The game has many bad reviews, mostly centred on its storyline, which is so rushed it feels like it has been written under the influence of too much cocaine.

Most Call of Duty games are developed in around three years, but the bulk of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III was made in less than a year and a half.

The process was hurried because this year's game was conceived to fill a gap in the release schedule following the delay of another Call of Duty title previously planned for 2023.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III was initially pitched to staff at Foster City, California-based developer Sledgehammer Games as an expansion to last year's title, but it morphed into a full sequel during development, Bloomberg earlier reported.

Insiders complained that the rushed deadlines hacked off the development team, which felt too pressured to turn out something decent.

Call of Duty has made more than $30 billion in revenue over the last 20 years. It's the most important series in Activision's portfolio, with thousands of developers worldwide.