New Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare Multiplayer Delivers Game Changing Experience

Activision and Sledgehammer Games today unveiled a new era for Call of Duty with the world premiere of Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare multiplayer. Built for next generation gaming systems, Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare fundamentally changes Call of Duty multiplayer, delivering new player movements and capabilities, along with the deepest customization and player engagement features in franchise history.

With the all-new exoskeleton, players can boost jump, dodge, dash, slide, slam and more as the action goes vertical, while using future-tech, cutting-edge capabilities and a brand-new weapon class as part of nearly 350 custom weapons. Offering a new reward system, including more than 1,000 in-game player rewards, and nearly limitless customization options that create more than 2 billion unique player combinations and more, the title offers the most in-depth, robust and advanced Call of Duty multiplayer experience ever on both next generation and current generation systems.

In addition to the multiplayer premiere, Activision today announced the Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare Day Zero Edition, which offers fans for the first time 24-hour early access to the game starting November 3rd. The Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare Day Zero Edition is available on all platforms to customers who pre-order the game* and pick up on day zero – at no added cost. Collector’s Edition copies of Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare will also be available for Day Zero early purchase and play, and will include the special Day Zero Edition content. In addition to the early access of up to 24 hours in some territories, the Day Zero Edition also includes two new, custom weapons as well as the previously announced Advanced Arsenal incentive.

“With Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare we introduced the first new lead developer to the franchise in a decade and our first three-year development cycle, with one mission: bring breakthrough innovation to the franchise, while also honoring its roots. We feel Sledgehammer Games has risen to that challenge,” said Activision Publishing, Inc.’s CEO, Eric Hirshberg. “Advanced Warfare introduces significant new mechanics to multiplayer that truly change the game, but more importantly just speaking as a gamer it’s a hell of a lot of fun.”

Three years in the making, Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare delivers a new level of tactical combat on all platforms, giving players all-new frenetic ways to move, starting with the power of the exoskeleton. The new gameplay abilities, movements, perks and mechanics expand the verticality of sightlines and maneuverability, increasing the amount of strategic options available to players, while staying true to Call of Duty’s fast, fluid multiplayer experience. Players can combine these new mechanics for offensive, defensive and overall evasive maneuvers unlike anything ever seen in Call of Duty.

Also, the much loved Pick 10 create-a-class is back with even more customizable options than before with Pick 13. Gamers can now choose their favorite scorestreaks, which are fully customizable, and include them in their preferred class, raising the bar on personalization from top to bottom. The introduction of co-operative scorestreaks also allows friends to experience Call of Duty multiplayer together in a new way, as for the first time ever, two players can now join a scorestreak and work co-operatively.

The technology of the future in Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare wouldn’t be complete without advancement in weapon technology, beginning with the debut of a directed energy class of weapons. This all-new weapon class for Call of Duty uses the power of focused energy to overcome enemies and relies on tactical heat management instead of reloads. Players can test out this new class, along with all their weapons, on the new Virtual Firing Range, a brand new feature that allows players to instantly test-drive their favorite weapon loadout with the click of a button before the next match starts.

“When we set out to envision the 2054 world of Call of Duty, we spent a lot of time focused on evolving the multiplayer – offering all new experiences to the fans,” said Glen Schofield, co-founder and game director of Sledgehammer Games.

“We can’t wait for players to discover all of the new movement, mechanics, equipment, and modes built into Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, as well as the depth of customization layered in for the most personalized Call of Duty multiplayer experience to date,” added Michael Condrey, co-founder and head of development of Sledgehammer Games.

Featuring 12 modes out of the box on day one, led by fan-favorites Capture the Flag and Hardpoint, Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare’s multiplayer modes not only include classics such as Team Deathmatch, Domination, and Search and Destroy, but also new options for the playlist such as Uplink and Momentum, a new take on the classic War mode.

Sledgehammer Games is also taking personalization to the next level with Create-an-Operator, a new character system, which allows players to personalize their soldier however they want from heads, helmets, eyewear, shirts, vests, kits, gloves, pants, knee-guards, boots and even the exoskeleton itself. Create-an-Operator is bolstered by a brand new reward system called Supply Drops. The more someone plays, the more they earn. Supply Drops can contain anything from custom weapons to unique character gear in different classes of rarity, all giving players multiplayer bragging rights.

In addition to showing off their Supply Drops gear in-game, the new Virtual Lobby lets players display their hard-earned challenge rewards and rare items, while waiting for the map to start. Billions of possible combinations exist, allowing gamers to personalize nearly everything on their in-game operator from head to toe. Players can finally see what their friends and opponents are bringing to the match, as the Virtual Lobby is a quick and easy way to size up the competition and also plan your next move in create-an-operator.

Led by Sledgehammer Games, Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare is being developed for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC, Xbox 360 and PS3. The title is published by Activision Publishing, a wholly owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard. Designed for next gen systems, Advanced Warfare is the first Call of Duty utilizing an expanded three-year development delivering a new experience on all platforms.

“It sounds like a movie, but it’s not a movie,” said Veca in a new behind-the-scene video. “It’s happening right there [in the game].”

Veca also notes that the team has made huge improvements to the sounds of weapons, stating that the “sound goes through your body”.

Almost all impact and explosion sounds will be unique, meaning players should not hear the same sounds over and over again. Check out a video demonstration below. The game’s out November 4th on PS4, Xbox One, PC, PS3 and Xbox 360.

Sledgehammer Games co-founder Michael Condrey made the news known via a tweet:

.@OpTic_BigTymeR Thanks for stopping by @SHGames to check out #AdvancedWarfare. + Not a bad showing for a rookie: pic.twitter.com/nkjdP8XbyI

— Michael Condrey (@MichaelCondrey) June 21, 2014

The image also reveals that Capture the Flag will be making a return in Advanced Warfare, as well as a six versus six mode.

Atlas Corporation is the name of the largest MPC in the game — which launches on November 4th, 2014, on PS4, Xbox One, PC, PS3 and Xbox 360. A Wii U version hasn’t been confirmed.

“We’ll have our own style. The exoskeletons are definitely in there and that’s the core of the game,” said Schofield in the interview with Metro.

“Our multiplayer has what I’m going to call the biggest set of new, as you call it, cool gear that you’ve seen in a long time,” Condrey added. “It’s a big step forward, from three years in development we’ve been able to innovate across the game. Everything you saw today… just imagine what that’s going to mean for multiplayer.”

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare sees its release on PS4, Xbox One, PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 on November 4.

“PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 owners don’t have to worry about Activision forgetting them, as Advanced Warfare will be brought to the last generation of consoles as well,” Game Informer writes in its latest issue.

“Sledgehammer will not be handling the development, however. Activision has yet to announce the studio behind these versions of the game.”

In March 2014, games website VideoGamer discovered that High Moon Studios was hiring for a “high-profile, First Person Shooter” for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, with one particular job listing seeking an employee with experience of Radiant Engine – the level editor used to create Call of Duty maps.

“Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare envisions battlegrounds of the future, where both technology and tactic have evolved to usher in a new era of combat for the franchise,” reads the official press release.

The trailer includes footage captured on Xbox One, suggesting publisher Activision and Microsoft have once again signed exclusivity deals.

The video also confirms House of Cards actor Kevin Spacey’s role in the game as head of a private military corporation.

Of particular interest is the future setting. Advanced Warfare features advanced weaponry, including soldiers wearing powerful suits that let them leap great distances. There are also cloaked helicopters, wall scrambling, portable cover and hover bikes.

The game will be released on PS4 and Xbox One — but will also hit last-gen consoles PS3 and Xbox 360, alongside PC. Activision didn’t give the aforelisted details, but an Amazon listing leaked the platforms on which the game will be released.

As for who’s developing the last-gen version, it seems to be studio High Moon, per Superannuation.