Leave it up to Kratos’ voice actor, Christopher Judge, to mercilessly take a metaphorical stab at one of gaming’s biggest and most profitable games.
A year after setting a new record for one of the longest speeches ever, Judge, who was equally ribbed for his extended eloquence (and was such a good sport about it), couldn’t help but make a short comment directed at Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, the much-maligned entry in the best-selling FPS franchise.
Judge’s quip, comparing the duration of his previous year’s lengthy acceptance speech to the short campaign of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, has sparked a wave of reactions among developers and audiences alike, the former of whom aren’t huge fans of his “joke.”
In his speech, Judge humorously acknowledged the infamy of his previous address, playfully assuring the audience of a more concise approach this time. However, his unexpected jab at the newest Call of Duty where he stated his previous speech outlasted the game’s campaign, elicited a mixture of laughter and shock from the audience. Judge’s closing remark, acknowledging his unlikely future collaboration with Activision, added a candid finality to his statement.
The Game Awards, while typically not known for sharp-tongued comments, suddenly found itself in the spotlight for a lot of reasons this year (including the lack of focus on awards and that one cringe-worthy musical near the end of the show.) But, what was arguably the most surprising bit was Judge’s remark.
The gaming industry, accustomed to celebratory and respectful tones at such events, found itself confronting quite an unusually direct critique from a high-profile figure. This moment highlighted the evolving nature of industry events, where humor and candor might slowly find their place alongside traditional accolades and announcements.
The reaction from the Call of Duty development community was been as swift as the Blades of Chaos and as varied as the deities that Kratos have slain over the years.
Some of the developers expressed their disappointment, pointing to the effort and challenges they had faced during the game’s development. Others criticized Judge’s remark as inappropriate for an event designed for the celebration of the industry’s achievements. These responses reveal the sensitivity surrounding game development, especially when public perception and industry respect are at stake.
Ajinkya Limaye, a former Call of Duty developer, who now works at Bungie, suggested that a comparison between the franchises’ achievements, hinting at a broader scope beyond campaign lengths. Nelson Plumey, Associate Art Director at Treyarch, contributed to the discourse with a comment on user engagement, indicating the differing priorities and metrics of success in the gaming world.
However, the broader gaming community’s response varied, with many acknowledging Judge’s joke as a light-hearted, if pointed, commentary on the state of modern gaming campaigns. The incident has sparked discussions about the expectations and realities of game development, highlighting the sometimes significant gap between creative aspirations and the harsher realities of production timelines and market pressures.
Judge’s history with God of War, a franchise celebrated for its storytelling and character development, has stood in stark contrast with the criticized brevity of Call of Duty, especially the latest entries.
Surprisingly enough, some of the developers who’ve taken offense to Judge’s joke appears to have since retracted their statements, deleting their posts on their personal social media accounts.
Ultimately, while this year’s The Game Awards received its fair share of criticism and drew controversy, it remains one of the year’s biggest highlights that saw Baldur’s Gate 3 emerge victorious while Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 fell short of winning an award despite seven nominations.
As for God of War, fans can celebrate knowing that there’s a free DLC for God of War: Ragnarok on PC.
