Call of Duty 2027's Main Developer Has Been Revealed

25.01.2024 - 05:16 / gamerant.com / John DiCarlo

An insider revealed that Call of Duty's 2027 entry will be developed by Sledgehammer Games. Following the studio's reportedly rushed development of Modern Warfare 3, it will hopefully have ample time to create its next Call of Duty.

A Bloomberg report claimed that Sledgehammer's Modern Warfare 3 was developed in just 16 months, which seemed to be a plausible claim following its lackluster single-player mode and its multiplayer largely consisting of recycled maps. However, these claims were denied when a Sledgehammer executive stated that the studio spent years developing Modern Warfare 3. Whatever the reality is, it seems that Sledgehammer will be given multiple years to develop its next Call of Duty.

Insider Gaming reported that Sledgehammer employees were informed during a town hall meeting that the studio would be leading development for Call of Duty 2027. No other details were given about the future game, as fans began to speculate about what approach Sledgehammer might take. Sledgehammer developed 2014's Advanced Warfare, the first Call of Duty to introduce jetpack movement to the series, a feature that hasn't been seen in Call of Duty since 2016'sInfinite Warfare. Although the movement system is somewhat controversial, its potential reintroduction could come at the perfect time.

Leaks indicate that Call of Duty 2024 will be set in the early 1990s, Call of Duty 2025 will be aBlack Ops 2 sequel, and Call of Duty 2026 will be an Infinity Ward title, which might choose to remain in its wildly popular Modern Warfare setting. These premises would all seem to suggest boots-on-the-ground movement, causing some fans to wonder if Sledgehammer's 2027 entry could shake things up with a return to jetpack movement. However, this is just speculation at this point.

When Advanced Warfare was released, about seven years had passed since Call of Duty's explosion in 2007, leading the series to revitalize its feel by introducing jetpacks. By the time 2027 comes around, about 11 years will have passed since Call of Duty returned to only featuring boots-on-the-ground movement, assuming that preceding titles don't reintroduce it first. By this time, Call of Duty might be fending off other FPS franchises like Ubisoft's XDefiant, which is positioning itself to be a direct competitor to the series.

Insider Gaming also reported that Sledgehammer will be moving to remote work for the remainder of 2024 while the company searches for new office space. Sledgehammer's decision to downsize from its current office is due to many of its employees choosing to work remotely. This apparently caused some frustration among other Call of Duty employees, namely Activision's QA workers, who were recently mandated to return to their offices