Call of Duty's new Fallout crossover dresses up Price and the lads in stretchy blue jammies, and I'm sorry but it's not a great look
No power armor? Not even an NCR Ranger outfit?
The Call of Duty collaboration with Fallout that leaked in May is now official, as Activision has announced that four gun-toting escapees of Vault 141 are coming to Call of Duty: Warzone, Modern Warfare 3, and Warzone Mobile on June 20.
The Fallout Vault Dweller Bundle includes a pair of themed weapon blueprints, one for a "Vault-Tech Approved" M16, the other for an "Atomic Disintegrator” HRM-9—which, despite the name, is a relatively conventional SMG. Each weapon includes two aftermarket parts that make them even more useful in the heat of combat.
In practical terms the guns are the centerpiece of the bundle, but for my money the real highlight has to be the new Vault 141 skins for Price, Ghost, Soap, and Gaz—because this is where I think it misses the mark. Yes, the vault dweller skins are "authentic," but they also look, well, really silly. Skin-tight sky blue leotards with gold lamé trim isn't a good look for anyone outside the inherently ridiculous Fallout universe, and throwing them slapdash on the Call of Duty lads just looks wrong. Why not give Ghost a ghoul mask instead of his usual skull, or turn Price's chops into the classic OG Overseer goatee? Okay, that might go over a lot of heads, but they didn't even tart up Gaz's hat. Put an NCR flag on it, for heaven's sake!
A number of players have also taken note of the complete lack of power armor in the new pack. I get that to an extent: Animating power armor within the context of Warzone would surely be a headache, not to mention coming up with an explanation for why it doesn't offer any better protection from gunfire than some stretchy jammies. Hitboxes might also be a concern for the gargantuan armor set, but then again, they made Gundum work.
I feel like if you're a gaming colossus on the scale of Microsoft and you've decided to mash together two of your biggest entertainment properties, you figure out some way to get that sweet T-51b in there. More than anything, that is the iconic image of Fallout, and a Call of Duty crossover without it feels incomplete—like it's less a creative exercise and more the vaguely sad but inevitable outcome of relentless, grinding media consolidation.
Am I reading too much into it? Maybe so. An awful lot of reactions to the announcement on Twitter are clearly enthusiastic for it. But just as when the crossover leaked in May, it's not universal, which is a little unexpected given that these are two of the biggest names in gaming.
As noted by a few players, it probably wouldn't have been too much trouble to at least get some Ranger armor from Fallout: New Vegas in there, but even that's nowhere to be seen. (Let's hope that doesn't fire up the conspiracy theories again.)
Yeah, that probably would've done it.
Here's everything in the bundle:
- Four “Vault 141” Operator Skins
- “Atomic Disintegrator” HRM-9 Weapon Blueprin
- “Vault-Tec Approved” M16 Weapon Blueprint
- “Let’s Do This!” and “Fatman” Charms
- “Wasteland Workshop” Calling Card
- “You’re Special” Large Decal
- “Vault-Tec Engineer” Emblem
- “Nuka-Cola Spacer” Sticker
- Six Loading Screens including “Nuka-Cola,” “Please Stand By,” “Survivors’ Journey,” “Sanctuary Hills,” “Vault 141,” and “Restoring Democracy”
Pricing on the Fallout Vault Dweller Bundle hasn't been announced, but it's set to go live on June 20. That will also mark the start of the Fallout: Vault Dwellers event in Warzone, Zombies, and Call of Duty multiplayer, which will grant an XP boost to players using the Vault Dweller skins and also offer the opportunity for players to earn other Fallout-themed cosmetics. The event is set to run until 8 am PT/11 am ET on June 26—full details are up at callofduty.com.