Activision recently announced that future releases of the Call of Duty franchise will no longer feature consecutive launches of Modern Warfare and Black Ops titles. This decision comes after the past four installments: Modern Warfare II (2022), Modern Warfare III (2023), Black Ops 6 (2024), and Black Ops 7 (2025). Activision aims to provide “an absolutely unique experience each and every year,” according to their official blog post.
Black Ops 7, which launched in November, received mixed reviews and was reported to have had a lackluster debut in Europe. Prior to its release, Treyarch Senior Director of Production Yale Miller expressed concerns regarding the perception of Black Ops 6 and Black Ops 7 potentially being too similar to each other.
Activision emphasized their commitment to innovation, stating, “We will drive innovation that is meaningful, not incremental.” Although they did not disclose specific plans for future games, they expressed optimism about the direction of the franchise, mentioning that “the future of Call of Duty is very strong” and that their development teams possess considerable skill and depth. They also hinted that the upcoming “next era” of the franchise would introduce new elements that could advance both the series and the gaming genre as a whole.
This announcement raises questions about how the change in release strategy will impact player engagement and the overall success of the franchise moving forward.
Source: https://www.theverge.com/news/841290/activision-call-of-duty-modern-warefare-black-ops-back-to-back