Canceled Call Of Duty Games That Never Saw The Light Of Day

"Call of Duty" has been around for over 20 years, and the franchise has provided us with an almost unimaginable amount of games. There are dozens of "Call of Duty" games in the series, and that's not even counting anything classified as being part of the "CoD" extended universe. True "CoD" fans know the franchise's history, but they might not realize how many potential games have been lost to time. Even though it might seem like Acitivison has spent two decades publishing every "CoD" idea it comes up with, that couldn't be further from the truth.

On several occasions, Activision has decided to give "CoD" projects the ax before they really get off the ground. Despite its best efforts, Activision has allowed some spectacularly big "CoD" fails to slip through, and when you get to know about some of the wildest "CoD" games that never saw the light of day, you might find yourself wishing that the publisher had relaxed its grip on the beloved series and really swung for the fences. Here are just a few of the outside-the-box "Call of Duty" games that never got released.

Believe it or not, "Call of Duty" almost left gaming consoles behind to come straight to your kitchen table. The "CoD" card game was created by Upper Deck Entertainment, and it was supposed to be released in late 2008. The game definitely had some concepts that set it apart from its competition: It played in real time, came with prebuilt decks instead of booster packs, and recreated the most popular "CoD" game modes. However, it never actually got put into production in an official capacity.

There are probably a handful of reasons why we never got our hands on the card game. With behemoths like "Magic: The Gathering" and "Yu-Gi-Oh!" crowding the field, Activision no doubt realized that "CoD" could have a hard time breaking into the market. The real time aspect of the game could have set it apart, but also added a layer of difficulty that might have alienated newcomers. Each player would have controlled three squad members at a time, and they were all supposed to move, dodge, and attack simultaneously. As cool as that sounds in theory, card games live or die based on how easy they are to pick up and learn. "Call of Duty" might have flopped even if it made it to card tables.

"Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare" gave players a taste of futuristic battles, but fans almost got a sci-fi "CoD" long before that controversial release. In January 2024, footage from a game codenamed "NX1" made its way online and had gamers suddenly bemoaning a decision that Activision made over a decade ago.

Fuck it, NX1. pic.twitter.com/KDPh6pwHxn

— Josh H. (@mangafigurines) January 27, 2024

According to former Neversoft developer for Brian Bright, the company started on "NX1" in 2010, after working on "Guitar Hero." Bright revealed that the team had crafted a few campaign missions and had done some fairly extensive multiplayer design before the project was canned. "One thing we really liked in [multiplayer] was the first Escort mode in COD. There is footage out there on this," Bright wrote.

There definitely is more footage, as it turns out. A full ten minute clip got uploaded just hours after Bright's comments. The clip shows off the entirety of a moon-based mission that plays around with cracking helmets, low-gravity combat, and futuristic weaponry. The team at Neversoft were clearly ahead of their time, and as fun as "Infinite Warfare" was, it's hard not to feel disappointed that we never got to see more from "NX1."

That's all folks 🤠 pic.twitter.com/7TOg7JgdjE

— Josh H. (@mangafigurines) January 29, 2024

The entire "Call of Duty" franchise has encompassed decades of history, stretching back into the past and reaching far into the future, but the games have always focused on a fairly modern kind of war. Guns and grenades are the bread and butter of "CoD," but there was a point in time where some developers were asking themselves what a "CoD" game would look like without those staples.

Let us introduce you to "Roman Wars," one of the strangest "CoD" games that almost got the chance to exist. In the late 2000s Activision was feeling experimental, and it tasked Vicarious Visions, a studio it had acquired in 2005, with creating a demo for a Roman-era "CoD" game. The team at Vicarious delivered a demo that, in retrospect, sounds simply amazing. "Roman Wars" would have featured epic third-person battles and first-person gladiator segments. It also took full advantage of the historical setting, allowing players to ride horses and use war elephants to attack towering structures filled with enemies. The combat system focused on sword–and-shield battles, but the team was also working on small touches like using bows or even throwing sand into enemy eyes to open them up for a quick stab.

"Roman Wars" never made it beyond the demo stage, even after the "CoD" license was removed and it was pitched as a standalone game. It got all the way to then-CEO Bobby Kotick's desk, and Activision briefly considered using it as an Xbox One launch title. However, the company had concerns about watering down the "CoD" brand, so it killed the game.