Activision Announces Call of Duty XP, Boasts “Ultimate Fan Experience”

To tie in with a series known for being a bit over-the-top, Activision has announced that they’re taking the Call of Duty experience out of the virtual and into reality with Call of Duty XP 2011, which will run on September 2 and 3. CoD XP sounds like something new in the realm of gaming conventions and expos – a two-day event centered on one specific game series.

In addition to the standard expo fare of keynote speeches, panels, and press conferences, CoD XP will offer attendees the experience to truly become a part of the game. Intrigued? Check out the full details after the break.

Every game has its hallmark map, and the iterations of Call of Duty are no exception. Team Fortress has 2fort, Counter-Strike has de_dust, and Modern Warfare 2 has The Pit. The Pit will be fully recreated as a paintball arena, completely playable for the attendees of CoD XP. Not only will The Pit be recreated as a paintball arena, but if you’re hungry after your match in The Pit, you can swing by the Burger Town restaurant. The Burger King knock-off franchise has also been faithfully recreated from Modern Warfare 2, which will serve as one of the main eateries for the expo.

Attendees will also get either looks at or hands-on time with the multiplayer section of Modern Warfare 3 and the mysterious Call of Duty Elite service. As no gaming expo would be complete without some serious competitive multiplayer, Activision, in conjunction with Microsoft, will be running a $1 million CoD tournament to find out which of their most rabid fans are the best at being both modern and warfare-y. The whole thing is scheduled to wrap up with what Activision is confidently describing as “AAA talent,” and “…worth the price of the ticket alone.”

Tickets for CoD XP will go on sale on July 19 for $150 per ticket. The good news is that all of the ticket proceeds are going to the Call of Duty Endowment, a non-profit organization which assists veterans in finding work after returning from deployment. The bad news is the event is being limited to 6,000 attendees, and if the rate of BlizzCon ticket sales is anything like the rate these tickets will sell at, the supply won’t last much more than a few seconds. Keep an eye on the official site for CoD XP for more information, and to find out when you need to be sitting in front of the computer, refresh at the ready, for a chance to get in.