The annual release schedule ofCall of Dutyhas been an enormous factor in the longevity and continued success of the franchise, offering a constant cycle of content to players, regardless of how controversial it might be. This has historically allowed a range of major studios to constantly work on different titles that fall under theCoDname, allowing the series to explore a wide range of settings and themes over the years.
Despite the variety and creative license that this affordsCall of Duty, the franchise has come under a lot of flak in recent years due to its narrow focus on a select few sub-franchises, withBlack OpsandModern Warfarein particular dominating the current landscape ofCoDas a series. While this recent focus has led to varying levels of success, some recent leaks suggest that the series might finally be aiming to move away and once again broaden its horizons into otherCall of DutyIPs. With Sledgehammer Games reportedly taking the helm forCoD’s 2027 release, a clear and bold change could be coming to the FPS giant in the near future.
Sledgehammer Games' 2027 CoD Release Could Be the End of an Era
While theModern WarfareandBlack Opssub-franchises areCall of Duty’s most popular, Activision has made some bold moves in terms of how stronglyCoDhas focused on these names in recent years. TheModern Warfareseries in particular has been the center of a huge amount of controversy since it was rebooted in 2019, with the initial positive reception of this bold move quickly leading to a lot of burnout in the eyes of someCoDfans.
This is best evidenced in the unprecedented move thatCall of Dutycarried out in 2022 and 2023, which markedthe consecutive releases ofModern Warfare 2andModern Warfare 3. Going completely against the grain of variety that had allowedCoDto flourish in the past, these back-to-back releases for the same sub-franchise came at a big price in terms of negative community sentiment.
Modern Warfare 3even re-used 2009’sMW2maps for its launch map pool, while boasting an infamously brief campaign that felt more like a DLC than a standalone single-player experience. Thehuge success of 2024’sBlack Ops 6has somewhat alleviated these criticisms, although a recent range of high-profile leaks suggest that Infinity Ward will be taking the helm of 2026’sCoDrelease to developModern Warfare 4.
Sledgehammer Games Might Be Breaking the Two-Year Cycle of Modern CoD Releases
The unfinished storyline for theMWreboot led many fans to believe that a fourth entry would come to the franchise, althoughthe criticism surroundingModern Warfare 3did throw some doubt over such a project ever materializing. While these leaks are still not officially confirmed, the release ofModern Warfare 4would risk a repeat of the burnout felt byMW2andMW3, yet it has also been alleged that 2027 might finally mark an end for this era ofCall of Duty.
These leaks suggest that Sledgehammer Games will develop 2027’sCall of Dutytitle and, despite Sledgehammer’s recent involvement in theMWreboot, this project will allegedly belong to a differentCoDIP. Many fans are already theorizing that this project could finally be asequel to Sledgehammer’s divisive yet popularAdvanced Warfare, likely featuring a return to jetpack gameplay and a futuristic setting. Of course, this would spring up debate and controversy in its own right, but these leaks indicate that 2027 could finally be the year thatCall of Dutybegins branching back out into different subfranchises, marking an end of the recent dominance ofModern WarfareandBlack Ops.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
WHERE TO PLAY
Forced to go rogue. Hunted from within. This is Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.Developed by Treyarch and Raven, Black Ops 6 is a spy action thriller set in the early 90s, a period of transition and upheaval in global politics, characterized by the end of the Cold War and the rise of the United States as a single superpower. With a mind-bending narrative, and unbound by the rules of engagement, this is signature Black Ops.The Black Ops 6 Campaign provides dynamic moment-to-moment gameplay that includes a variety of play spaces with blockbuster set pieces and action-packed moments, high-stakes heists, and cloak-and-dagger spy activity.In a best-in-class Multiplayer experience, players will test their skills across 16 new maps at launch, including 12 core 6v6 maps and 4 Strike maps that can be played 2v2 or 6v6.Black Ops 6 also marks the epic return of Round-Based Zombies, the fan-favorite mode where players will take down hordes of the undead in two brand-new maps at launch. Post-launch, players can look forward to even more exciting maps and groundbreaking experiences dropping into both Multiplayer and Zombies.
