A recent rumor suggests that Sledgehammer Games is set to unveil a new Call of Duty installment in 2027, which would provide a break from the popular Modern Warfare and Black Ops subseries. Currently, fans are enjoying Black Ops 6, now in its fourth season.
The upcoming Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is already confirmed to take place in a futuristic setting post-Black Ops 2 and will feature the return of David Mason. This title is expected to have a significant presence at Gamescom in August, leading up to its rumored release on November 14.
As the youngest of the “Big Three” Call of Duty studios, Sledgehammer Games was established as a co-developer for 2011’s Modern Warfare 3. Since then, the studio has developed titles such as the futuristic Advanced Warfare in 2014, and the historical WW2 installments, including 2017’s Call of Duty: WW2 and 2021’s Vanguard.
Recently, Sledgehammer took the lead on this year’s Modern Warfare 3, part of the series’ reboot. In the context of the battle royale game Warzone, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 could represent a thematic shift.
According to the Twitter insider TheGhostOfHope, Sledgehammer’s next game will not be a sequel to Advanced Warfare but will launch a new subseries set in contemporary times. Interestingly, this new title will exclude the co-op Zombies mode that Sledgehammer has incorporated in previous titles.
Instead, gameplay will heavily feature dynamic movement mechanics and martial arts moves like kicks and chops. If accurate, this would mark the first non-Modern Warfare or Black Ops release in five years.
2022 and 2023 saw back-to-back Modern Warfare games, while Black Ops is also expected to continue its trend into 2024 and 2025. For fans eager for a fresh subseries after Vanguard’s lukewarm reception, this potential new direction is promising.
However, those hoping for a return to Advanced Warfare may need to wait longer. Fans should keep an eye on Gamescom for more details on Black Ops 7 and upcoming content for Black Ops 6.