Call of Duty Multiplayer Always Free

Whether or not Activision
ultimately decides to introduce a subscription-based service for its
Call of Duty titles, fans will be pleased to know they won't have to pay
to play multiplayer matches, at least for now.


A purported YouTube video surfaced last night that showed a
possible membership program was in the works for Call of Duty:
Modern Warfare 2. Addressing the video, Infinity Ward's Robert
Bowling said the 'Modern Warfare 2 Membership' menu shown was an error
and that there will never be 'pay-to-play' Call of Duty multiplayer.


"To be clear: There is not, and will never be, additional fees required
to subscribe and play Modern Warfare 2 multiplayer," he said on his blog.


"The video above seems to show a user on what appears to be the Xbox
Live Gold Membership renewal page via the Marketplace in the guide, but
while in-game in Modern Warfare 2 (which is in error)," he added. "It
does not however, prove a pay-to-play subscription model is in the works
for Modern Warfare 2, because no such plan exists for this or any other
Call of Duty (including the upcoming Black Ops)."


"That said, feel free to cease freaking out."


Treyarch
community manager Josh Olin addressed
the rumors saying Call of Duty:
Black Ops will also be free to play online. "No, you will not have
to 'Pay to Play' multiplayer either," he said. "Rumor -> Squashed."


Activision
issued a statement to IGN further reinforcing what Bowling and Olin had
stated, saying the company has no plans to charge for online
multiplayer.


"Reports of a subscription membership in Modern Warfare 2 are not true,"
a spokesperson said. " Activision has no plans to charge gamers to play
Call of Duty multiplayer."


This news comes just days after industry analyst Michael Pachter
preached that publishers such as Activision need to begin to monetize multiplayer by including
subscription fees, starting with Call of Duty: Black Ops this November.