Nintendo Switch fans had some hope left when a few days ago, the developers of Call of Duty WWII stated that they had no plans to offer the game on the console. Though it was a “no,” it left open the possibility that it could happen someday. However, a recent announcement from the developers ends all hopes of Switch players ever getting to see the military shooter game on Nintendo’s hit console.
Sledgehammer says “no” to Nintendo Switch
Sledgehammer has maintained the status for Call of Duty WWII on the Switch for quite a while. In June, Sledgehammer boss Michael Condrey tweeted that the decision not to offer Call of Duty on the Switch was made by the Activision business people.
Still, one gamer wanted to know a definitive answer, and therefore, asked about it on a Reddit Ask Me Anything (AMA) Session with Call of Duty WWII developer Sledgehammer. The question asked was: “Yes or no? Is Call of Duty WWII coming to Nintendo Switch?” Sledgehammer’s straight reply was “No.” There was no clarification beyond this.
Nintendo consoles have not been very lucky when it comes to receiving Call of Duty titles. The last title in the series, which arrived on the Nintendo Wii U in 2013, was Call of Duty: Ghosts. Call of Duty is not alone in ignoring the Switch. Recently various other titles such as The Witness, Middle –Earth: Shadow of War and the Broken Plant also decided to skip the Switch, notes GameSpot.
What could be the reason?
Earlier, Activision did port Skylanders: Imaginators to the Switch. However, after that, the developer has not been very keen on launching games on the Switch. Neither has the company made any announcement about its plans in the future. One reason the developer could be reluctant to port the title to the Switch might be the game’s active online community.
“The series has a heavy reliance with its online community, and both Call of Duty: Black Ops II and Call of Duty: Ghosts weren’t that heavily supported on the Wii U, despite local co-op features,” says Comicbook.
However, with Nintendo planning to offer online service sometime in 2018, Activision’s decision could change.
Whose loss will it be?
Given the sales numbers for the Nintendo Switch, it will be quite difficult to say who would be losing out if Call of Duty does not arrive on the console. According to game industry analyst Michael Pachter, the Switch could outsell the Xbox One this year. During his Pachter Factor show, he stated that Nintendo has all it needs to beat other consoles in the market.
“Switch could sell as many as 14 million [this year] and if that happens, that’s more than Xbox One, which sells about 10-11 million per year,” the analyst said.
It will nevertheless be a neck-and-neck race. The target markets for the two consoles are different. For instance, if a player is looking to get a home console, he/she will probably opt for the Xbox One, while those who want to enjoy gaming on-the-go will opt for the Switch.
