Every year since 2005, Activision has put out a new premium game every fall in the Call of Duty series. According to Bloomberg, the video game company will be taking a break from releasing a Call of Duty game in 2023.

“The company is pushing off the release after a recent entry in the series failed to meet expectations, leading some executives to believe that they’re introducing new versions too rapidly,” Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier reported. Microsoft has reached a deal to acquire Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion but the decision to skip a release in the popular franchise next year is not due to this. Last year’s Call of Duty: Vanguard did not meet sales expectations and executives at Activision believe the company is releasing new entries in the franchise too soon.

In 2020, Call of Duty: Warzone a free-to-play battle royale was released and has enjoyed massive success, this may have affected sales expectations for last year’s Call of Duty: Vanguard. Activision is expected to release a premium game this fall that is expected to be a sequel to 2019’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.

“We have an exciting slate of premium and free-to-play Call of Duty experiences for this year, next year and beyond,” a spokesman for Activision wrote in an emailed statement obtained by Bloomberg. “We look forward to sharing more details when the time is right.” To fill the gap in 2023, Bloomberg reports this year’s Call of Duty game “will receive a steady stream of additional content, and there will be a new, free-to-play online title next year.” Treyarch, the studio working on the delayed game will also help with the development of the additional content.

This year’s title is in development by Activision’s Infinity Ward studio. Every year, Call of Duty games regularly top sales charts, with a premium title being skipped in 2023, this is expected to affect the video game company. Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision is expected to be completed in 2023 and the company could yet make a different decision.

Image: Activision