The setting of a Call of Duty game can influence whether the title is successful or not. In the case of Vanguard, the return to a World War II setting had a mixed reception, leaving many players wondering why the developers didn't select a different period of history.
As Season 1 Reloaded continues, some players are still logging into the game while others cited the setting as a reason why they didn't purchase Vanguard when it released in November 2021.
In an interview with Gfinity, Sledgehammer Games explained why Call of Duty returned to a time period it has visited on a regular basis.
Why Is Vanguard Set in World War 2?
Despite the general preference for a modern or near-futuristic setting for Call of Duty games, it was surprising to see the franchise return to a World War II setting for the first time since 2017.
"After completing Call of Duty: WW2 (2017), it felt like we scratched the surface of these true stories," stated Josh Bridge, game director Sledgehammer Games. "This gave us a lot of creative excitement to return to the era to tell a story about the birth of the original Special Forces via an international crew of soldiers."
- Read More: Call of Duty Vanguard Season 2: Start Date, Trailer, Weapons, Leaks, Roadmap & Everything We Know
Call of Duty 2022 Setting
Any official information surrounding the setting for Call of Duty 2022 will appear later on in the year. It's expected that the franchise will return to a modern-day setting with a sequel to 2019's Modern Warfare. Due to the sub-optimal performance of Vanguard, it's rumoured that the game is set to launch earlier than its usual slot of early November.
For more on Vanguard, check out all there is to know about the upcoming Attack on Titan crossover and all about the 2022 Call of Duty League season.