Some of the most iconic Xbox 360 eraCall of Dutytitles are currently sitting at the top of Xbox’s Top Paid Games list after the games' matchmaking servers have been randomly improved. The annualization ofCall of Dutygames over the past decade plus meant that each new game slowly became obsolete as theCall of Dutymachine continued to churn out the next title year after year.
Activision has been incredibly busy over the past several weeks and months. With the Xbox v Federal Trade Comission court case over Microsoft’s $69 Billion acquisition of Activision having concluded in the former’s favor, and the impending announcement of2023’s heavily rumoredModern Warfare 3looming, theCall of Dutymaker has somehow found the time to go back and fix the online matchmaking of many of its most popular Xbox 360 era titles. With the help of heavy discounts, theseCall of Dutygames have been enjoying player count spikes as they rule Xbox’s sales charts once more.
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In the Top Paid Games section of Xbox’s store, four classicCall of Dutygames from the late 2000s and early 2010s have reclaimed the top four spots of the chart.Call of Duty: Black Ops, Black Ops 2, Modern Warfare 2(2009), andModern Warfare 3are all at the top as they were during their glory days, with 2012’sBlack Ops 2sitting at the top spot. These four games are currently overshadowing sales behemoths like last year’sCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 2,NBA 2K23, and the recently releasedDiablo 4. Additionally,Call of Duty: Black Ops 3andWorld at Warcome in at the 8th and 9th spots respectively, over games likeRed Dead Redemption 2,Hogwarts Legacy,and2022’s Game of the YearElden Ring.
Since most of theseCall of Dutygames are over a decade old, all of them are tagged with hefty discounts. The fact that the multiplayer matchmaking of these games were improved just days after Xbox’svictory over the FTC to acquire Activision Blizzardhas led many to believe Xbox has been behind it, but this has yet to be confirmed. Since many younger gamers never had the chance to play these old, formerly obsoleteCall of Dutytitles, it’s no wonder that these games are seeing huge player spikes now that they finally have the chance to do so.
It’s surreal to see Xbox 360 games top the charts in 2023. The revitalization of these games' servers could have been orchestrated by Xbox to prepare these titles to enter Game Pass, as the outlook of its Activision Blizzard buyout looks brighter after overcoming the FTC. Perhaps this is Activision testing the waters for aHalo: The Master Chief Collection-style compilationwhere all the oldCall of Dutymultiplayer suites are available all in one place. Whatever the case may be, the rejuvenation of these classicCall of Dutygames is incredible for fans of the franchise, and it’s another win for game preservation.
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