Call of Duty: Vanguard’s Graphics Are So Real, Actual War Journalists Went Inside the Game Engine to Capture Photographs of It

By: Activision Publishing, Inc. via Business Wire

October 21, 2021 at 06:02 AM EDT

Unique in-game photography to be displayed and sold for limited time at Bleecker Trading with 100% of proceeds to benefit Call of Duty Endowment

Today, Call of Duty revealed a new collaboration that, for the first time, allowed actual war photojournalists inside Call of Duty®: Vanguard to capture in-game war photographs that feel true to life, through the lens as if they were embedded within the war missions themselves.

Renowned long-time war photojournalists Alex Potter and Sebastiano Tomada Piccolmini have vast experience shooting in conflict regions, including numerous battles throughout the Middle East. For the upcoming release of the World War II-themed Vanguard, which is scheduled for release on November 5^th, the two ventured inside the game engine for an exclusive photoshoot held at publisher Activision’s motion capture studios. Potter and Piccolmini’s journeys were then reflected in a trailer (https://youtu.be/n_-ed085Eo8), allowing fans to see these photographers’ experiences and reactions in real time.

“Call of Duty: Vanguard captures the epic intimacy of World War II in an incredibly immersive manner,” said Fernando Machado, Chief Marketing Officer, Activision Blizzard. “We tested its realism by sending in Alex Potter and Sebastiano Tomada Piccolomini with special camera-like portals into the game engine itself, which took them back in time as if they were a photographer in that period, showing how real Vanguard will truly look and feel to gamers everywhere.”

Vanguard’s incredible graphics and visual immersion reflect the latest technological advancements coming when the new game launches next month, including its use of photogrammetry where locations, scenes and objects are recreated in-game to lifelike photoreal quality.

Photojournalists Alex and Sebastiano waited for the right moments to snap their shots the same way they would on the ground. “These were situations that I would normally capture,” said Alex Potter in the film. “I was impressed with how kinetic and immersive it all was,” added Sebastiano Tomada Piccolmini. “As photographers, this is what conflict looks like.”

Limited edition prints of the Call of Duty: Vanguard in-game photography will be available at www.BleeckerTrading.com and Bleecker Trading NY starting at 3pm ET on October 21. All proceeds from the photography sales will be donated to the Call of Duty Endowment.

“This special collaboration presents a great opportunity to continue raising awareness and honoring our veterans as we further our mission to help them find high-quality jobs,” said Dan Goldenberg, Executive Director of the Call of Duty Endowment.

The Call of Duty Endowment has funded the placement of more than 90,000 veterans into high-quality employment since its inception and aims to place 100,000 veterans into meaningful jobs by 2024. The Endowment’s 2020 cost to place a veteran was $515, providing employment at about 1/9 the cost of U.S. Department of Labor efforts.

To help get veterans back to work, please visit: www.callofdutyendowment.org/help, or follow on Instagram and Facebook at @CallofDutyEndowment, and Twitter at @CODE4Vets.

Call of Duty: Vanguard is scheduled for release on November 5, 2021. Vanguard is the newest release from the blockbuster franchise that’s sold over 400 million copies to date over its lifetime.

Call of Duty: Vanguard is published by Activision, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ: ATVI). For more information, the latest intel and complete blog coverage, check out: https://www.callofduty.com/ and https://www.youtube.com/callofduty and follow @CallofDuty on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

About Activision

Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision is a leading global producer and publisher of interactive entertainment. Activision maintains operations throughout the world and is a division of Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ: ATVI), an S&P 500 company. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company's website at www.activision.com or by following @Activision.

About Call of Duty Endowment

The Call of Duty Endowment is a non-profit organization co-founded by Bobby Kotick, CEO of Activision Blizzard. The Endowment seeks to help veterans find high-quality careers by supporting groups that prepare them for the job market and by raising awareness of the value vets bring to the workplace. For more information about the Call of Duty Endowment, please visit www.callofdutyendowment.org.

About Bleecker Trading

Bleecker Trading is a curator of collectibles located at 96 Christopher Street New York City. We service buyers, sellers, and collectors with a rotating selection of trading cards, memorabilia and limited run products. Founded in 2020 by Mark Zablow, Bleecker’s mission is to redefine the retail collectible experience and bring cultural relevance to a 100+ year old hobby. www.bleeckertrading.com

ACTIVISION, CALL OF DUTY, CALL OF DUTY VANGUARD are trademarks of Activision Publishing, Inc. All other trademarks and trade names are the properties of their respective owners.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements: Information in this press release that involves Activision Publishing's expectations, plans, intentions or strategies regarding the future, including statements about the expected release date, pre-orders, features, functionality, gameplay, and reveal of Call of Duty: Vanguard, are forward-looking statements that are not facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause Activision Publishing's actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements set forth in this release include unanticipated product delays and other factors identified in the risk factors sections of Activision Blizzard's most recent annual report on Form 10K and any subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. The forward-looking statements in this release are based upon information available to Activision Publishing and Activision Blizzard as of the date of this release, and neither Activision Publishing nor Activision Blizzard assumes any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements believed to be true when made may ultimately prove to be incorrect. These statements are not guarantees of the future performance of Activision Publishing or Activision Blizzard and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond its control and may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations.