Set in 2030, five years later, it features the return of “fan-favorite protagonists” and a new villain. Interestingly, it will feature remastered maps from Black Ops 2, much like Modern Warfare 2 (2009)’s multiplayer maps were added to the recent Modern Warfare 3. However, one source said the plan is to have new and remastered maps at launch.

With Call of Duty: Black Ops Gulf War out next year, it’s unknown if the Carry Forward initiative will be used, with a source telling Henderson that this is a “completely new game.” As such, Call of Duty 2025 is still in early development and reportedly features an overhauled movement system, the return of Pick 10 for creating classes, Gunfight and round-based Zombies. Stay tuned for further updates in the coming months.

Reports emerged in April 2019 that for Call of Duty’s 2020 instalment, Activision would be breaking their three developers-cycle for the series, and that though it would have been Sledgehammer Games’ turn to release a new entry in the series, it would actually be Treyarch who would be taking the reins for the year. This was followed a few months later by a leak that stated that that game would be a reboot of the Black Ops continuity, and would feature a campaign whose story would span over 40 years.

Those details have re-emerged once again. Noted Call of Duty leaker TheGamingRevolution recently posted a video on YouTube in which they leaked a lot of alleged new details on this year’s Call of Duty entry. The video re-iterates that the game will be made by Treyarch, with Raven Software (co-developers of Call of Duty: Warzone) and Sledgehammer Games providing support. The game will apparently run on the Infinity Ward Poland engine, which is what was used for the development of Modern Warfare as well.

The video claims that Black Ops protagonists Alex Mason and Sergeant Frank Woods will be returning, but that they will be played by new actors. The campaign will supposedly span over 40 years – which is consistent with previous reports – and will focus on real-life events during the Cold War and the Vietnam War, with the latter especially being more of a focus than it was in the original Black Ops. The title is currently being called Codename: Zeus, and will either be released as Call of Duty: Black Ops or Call of Duty: Black Operations.

One this the video emphasis is that the game is going for a very realistic and grounded tone – even more so than last year’s Modern Warfare reboot – and that this entails some scenes with shock value, as well as a notable interrogation scene (Black Ops is no stranger to interrogation scenes, after all). The story will also be told through various perspectives, including the United States, South Vietnam, and Viet Cong.

Details on the game’s multiplayer have also emerged from the video. Apparently, there will be multiple 32v32 modes, including Ground War. Killstreaks will be returning, of course, but so, too, will Operators, which throws a big question mark on whether Specialists will return (probably not, if Operators do indeed return).

Multiplayer DLC will supposedly be free, as has been the case with Modern Warfare, though Activision are also allegedly currently considering a Battle Pass for Zombies. And yes, obviously, Zombies will be back, this time with a story focusing on Vietnam, and a tone much more grounded and realistic (in keeping with the campaign) than the campy fantasy stuff the series has generally veered toward with this mode.

The video also says that Sledgehammer Games are working on a free-to-play Call of Duty title that is scheduled for 2021 (which is something else that’s come up more than once of late). The game – which will supposedly be a spinoff, rather than the major mainline Call of Duty entry for that year – is said to feature an open world setting and battle royale elements, though there’s much about it that still remains unclear.

You can watch the full video below to get all the details.

As always, we’re going to have to file this away as a rumour, and until such time we hear something official from Activision, it’s best to take this with a grain of salt. It is interesting, however, that many of these details have been consistent across various reports and leaks over the last year or so, so there has to be something there.

Either way, we’ll keep you updated, so stay tuned.

In other news, it also looks like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Remastered will be releasing sometime this year. Read more on that through here.

Over the past few years, Call of Duty has dabbled in futuristic settings (to say the least) with much more frequency than it did in its earlier years, and though 2019’s Modern Warfare was a decidedly more grounded and realistic shooter, there’s no telling whether the series’ 2020 instalment will follow that same trend. One thing we can be sure of, though, is that the next Call of Duty won’t have jetpacks… probably.

Taking recently to Twitter, David Vonderhaar of Treyarch said (quite emphatically) in response to a fan asking whether there will be jetpacks in the next Call of Duty that that wouldn’t be the case. In a subsequent tweet, he said that he “[has] PTSD” from the way fans reacted when jetpacks were first revealed for Call of Duty: Black Ops 3, when, in Vonderhaar’s words, fans “hung me from the highest branch.” So… yeah- it doesn’t look like he’s the biggest jetpack fan out there.

If you’re wondering why Treyarch are involved in discussions surrounding the next Call of Duty instead of Sledgehammer Games, reports last year indicated that Activision are breaking the three studio-cycle for the series’ 2020 release due to internal issues at Sledgehammer, while a Treyarch job listing added more fuel to the fire a few months later.

Reportedly, the next Call of Duty is going to be titled simple Call of Duty: Black Ops and will have a campaign that spans 40 years. Read more on that through here.

NO.

— Vahn (@DavidVonderhaar) January 5, 2020

Such short-term memories. You hung me from the highest branch. No. NO. I have PTSD.

— Vahn (@DavidVonderhaar) January 5, 2020

Reports emerged earlier in the year that claimed that for 2020’s Call of Duty instalment, Activision will be breaking away from the three studio-development cycle the series has been following over the last few years, and that development had instead been shifted from Sledgehammer Games and Raven Software to Treyarch, to get them to fast-track production and have the game – reportedly another Black Ops title – out by next year.

Now, another new report emerges that potentially reveals some details on the game. YouTuber LongSensation – who was the one who broke the news that this year’s Call of Duty would be called simply Call of Duty: Modern Warfare – is reporting on Twitter that 2020’s game might receive a similar treatment. It’s going to be called either Call of Duty: Black Ops 5, or simply Call of Duty: Black Ops. The YouTuber also mentions that the game is supposed to be “even more gritty and gruesome than Modern Warfare.”

He also talks about some alleged campaign details. The aforementioned report from earlier in the year stated that Call of Duty 2020’s campaign would be set in Vietnam during the Cold War, however it seems like the scope of the entire thing is going to be much bigger. It will instead over 40 years, and will cover both, the Vietnam and the Korean wars.

It’s all unconfirmed at this point, of course, and probably will remain for some time to come, so until such time you hear this coming from official channels, it’s best to take it with a grain of salt, as is the case with any rumour. That said, continuing to move ahead in the “realistic and gritty” direction that Activision are setting for the series with this year’s game seems like a move that makes sense.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, meanwhile, is due out on October 25th for the PS4, Xbox One, and PC. Infinity Ward recently spoke about whether or not they feel it’s a political game- read more on that through here.

https://twitter.com/LongSensationYT/status/1159077570912096261

While it’s looking increasingly likely that the Infinity Ward-developed Call of Duty title – due for a reveal very soon and for release later this year – will be Modern Warfare 4, the path the franchise will be taking beyond that looks less concrete. As per a new report on Kotaku by Jason Schreier, Call of Duty 2020 will not be following the three year-cycle the series has been following for a number of years now.

What that means is that Sledgehammer Games, who were next in line to deliver the next Call of Duty game, won’t be in charge of development anymore. As per three sources close to the project, Sledgehammer Games and Raven Software had initially been put in charge of making the next Call of Duty game, but the reins are now being handed to Treyarch, developers of last year’s Black Ops 4.

As per the report, next year’s title will now be Call of Duty: Black Ops 5. Sledgehammer and Raven will still be aiding with the development, but the reason they were taken off as leads is because of purported tensions between the two studios during the next game’s development, which sources called “a mess”.

2020’s Call of Duty title was originally going to be set in Vietnam during the Cold War, and apparently, that much won’t change with Black Ops 5. Sledgehammer and Raven Software will still be helping with the development of the campaign – yes, there will be a campaign – which will still apparently feature the same setting. The report also claims it’s being developed as a cross generation title to coincide with the launches of the PS5 and the next Xbox at the end of next year.

As per Kotaku, the news has seen mixed reactions from those at Treyarch. While there are those who are excited about the project, others are less happy about the shortened development time they’ll be given, with the cycle shifting from three years to two years.

It remains to be seen how this will impact the series’ cycle in the long-term. Will Activision be going back to a two studios-cycle? Will Call of Duty 2021 go back to Infinity Ward?

Meanwhile, in the immediate future, following its reveal, Call of Duty 2019 will be given an entire Coliseum panel at E3 next month, which is when we can expect to see and hear a lot more of the game- though Activision do not plan on having much of a show floor presence otherwise.