Call of Duty is Running on Empty, Says Former Infinity Ward Dev

Chance Glasco was there from the start. He helped build Infinity Ward, helped craft Call of Duty into the shooter juggernaut it is today, and even worked on Medal of Honor: Allied Assault before Activision snapped up the dev team. Now he’s calling it like he sees it: Call of Duty has run out of ideas.

That’s not coming from some salty Reddit thread. It’s a direct quote from someone who made Modern Warfare 2.

"It feels like they’ve run out of ideas at times. It kind of wandered into left field." – Chance Glasco, former Infinity Ward dev

That line came from a recent interview Glasco gave to Oklahoma’s News 9 (via Polygon). And honestly, it’s hard to argue with him. After two decades of annual releases, CoD feels like it's chasing its own tail.

Glasco didn't mince words when reflecting on Modern Warfare 2 (2009), calling it “probably the best game we made.” That’s not a controversial opinion—it’s practically gospel for longtime fans. MW2 wasn’t just a game; it was a cultural reset. Trick shots, Rust 1v1s, noob tubes, nuke chases—it defined online multiplayer for a generation.

He also acknowledged that the switch to modern settings after years of WWII campaigns felt like a creative breath of fresh air. Ironically, it was that very move to modern warfare that sparked the series' mainstream explosion.

But fast-forward to today, and we’re back to rebooted Modern Warfare games and a seventh Black Ops installment on the horizon. It’s all starting to feel like a loop.

Reboots and Recycling

There’s a reason Glasco mentioned the series “wandering.” Modern Warfare 3 wrapped up in 2011. Eight years later, Activision just... restarted the trilogy. Same characters, different plotlines. It’s déjà vu, but with shinier graphics.

The same is happening to Black Ops. We're six games deep with a seventh due soon. The franchise is clinging to familiar names and narratives because it knows they work. And they do. These games sell. But they also feel creatively bankrupt.

Even with tweaks like Black Ops 6’s “omnimovement” system, we’re not seeing true innovation—just fine-tuning of old mechanics.

So, Has Call of Duty Really Run Out of Ideas?

Kind of.

The formula works, and Call of Duty has never pretended to be radically experimental. Year after year, it delivers solid FPS gameplay, smooth gunplay, and big-budget spectacle. But "iteration" isn't the same as "innovation."

Even fans are noticing the cracks. Warzone felt new when it dropped, but now it's weighed down by content bloat and balancing nightmares. Campaigns are hit or miss. And multiplayer? Still addictive, but rarely surprising.

The reality is that CoD doesn't need to innovate when it dominates the charts. As long as it prints money, don’t expect the wheel to be reinvented.

Glasco admits he still plays Warzone. That says something. The core gameplay loop is still fun enough to bring back the dev who’s disillusioned by the franchise's creative direction.

But even he longs for something more. A shakeup. A spark. A return to the cutting edge that once defined Call of Duty’s dominance. Because at this point, another year, another CoD isn’t exciting—it’s expected.

The Best Call of Duty Games, Ranked by Legacy

To put Glasco’s comments into perspective, here’s a look at the top-rated mainline Call of Duty games, ranked from best to worst by Metacritic:

(Note: Ratings vary slightly by platform; these are averages from major releases.)

When one of the founding voices of Infinity Ward says Call of Duty is creatively dry, it’s time to listen. Sure, the games still work. They’re polished, reliable, and profitable. But where’s the spark?

Maybe it’s time for CoD to stop chasing itself—and start chasing new ideas again. Until then, we're stuck in a killstreak loop.