Syndicate claims Call of Duty devs ‘failed’ the franchise
As one of the legendary veteran Call of Duty content creators, Tom "Syndicate" Cassell has landed quite a stark attack on the developers of the franchise. Syndicate claims they have "failed" the fans by optimising their games for "shareholders".
Known for his Zombies gameplay and pioneering the "train" method of playing - especially on Kino Der Toten and Der Reise - Syndicate was once one of the biggest content creators in the scene.
Now, his portfolio is much more diverse, having mastered Minecraft and other titles. It's only after being forced away from his roots by the devs, as he believes their thirst for money ruined the games.
Syndicate slams Call of Duty devs for choosing shareholders over players
Taking to Twitter, the 29-year-old CoD veteran slammed the developers following Fortnite's newest update. "I'll be the one to say it how it is. Call of Duty, you used to be the head of the game. You were the go-to game for me in my childhood," says Cassell.
"At least back then you knew how to carry a game and a franchise… but now all you care about is money, not gameplay. YOU FAILED," he said. "There was so much you could've done. But you didn't. It's sad you chose the shareholders over the players."
Syndicate pointed out that the developers have been jumping through hoops to please investors and shareholders, squeezing every penny out of the community, rather than creating player-focused games.
Syndicate implores Call of Duty developers to 'pull your goddamn finger out'
Syndicate's rant has only echoed many of the die-hard fans' thoughts too, with many believing that the live-service model is killing Call of Duty.
Specifically honing in on the Zombies gameplay, the content creator noted that the modding community had carried the Black Ops series in recent instalments, with their lacklustre approach to the classic round-based experience.
The CoD mogul has now called on Treyarch to "Pull your goddamn finger out," with many of the iconic developers having left from new studios and little inspiration coming from the new ones so far.
Treyarch has already confirmed Outbreak will return, and there's a mass of hirings for Zombies developers for the 2024 Gulf War title, which shows a lot of promise for the future.