Activision Confirms New Call of Duty Franchise in Development, Sparking Fan Speculation

Activision is actively developing a new Call of Duty sub-series, signaling it is ready to move beyond Black Ops and Modern Warfare for now.

Activision is actively developing a new Call of Duty sub-franchise, indicating that it is ready to move on from Black Ops and Modern Warfare for now.

In a new interview with The Game Business, Activision marketing director Tyler Bahl confirmed that one of its studios is developing a new Call of Duty franchise. Although Bahl didn't say which studio would make it or when it would be released, it's widely believed to be the next game from Sledgehammer Games, which is expected to be released next year. He also noted that Modern Warfare 4 will conclude the story Infinity Ward has been telling since 2019, but suggested that the universe could continue into the future with certain characters.

However, Activision believes the path forward for Call of Duty is less about relying on old franchises and familiar faces and more about innovation.

"Wherever we go with future games, we have to innovate," Bahl said. "What we heard from the audience is that they want new or better or different. The landscape is changing right under our feet. You see new games being made overnight and you see tastes change and how people want to play."

These comments have led to all kinds of speculation about where the next Call of Duty game will go. Will they try to go to the future? distant past? What kind of mechanics could they introduce to make it feel fresh without changing things too much? Well, a rumor from Call of Duty leaker TheGhostofHope in 2025 might offer some insight, assuming it pans out.

Rumor has it that the next Sledgehammer game will focus on martial arts with karate kicks and kicks. It's possible that Sledgehammer is trying to lean into John Wick's gun-foo combat, which combines satisfying gunplay with fluid and flashy close-quarters combat. This seems more doable for a third-person game with a heavy emphasis on animations, but a fast-paced, competitive first-person game might have a harder time implementing this type of gameplay. If it comes to fruition, though, it can be really compelling.

Interestingly, Sledgehammer Games really started out as a Call of Duty team by trying to innovate. The studio was created with the expectation of developing a third-person Call of Duty game set in the Vietnam War, and tried to use the team's experience in games like Dead Space to create a new kind of Call of Duty experience. The project was eventually spun off as Sledgehammer to help develop Modern Warfare 3 after Infinity Ward imploded.

However, Sledgehammer tried to innovate again with its first solo title, Advanced Warfare. The game introduced outerwear that allowed players to jump, jump and slide thanks to advanced movement mechanics. It was a radical leap for Call of Duty, though fans largely rejected attempts to take the franchise into the future. Since then, Sledgehammer has played it pretty safe with two World War II games and a different game that happened to be titled Modern Warfare 3, ironically.

Whether Sledgehammer can create something to excite fans again remains to be seen, but it's nice to have a non-MW or Black Ops game for the first time in over five years.

Cade Onder is a freelancer for the IGN news team. He covers all things entertainment, including games, movies and more. You can find him on Twitter @Cade_Onder.