Activision confirmed that the next Call of Duty game is coming this year and that it will feature a single-player campaign. Last year’s Treyarch-developed Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 forwent a traditional single-player campaign, instead opting to introduce the Blackout battle royale mode. The Call of Duty 2019 campaign will be one part of the larger package.
Activision’s quarterly earnings call confirmed that Infinity Ward is developing the 2019 Call of Duty, and Activision president Rob Kostich confirmed it will have a campaign. Along with the new “expansive” campaign will be a large multiplayer mode, and new co-operative experiences.
Activision-Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick said that he’s never seen this level of excitement for a new Call of Duty title. Call of Duty 2019 is said to be rooted in franchise history, although Activision’s CFO Dennis Durkin said that actual sales may be lower than Black Ops 4. He noted that the Black Ops name is the biggest sub-franchise within the series, with others like Modern Warfare not receiving a title since 2011.
Infinity Ward’s most recent title was 2016’s Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare. That title pushed the franchise into sci-fi and spaceships. Infinite Warfare‘s campaign was well-received as it mixed the series’ gunplay with space combat and non-linear missions. A remaster of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare was included in with more expensive versions of Infinite Warfare at launch, although it was later released as a standalone product.
Not much else is known about the Call of Duty 2019 campaign, or the game as a whole. Activision generally announces Call of Duty games in the Spring, generally in April or May. Expect to see the latest Infinity Ward Call of Duty game then.
The Call of Duty 2019 news comes as Activision lays off nearly 800 employees. Activision announced the layoffs during today’s earnings call. The publisher achieved record results in 2018 but missed sky-high expectations. As a result, it is cutting staff and refocusing on its core franchises. Bungie recently split from Activision, taking Destiny with them.
Top Image: Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare
