Modern Warfare 4 Promises “No SpongeBob,” But Fans Have Heard It Before

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4’s reveal was ironically a mixed bag. Everything about Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4’s gameplay and presentation seems incredible, for instance, and yet one bit of decidedly excellent news is understandably sending fans reeling. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 launches this October, meaning fans will already be playing this new Call of Duty: Modern Warfare entry in less than five short months.

This launch will be fun and momentous for the series, but it is not the game’s release or story campaign that many fans are concerned about, even if Call of Duty is doing its best to quell those fears. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 caused a ruckus on Twitter/X when it began doubling and tripling down on there apparently not being any silly or immersion-breaking crossover cosmetics introduced at launch or throughout post-launch seasonal content.

Anyone who considers themselves a glass-half-full kind of person is likely to be optimistic about this, as the receipts are all out there for fans to hurl back at Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, Infinity Ward, and Activision if Nicki Minaj or Lady Gaga skins suddenly appear.

However, even the least skeptical of fans know not to be fully convinced, as this whole charade has gone on before. Call of Duty has made this same promise multiple times before, only to then feature these sorts of skins/cosmetics, and thus, it is only natural for fans of the franchise to take Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4’s words with copious grains of salt: “No Lady Gaga. No Omni-Man. No Teletubbies. No Spongebob. Keep the receipts.”

User Rachi isn’t buying it, and suspects that we’ll see “a bunch of ridiculous clashing themes hoarding an overpriced cosmetic shop” months after launch. Likewise, user Sasha writes, “Yeah, this will 100% be a lie when it’s all said and done.”

Interestingly, Call of Duty has been remarkably vocal in its response to naysayers, which could backfire horribly if Modern Warfare 4 does eventually succumb to its baser live-service instincts. And, if legitimate, it is unknown if Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 remaining authentic will earn it praise, versus fans simply saying that this is how it ought to have been all along.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 resisting the franchise’s usual temptations would be a great boon for players who don’t want the game’s tone or reputation to be tarnished, and choosing to outwardly state and reiterate that it won’t indulge in absurd collaborations is clearly a sign that it has its thumb on the pulse of the Call of Duty playerbase. That said, Call of Duty also wouldn’t continue to disappoint fans by inevitably producing these collaborations if there wasn’t a sizable demographic consuming it.

It would probably be in the best interests of all Call of Duty franchise purists and enthusiasts going forward not to have their hopes hoisted too high, at least until after a couple of seasons have come and gone. Regardless, this back and forth on social media is proof that there is a cyclical nature to each Call of Duty release, and it will be interesting to see if Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 stays true to those words.