Annual releases of new Call of Duty games have become such a normal part of the annual game industry rotation, you sometimes forget they’re even there. There is no “new” or “old” Call of Duty, it’s all just one massive entity that wears many shifting faces. Of course, that’s stupid, there are new games every year, including this year! Speaking of which, what Call of Duty is coming out in 2022?
Last week, Activision Blizzard announced on the official Call of Duty Twitter that the next game in the franchise, releasing some time this year, will be a direct sequel to 2019’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.
What Call of Duty is Coming Out in 2022?
Modern Warfare II (not to be confused with the other Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II that released in 2009) will, according to the teaser bits Activision Blizzard dropped, be developed primarily by Infinity Ward, and will utilize an entirely new engine to provide the best possible graphical fidelity and gameplay experience. Modern Warfare II will also feature a brand new Call of Duty: Warzone experience built entirely from the ground up, as well as a major overhaul of Call of Duty’s existing Battle Royale and sandbox modes.
As for release dates, there’s nothing concrete yet, but Activision Blizzard is shooting for a release in fall 2022. Considering the timeframes in which Call of Duty games typically come out, it’ll probably be out in early-to-mid November, just in time for the holiday shopping season.
Call of Duty Takes a Year Off in 2023
While we’re on the subject of upcoming Call of Duty games, rumors have begun to circulate that Activision Blizzard may actually be skipping their annual Call of Duty release for 2023, delaying it to 2024. According to a Bloomberg report, one of the more recent Call of Duty games apparently didn’t meet Activision Blizzard’s expectations, though the precise game was not identified.
This underperformance has led company executives to believe that going for the annual release model may result in unintentionally kneecapping themselves; the new games are coming out so rapidly, they aren’t getting enough development time, while they’re also stepping all over each other.
Activision has denied the delay rumors, saying “We have an exciting slate of premium and free-to-play Call of Duty experiences for this year, next year and beyond. Reports of anything otherwise are incorrect. We look forward to sharing more details when the time is right.”
