented on Call of Duty via his X handle. He stated that CoD used to represent the highest quality of FPS shooters, but trends have changed. This comment quickly gained attention, generating a buzz in the FPS community. Here's what Mark Rubin said in his post on X:

"I feel like it used to be just more about the quality of the game, which would drive players to play."

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Mark Ruben criticized Activision's developers for turning Call of Duty into a cash grab, claiming that the game's only purpose is to make the most money from players. While this was not an attack on a game studio or a franchise, it got attention because it came from the executive producer of XDerfiant, which is shutting down after just six months of release.

XDefiant exec. producer called out Call of Duty for being a cash grab

As mentioned, XDefiant's exec. producer was not compelled by the way Activision operates Call of Duty. He states that CoD relies on the FOMO strategy, which creates a sense of urgency among players, encouraging them to purchase a large number of cosmetic items from the in-game store.

Mark Ruben claimed that EOMM is ruining Call of Duty, as it is tailored to keep players engaged in the game. He even talked about how Activision should discontinue the engagement-based tactics and focus on delivering a quality experience for the player base.

Also read: Modern Warfare 2 is coming to Xbox Game Pass, here's what you need to know

Ruben took a shot at Call of Duty's marketing strategy, commenting that the game should have a high player count because it's good, and that people should be invested in it due to better maps and modes, and not because it has a huge marketing budget of $250 million.

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He also expressed that game companies should not follow Activision's footsteps but should look at studios like Larian, the developers behind fan-favorite titles like Baldur's Gate 3 and Divinity: Original Sin 2. Furthermore, he added that the Call of Duty developers have evolved into something that it is not supposed to be, and they're struggling to get back to their original model.

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Siddharth is a Sportskeeda Esports & Gaming writer, primarily covering multiplayer first-person shooter games such as Overwatch, Apex Legends, and Call of Duty. He has quickly racked up views, achieving more than 185,000 reads over three months.

He harbored a lifelong passion for gaming sparked by Test Drive 6 at the tender age of seven. Later, a Bachelor's degree in Journalism and Mass Communication, coupled with his media management and video editing internship at Zee Media, paved the way for his professional gaming exploits.

Siddharth is committed to accuracy above all else. He digs deep to find reliable sources for his content and goes the extra mile to verify facts. He ensures a balanced and unbiased perspective delivered in a neutral tone is imperative.

Siddharth enjoys racing and simulation games, platformers, first-person shooters, fighting titles, and narrative-driven experiences. If he were to recommend a title to a video game skeptic, he would suggest the Tekken series.

Siddharth’s favorite esports organization is TSM and he holds special admiration for Apex Legends pro ImperialHal. He is also inspired by popular content creator Shroud, whose streams he watches regularly.

When not writing, Siddharth likes to hit the gym.

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Edited by Shraman Mitra