"The planning for it started six to nine months ago, when we were figuring out where we wanted to have it this year and it really came down to the storyline of the game," senior vice president and head of marketing at Activision Tyler Bahl told Variety. "Looking at this new level, 'Most Wanted,' it takes place in D.C. at Governor Bill Clinton's fundraiser. And we were asking, how can we bring this to life in a much bigger way?"
The Next event was created to drive social media engagement and sales surrounding the Call of Duty franchise by giving top gaming-focused creators a chance to get hands-on multiplayer experience with new titles ahead of release.
Bahl notes so much of the focus this year is on the themed activities that will give the influencers the content they need to increase hype among their followers for Black Ops 6.
"There's going to be a motorcade that is going to drive through D.C. So it'll be five busses, 16 motorcycles driving through D.C., fully branded for Black Ops 6."
"We have one of these characters that we're bringing to life called the Mega Abomination. That'll actually be greeting all the creators as they arrive – this three-story monster that breathes fire lasers as they enter. It's going to be the largest marionette for a video game and we will have Guinness Book of World Records there to verify that."
"And at the Spy Museum, we're gonna have our first Call of Duty wedding. We have two creators that met through Call of Duty and we'll have a third creator who's going to officiate. It's tricked out with all kinds of stuff, like Call of Duty cufflinks, orange-and-black bouquets, and robes and cakes."
