When I read that a former Call of Duty bo6 bot lobby service dev compared the franchise to The Simpsons, I immediately understood what he meant—and I think it’s a damning critique.
Both started as innovators and ended up as mass-produced content machines. But unlike The Simpsons, which at least attempts to update its commentary to the current world, CoD often feels frozen in time. The same military tropes, the same predictable campaign beats, and a multiplayer system that's monetized to the hilt. It’s all formula now.
The Simpsons lost its edge around season 10, but it still experiments—musical episodes, celebrity cameos, social media tie-ins. CoD, on the other hand, seems terrified of change. Every new title feels like a safe remix of previous mechanics. Even “innovations” like jetpacks or Warzone eventually settle into the same feedback loop.
This comparison should be a wake-up call, not a badge of honor. It's saying, “Hey, we're still around… somehow.” That’s not good enough for a franchise that once set the standard for first-person shooters. At some point, they need to ask: is it better to evolve or just endlessly reboot?
Activision needs to be less proud of its staying power and more critical of the creative rut it's stuck in. If not, they’re just coasting off a name—just like a cartoon that should’ve ended a decade ago.
