Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered has been teased for a standalone release for quite some time, and new leaks from CharlieINTEL suggest the game’s possible release date and price. Sources say it will arrive June 20 for $39.
The news comes via images from a retail source that show not only the game’s PS4 packaging but also a database screenshot with the release details. It’s not known precisely where this info comes from beyond its Target labeling, but the source site is generally pretty accurate when it comes to knowing which leaks to share with fans. The evidence is either a very good fabrication or a preview of what’s to come.
The most shocking, or not so shocking, detail in all of this leak, however, is the $40 price of Modern Warfare Remastered. When it first released as a pack in with Infinite Warfare’s Legacy Edition last year, it essentially added a $20 fee to the main game’s $60 price. However, if this leak is true, it appears Activision is charging double the cost for those who want the standalone version.
That premium is certainly not something fans were expecting, but at the same time, it’s not too out of bounds when considering Activision’s history with Call Of Duty pricing. For comparison’s sake, it’s worth noting that Call Of Duty: Black Ops II, a game released five years ago, currently retails for $50 on Xbox 360. More relevant to Modern Warfare Remastered specifically, Activision recently parceled out a remastered version of the game’s Variety Map Pack DLC for $5 more than when it first released nine years ago. Call Of Duty is Activision’s most valuable brand, and its officials have no problem asking consumers to pay more for the experience.
Let’s also not forget just how disappointed Activision has been with Infinite Warfare's sales numbers. At an earnings call in February, COO Thomas Tippl admitted that “sales underperformed our expectations” because “the space setting just didn’t resonate” with players. Discounts have brought the Legacy Edition all the way down to $40 in the past, so, by pricing the standalone Modern Warfare Remastered this way, the publisher is making the bundled purchase of Infinite Warfare a better value. It’s a way to pad the stats for a product the company largely viewed as a comparative failure.
As for that June 20 release date, there’s still some debate to be had there. Previous leaks suggested the game would be available June 27, so what we can say is that its arrival is at least coming soon. If June 20 is accurate, we should be hearing something from Activision over the next few hours.
While this leak only shows the PS4 version, we’d have to imagine that Modern Warfare Remastered will also be available on Xbox One and PC. It can be purchased now alongside Infinite Warfare with its full single-player campaign and complete suite of online multiplayer maps.
Are you surprised by this price leak? Would you pay $40 for Modern Warfare Remastered? Tell us in the comments section!
