Activision Confirms New Call of Duty Sub-Franchise in Development, Sparking Wild Fan Theories

Activision is actively working on a brand-new Call of Duty sub-franchise, signaling a potential shift away from the Black Ops and Modern Warfare series for the time being.

In a recent interview with The Game Business, Activision's Chief Marketing Officer, Tyler Bahl, confirmed that one of its studios is developing a new Call of Duty sub-franchise. While Bahl didn't specify which studio or when it would launch, many believe it's the next project from Sledgehammer Games, expected to arrive next year. He also mentioned that Modern Warfare 4 will wrap up the story Infinity Ward has been telling since 2019, but hinted that the universe could continue with certain characters in the future.

However, Activision believes the future of Call of Duty lies less in relying on legacy franchises and familiar faces, and more in innovation.

“Where we go with future games, we have to innovate,” Bahl said. “What we heard from the audience is they want new or better or different. The landscape is changing right under our feet. You’re seeing new games being built overnight, and you’re seeing tastes change and how people want to play.”

These comments have ignited all sorts of speculation about where the next Call of Duty game will go. Will they venture into the future? The distant past? What new mechanic could they introduce to keep it fresh without overhauling too much? Well, a rumor from Call of Duty leaker TheGhostofHope in 2025 might offer some clues, if it proves accurate.

The rumor suggests that Sledgehammer's next game will focus on martial arts, featuring karate kicks and chops. It's possible Sledgehammer is aiming to capture the gun-fu combat style of John Wick, which blends satisfying gunplay with fluid, flashy close-quarters action. That seems more feasible for a third-person game with a heavy animation focus, but a first-person, fast-paced competitive game might struggle to implement it. If it works, though, it could be really compelling.

Interestingly, Sledgehammer Games originally started its journey as a Call of Duty team by trying to innovate. The studio was founded with the expectation of developing a third-person Call of Duty game set during the Vietnam War, leveraging the team's experience on titles like Dead Space to create a new kind of Call of Duty experience. That project was eventually scrapped when Sledgehammer was brought in to help develop the original Modern Warfare 3 after Infinity Ward fell apart.

Still, Sledgehammer attempted to innovate again with its first solo title, Advanced Warfare. The game introduced exosuits, allowing players to jump, dash, and slide with enhanced 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 relatively safe with two World War 2 games and another title that happened to be called Modern Warfare 3, ironically.

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