Makarov is back but in board game form.
Call of Duty is getting an official board game. Publisher Arcane Wonders are working on a tabletop adaptation of Activision-Blizzard's flagship franchise with an aim to release in late 2024.
Information is scarce right now. There's a long time left for the development of the game but the teaser trailer, along with the official announcement is enough to whet the appetite for the new project.
Arcane Wonders have also launched an official website for the game. The website doesn't show much but does feature the announcement trailer for the game.
The website also confirms that a Kickstarter will be coming soon. The likely release window for that Kickstarter is Fall 2023, around the same time that Arcane expect to begin taking pre-orders on the game.
The first release will be part of a wider plan for Call of Duty board game packs, working around the core game system.
How will the Call of Duty board game play?
The Call of Duty franchise is known for fluid movement and fast-paced action. That will be incredibly hard to replicate in board-game form.
Arcane Wonders confirmed to Polygon that the game will be playable for 1-4 players and will have several different modes of play.
“In addition to the competitive and tournament styles of play,” Bryan Pope, one of the game's designers said. "We are also creating cooperative campaigns for the game in the future that will allow 1-4 players to progress through a challenging and immersive Call of Duty story."
Those fast pace mechanics have proved tough to translate into board game format. Doom's board game adaptation failed at it and even Fallout 4's tabletop version struggled.
“Obviously we will be unveiling more as we get closer to the launch, but we really feel this game captures the immersion of a first-person shooter,” Pope continued.
Arcane have also promised that miniatures of franchise favourites will be coming as part of the game. Expect to see John "Soap" MacTavish, Simon "Ghost" Riley and Captain John Price involved in some capacity with those.
Makarov returns
One of the most beloved villains of the Call of Duty franchise, Vladimir Makarov, will return in the game. Key art for the game revealed how the Russian operative will look in the game.
The last time Makarov was in the Call of Duty franchise was at the end of the Modern Warfare 2 (2022) campaign. Captain Price teased him as an upcoming villain either for Sledgehammer's 2023 release or a further Modern Warfare title down the line.
His most memorable outing the series was during the original Modern Warfare releases. He became the big bad over the course of three games, culminating in his eventual death at the end of Modern Warfare 3 (2011).
We don't know if you'll be able to play as Makarov in Call of Duty: The Board Game or if beating him will be the goal of the game. Regardless, his involvement is exciting.
Other Arcane Wonders projects
This isn't the first time that Arcane have adapted a video game into a board game alternative. The also made a cardboard alternative to the intense hide-and-seek thriller Secret Neighbor.
The Secret Neighbor board game reviewed with a largely positive swing but there were some complaints. Some people said that the rules were too complicated. One reviewer even said that they made their own rules up for the game.
Hopefully the Call of Duty board game will have a tight focus on ensuring the gameplay flows, just like the console and PC counterparts.
Previous Call of Duty board games
This may come as a surprise but this is not the first board game adaptation of the Call of Duty franchise. Both Monopoly and Risk have had their own Call of Duty versions published.
The Call of Duty Monopoly release was during the Black Ops: III game cycle, featuring weapons and characters in place of properties.
Call of Duty Risk also came out around the same time and focused in on the Zombies aspect of Call of Duty titles.
More recently, the "Call of Duty: K/D Party Game" released in 2022. A flimsy-looking, barely thought-out project tried to cash in on the name of the franchise. Arcane Wonders categorically have to avoid that if they are to be a success with next year's release.
Only time will tell if Arcane Wonders will succeed in bringing the new Call of Duty Board game to life. At the very least, it's a very intriguing project.
Stay tuned to esports.gg for all the latest updates on Call of Duty news.