Last week, Activision sent out a mysterious crate for the next Call of Duty to various publications and influencers, instructing them to open it on August 10th. The time has passed and several people – like NoahJ456 on YouTube – managed to decipher the ARG included. Check it out below, though the overall process is a little over five hours long.

The conclusion is that a teaser website called pawntakespawn.com was discovered. It has a variety of old equipment from a CRT TV and VCR to an IBM PC. If you look at the VCR for long enough, it will flash “08-14” in between the flashes of “12:00”. This seems to indicate something happening on August 14th.

Though the whole ARG is a roundabout way of announcing the next Call of Duty, rumors have already pointed to it being a reboot of Treyarch’s Call of Duty: Black Ops franchise. The full title was leaked already and it seems that players will be venturing to the Cold War for some old-school NATO vs. Warsaw Pact action. Stay tuned for more details in the coming weeks.

It’s been much later than usual, but it seems that we are on the verge of getting the unveiling for 2020’s Call of Duty entry. We know that mysterious crates were sent to streamers and press with instructions to open them later today, but it also seems like there’s teases within Call of Duty: Warzone itself, with more discovered recently.

Near the end of last week, people reported having a strange ‘glitch’ during matches that flashed messages in English and Russian. Now, people are reporting finding mysterious canisters that were not present before that release a mysterious gas. You can see an example from Twitter poster Sonny below, who was one of the first ones to find a canister.

While nothing has been officially revealed about the game, we do know it is almost certainly a new entry in the Black Ops subseries of the franchise, and one element in the series was the Nova6 gas biological weapon, so this could be a reference to that. Most likely we’ll get some more information when those crates are to be opened later today, so stay tuned.

https://twitter.com/itsreallysonny/status/1292628365057200128?s=20

https://twitter.com/itsreallysonny/status/1292678289706737665?s=20

Despite entering August, we have yet to hear anything about 2020’s Call of Duty entry. While some suspected the game would be pushed back due to COVID concerns, this isn’t the case. It’s been confirmed there will be an entry this year, as per usual, and that the reveal will be “very different” than anything the company has done before. Well, today, we might be getting a feel for what that means.

Players who have been playing Warzone have reported a random ‘glitch’ message coming up during rounds. It consists of two screens, one saying “Know Your History,” and the other a message in Russain (you can see both below). It was said earlier in the month that Warzone, the current free to play battle royale mode of the series, would evolve and be integrated into the mainline series. It seems this could be what was being referenced. Could it be possible that the next game will finally be unveiled inside Warzone in some fashion?

Activision has sent out strange crates to streamers and press that were said not to be opened until August 10th, which you can read about through here. Most likely this is something involving the next Call of Duty, and all of this will be tied together. We know the likely title is Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War because of a bag of chips. We’ll see what’s in those crates come Monday.

Activision’s next Call of Duty feels like it should have been announced by now, especially with the publisher’s insisting it’s on track for release this year. Thankfully, it seems that president Rob Kostich’s assurance of a reveal coming “soon” is real. Charlie Intel recently revealed on Twitter that it received a mysterious crate from Activision with the message, “Do not open this crate until August 10 at 12PM ET.”

It further revealed that a letter had been included, specifying that “we have to send a text to a number on Monday, August 10 to get the code to unlock the box.” This puzzle-like approach to marketing isn’t too dissimilar to how the publisher hyped up the announcement for Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time. The question is – how long before details leak, like what happened with Call of Duty: Warzone? What is The Red Door anyway?

Time will certainly tell. Not much is known about Call of Duty 2020, save for it being a reboot of the Black Ops franchise and titled Call of Duty: Black Ops – Cold War. Treyarch and Raven Software are working on it and Kostich said it would be “very different” and “more engaging” than anything the company has done till now. Naturally, it’s expected to release for Xbox Series X and PS5 but will it still arrive on current-gen platforms? Stay tuned for more details in the coming weeks.

https://twitter.com/charlieINTEL/status/1291452365707587585

There is a small letter that came with the box that says we have to send a text to a number on Monday, August 10 to get the code to unlock the box.

The mystery continues………….

— CharlieIntel (@charlieINTEL) August 6, 2020

We’re getting closer to that time of the year when Activision lifts the lid on the next Call of Duty game, and details on the series’ 2020 instalment have already started leaking. Supposedly called Call of Duty: Black Ops – Cold War and serving as a “gritty and realistic” reboot of the Black Ops series, there’s quite a bit we already possibly know about the game. And while Activision recently confirmed that the game – now known to be in development at Treyarch and Raven Software – will be revealed soon, it seems the manner of its reveal might differ from previous games in the series.

The thing that’s supposedly bringing about that change is Call of Duty: Warzone, the free-to-play battle royale shooter that released earlier this year. Speaking during Activision’s quarterly financial briefing, Activision president Robert Kostich said that Warzone has caused the company to rethink how, when, and where to unveil upcoming games in the series, and that the next game’s reveal will be more different and engaging than any previous reveals- suggesting that Call of Duty 2020’s reveal might tie in with in-game interaction with the community in Warzone.

“Warzone has caused us to rethink how, when, and even where we reveal our upcoming titles, so we can’t wait to share that with the community. We think it’s going to be very different and more engaging than anything we’ve ever done before,” Kotisch said.

Recently, Infinity Ward design director Geoff Smith said that Call of Duty: Warzone would continue to “evolve” over time and “become tied to” future Call of Duty games, which would certainly fall in line with it becoming more tied with this year’s game, as it has been with last year’s Modern Warfare till now.

Either way, Activision have said that this announcement – whatever form it takes – will be coming “fairly soon”, so we shall know more soon enough. Stay tuned for all those updates.

Ultimately, the cornoavirus pandemic of 2020 had quite the effect on plans throughout the video game industry. Whether or not it’s the main culprit here or not is anyone’s guess, but it’s already August and we’ve yet to see anything official for the next Call of Duty. The shooter series has been an annual one for years, but between the pandemic and a very successful battle royale game in Warzone, some have wondered if the 2020 entry is delayed. Well, it hasn’t been, and we may be seeing it “fairly” soon.

During Activision’s most recent financial conference call, Publishing President Rob Kostich offered a few details about the 2020 title. He confirmed something that’s long been rumored: that the game is being developed by the duo of Treyarch and Raven Software. He also confirmed that the game will see integration into Warzone, which was hinted at by Infinity Ward’s Design Director earlier. While he didn’t offer a lot of specifics about the title, only saying that internal testing is going well, he did seem to drop the hint that the reveal will be soon for the game.

“Treyarch and Raven are coming up with the next premium game. Obviously we’re very excited about what we’re working on and we think fans are going to absolutely love it,” he said. “The game looks incredible right now and internally people are having a ton of fun playing across its campaign mode as well as the online mode the developers are well-known for. All I can say in terms of timing is that I suspect you’ll be hearing more about this fairly soon.”

Usually, the marketing for a Call of Duty title kicks off around May, so we’re obviously very late this go around. We have a good idea of what the title will be due to a leak on a Doritos chip bag (no, seriously, we saw it on a bag of chips). In the past, the games have landed in October or November, meaning that even if they unveil the next Call of Duty this month, that makes it a very short marketing window. We’ll keep you updated as more information comes out.

Multiple leaks over the last few weeks and months have made it clear that this year’s Call of Duty entry is going to be developed by Treyarch, and will be another Black Ops game. Supposedly a reboot in vein of last year’s Modern Warfare, reports have pegged the game’s title as Call of Duty: Black Ops – Cold War, and now, more new evidence has possibly emerged to double down on those reports.

Promotional images for Doritos Double XP seem to be doing the rounds on the internet (shared on Twitter by TheGamingRevolution), and they include, very clearly, the logo for Call of Duty: Black Ops – Cold War, seemingly confirming that as the game’s name. Additionally, the dates for the promotion in question might also have some interesting information.

The promotion starts on October 5, which may very well be the release date of the game. That, of course, would be in line with the timeframe Call of Duty games usually launch in- though it’s worth noting that some often come out in November, and this being a console launch year, Activision might want to hold off until then this year as well.

Of course, as is the case with any leak, take this with a grain of salt. But with not long left until the game’s launch later this year, one would assume that Activision will be officially unveiling the game not long from now. Perhaps at the rumoured State of Play in August?

These are the two Doritos Double XP promotional images that I was DM'd earlier from an anonymous source for Call of Duty 2020 Black Ops Cold War. I was too worried about copyright issues to post them earlier but since CharlieIntel shared them I (assume?) they're safe. pic.twitter.com/yvvjH7CvKU

— TheGamingRevolution (@TheGamingRevo3) July 26, 2020

Reports and leaks over the past few months have strongly suggested that this year’s Call of Duty entry is going to be a Black Ops reboot, reportedly titled Call of Duty: Black Ops – Cold War. Recently, those rumours gathered steam, when The Red Door – reportedly an internal alpha build of the game – leaked via the PlayStation Network and the Microsoft store. Dataminers have since been digging into its files, and over on Twitter, Prototype Warehouse may have uncovered what seem to be details for multiple modes in the game.

For starters, several references spotted in the build’s files seem to mention the names of various missions from the game’s campaign, which will be taking place across in various locations, including Nicaragua, Germany, Vietnam, and Russia. Missions for Russia seem to be called Yamantau, Amerika, KGB, Siege, and Duga; the Vietnam missions are Armada and Prisoner; while a mission apiece for Germany and Nicaragua – Stakeout and Revolution respectively – are also mentioned. There’s also mention of two side missions, called Tundra and Takedown.

A couple of these – namely KGB and Tundra – have also been referenced for multiplayer, suggesting that they could be names of maps in the game’s online component as well. Other possible map names referenced in the files include Cartel, Satellite, Tank, Moscow, Black Sea, and Miami. What’s interesting is that references for Duga, Forest, Russia and Ski Slopes also seem to be pointing to Warzone, while there’s also mention of a Zombies mode.

Of course, much is unclear for now, and it should also be noted that there’s every chance that this content may not be locked in as final, seeing as it comes from an internal alpha build.

Earlier this year, Activision assured that the next Call of Duty instalment was on track to release later in 2020, and would not suffer a delay due to COVID-19.

Activision could be preparing an official announcement for its next Call of Duty. After appearing on PlayStation Network, the project’s codename “The Red Door” is now on the Microsoft Store. The description reads: “There is more than one truth. If you go looking for answers, be ready to question everything and accept that nothing will ever be the same. The Red Door awaits, do you dare step through it?”

It’s listed as a shooter, published by Activision for Xbox One (no PC version since that’s likely exclusive to Battle.net) and has an approximate size of 81.65 GB. Otherwise, there’s no indication that this is a new Call of Duty title. Perhaps there will be an official trailer dropped sometime this month. Maybe even a teaser campaign heading into next month’s Gamescom Opening Night Live.

For its part, Activision stated back in May that the next Call of Duty title was on track to release this year. Whether plans have changed in that interim remains to be seen. Pre-alpha footage of the title leaked last month, giving us a very, very early look at the game (which is indeed a first person shooter, as if there were any doubts). Stay tuned for more information in the meantime.

It’s getting about that time of the year when we get news on the biggest annual series to ever exist, Call of Duty. The 2020 entry is coming, and despite some rumors and an alleged very early build of the game, we have yet to see anything concrete, or at the very least, not until now.

A title card identifying something as simply Call of Duty: Black Ops has been dug up via PSN from Twitter user James Kiwami. You can see it below. The codename within the code is also The Red Door and The Breach. The rumor has been for quite some time that the 2020 entry would be an entry in the Black Ops subseries focused on the Cold War. It’s interesting that only Black Ops is in the title card here. Could the next entry simply be referred to as Black Ops similar to last year’s Modern Warfare? Or could this be a remaster of the first game that will be released either beside the new game or at another time?

There’s a lot of questions that we don’t know the answers to just yet. Like all leaks, we also file this under rumor for the time being considering it’s possible this is a high profile fake, but it looks doubtful that is the case. We should be hearing about the next Call of Duty soon regardless one way or another.

pic.twitter.com/VdDcEADYmO

— James (@GarnetSunset) June 9, 2020

CodeName: "The Red Door"/"The Breach"
PKG Name: UP0002-CUSA20046_00-COD2020INTALPHA1-A0101-V0100-DP.pkg
ID: CUSA20046

— James (@GarnetSunset) June 9, 2020