Chance Glasco, one of Infinity Ward’s original members, compared Call of Duty to The Simpsons, saying both franchises eventually ran out of ideas. Glasco began his career as an animator on Medal of Honor: Allied Assault before joining 25 developers to create the first Call of Duty at what was then the newly formed Infinity Ward studio.

The last Call of Duty game Glasco worked on was 2013’s Ghosts, considered one of the franchise’s iconic entries despite underperforming in sales at the time. He’s known as one of the most influential video game animators and, because of his contributions to the gaming industry over the years, may be included in a Call of Duty feature being planned by the Oklahoma Pop Museum. Today, the Infinity Ward veteran is working on his own game, Martial Arts Tycoon: Brazil, developed at Good Dog Studios, which he co-founded.

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Despite parting ways with Activision and Infinity Ward, Tulsa native Chance Glasco was recently interviewed about the franchise by Oklahoma’s News9. When asked about Call of Duty’s growth over the years, Glasco offered a surprising analogy: “It’s almost like The Simpsons—it’s been around so long that it feels like they’ve run out of ideas at times.” He also noted that the franchise has strayed from the direction of its early installments, so much so that he doesn’t play many CoD games outside Warzone.

Has Call of Duty Run Out of Ideas?

Although Glasco’s comparison between Call of Duty and The Simpsons might seem unusual at first, both franchises have faced similar criticism: a lack of fresh ideas. In the case of Activision’s first-person shooter, many have pointed out that the series often recycles familiar plotlines and struggles to bring in new concepts. Likewise, critics of the animated series have noted its decline in the kind of quirky, inventive storytelling that defined its success in the 90s.

Beyond criticisms of its repetitive ideas, Activision’s flagship franchise has faced growing backlash in several other areas in recent years. Earlier this year, for example, Call of Duty admitted to using AI-generated in-game assets after Steam demanded proper disclosure, which prompted widespread negative reaction from the community. Additionally, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is struggling with its reception on Steam, where its overall reviews are marked as “Mixed” and recent reviews trend toward “Mostly Negative.”

However, it’s important to note that Call of Duty is one of the largest franchises in gaming history. And being at the top of the industry comes with greater responsibility, meaning the franchise is always held to above-average standards. While Chance Glasco’s comment about the lack of fresh ideas in recent CoD games is valid, it certainly shouldn’t overshadow the franchise’s significant achievements over the years.