Jon Riva & Clayton Neuman Interview: The Walking Dead & Call Of Duty Worlds Colliding

screenrant.com:

Two beloved characters have entered the universe as part of 's second season. Rick Grimes and Michonne are now playable operators in both and, a collaboration which ties in with the new series. The spin-off reunites Andrew Lincoln and Danai Gurira's characters several years after their last canonical meeting, and elaborates on what became of Rick Grimes after his mysterious fate in the original show.

A few days after the show's premiere, a new in-game event entitled will begin February 28, during which players will earn extra XP playing as Michonne. Rick Grimes' skin is a Battle Pass reward, while Michonne is part of a new Tracer Pack that also includes a finishing move, decal, weapon sticker, charm, and new blueprints. For a franchise that's long touted a beloved zombie-centric mode, a crossover seems like a natural fit, and the collaboration includes many small details for fans of both IPs.

interviewed Clayton Neuman, Head of Franchise at AMC, and Jon Riva, Content Art Director at Sledgehammer Games for, to discuss the collaboration process, blending together and cohesively, and the potential for future characters.

Screen Rant: I'm really excited to talk about this integration. I think it's a really fun crossover and it feels particularly apt timing-wise with the upcoming additions and that sort of thing. First I'd love to know just a little bit about how this collaboration started in the first place. What about the IP makes it a good fit for what is typically looking for in a crossover?

Clayton Neuman: Yeah, I'd say that AMC has been eager to work with Activision for a while on Call of Duty. I think there's a really strong thematic through line between the two properties, from the gritty realism to the epic scale legions of die-hard fans.

You mentioned yourself Call of Duty's Zombie mode. And so I think with the release of Modern Warfare III and that Zombie mode aligning very well with AMC, bringing back two of its most iconic characters from The Walking Dead