A month later, Activision has put its logo back on Call of Duty marketing
The publisher had seemingly distanced itself amid a discrimination lawsuit
Activision has put its logo back on the marketing for the next Call of Duty game.
On Thursday the publisher released a reveal trailer for Call of Duty: Vanguard’s multiplayer mode, and unlike all previous videos used to market the title, Activision’s logo is prominently included on the new video’s end slate.
Activision’s logo traditionally features prominently in all Call of Duty marketing, but it was noticeably absent from Vanguard’s debut trailer, which was released last month. Curiously, the video also opened with “Call of Duty presents” instead of ‘Activision presents’.
PlayStation users who participated in last month’s Vanguard alpha also noticed that Activision’s logo was conspicuously absent from the game’s start-up screen. An unpatched version of the alpha accessed by one player later suggested that the Activision logo had been removed at a late stage.
You can watch the new Call of Duty: Vanguard trailer via the video embed below:
Vanguard is Activision’s first major product announcement since the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing filed a lawsuit against Activision Blizzard in late July accusing it of failing to handle sexual harassment and discrimination complaints.
The game’s previous marketing had been perceived as an attempt to distance Activision Blizzard‘s biggest brand from the numerous allegations of wrongdoing aimed at the company, which have seriously tarnished its reputation.
But asked about the decision to omit the Activision logo from the game’s debut trailer, a company spokesperson claimed the move was a creative one.
“Call of Duty has continued to expand into an incredible universe of experiences,” they said. “This was a creative choice that reflects how Vanguard represents the next major installment in the franchise.”