'Call of Duty: Black Ops 4' Rumors: Will Upcoming Game Be Released With a Battle Royale Mode?
The first-person shooter (FPS) genre is still among the most popular in gaming. It could even stake a claim to being the most popular one. That's why many gamers get excited by the arrival of titles from established FPS franchises, and yes, there are already plenty of people who cannot wait to get their hands on "Call of Duty: Black Ops 4" later this year.
What's worth noting though is that in the past few months, a new genre has emerged that appears to have a chance of challenging the dominance of the first-person shooter.
Battle Royale games are becoming immensely popular, and it's hard to be a gamer these days and not come across at least a few websites or people talking about those titles.
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There's a real chance that Battle Royale games could overtake FPS offerings in the world of gaming in terms of popularity.
The good news for gamers though is that they may not necessarily have to choose between getting a primarily FPS game and one that features a Battle Royale mode.
Take for instance the aforementioned "Black Ops 4." There are some interesting clues starting to pop up that could be hinting at that game getting a Battle Royale mode.
Earlier this month, Wall Street Journal technology reporter Sarah E. Needleman pointed out that the publisher of that upcoming game, Activision, shared some notable comments related to titles that come with a Battle Royale mode.
Investment firm Oppenheimer previously talked to Activision's finance chief and investor relations director, and after those conversations, Oppenheimer noted that the publisher is "keenly aware" of how other companies in the industry have gotten a boost from releasing Battle Royale games.
More recently, Michael Olson, an analyst for the investment and management firm Piper Jaffray, mentioned in a note that he expects Battle Royale modes to be included in some high profile games coming from big publishers, CNBC reported.
Among the titles Olson mentioned as possible candidates to receive a Battle Royale mode is Activision's "Call of Duty." Olson did not name any specific "Call of Duty" game, but given that he predicts those Battle Royale modes to be added sometime around the second half of this year to the early part of 2019, "Black Ops 4" seems to be the best candidate to get the additional mode.
It's not difficult to imagine the developers and publishers going ahead and adding a Battle Royale mode to this year's "Call of Duty" game.
From a gameplay standpoint, the mode should work well, and considering how popular it has been, it would be odd if the people working at some of the bigger gaming companies continue to avoid doing something involving it.
At this point, it would almost be more surprising if the next "Call of Duty" game was released without anything that resembled a Battle Royale mode.
Fans will be able to hear more about what the upcoming game will feature during the community reveal event scheduled for May 17.
"Call of Duty: Black Ops 4" will be officially released on Oct. 12.
