CoD promises “major innovations” every year instead of just minor improvements.
A turning point is looming for Call of Duty. As the manufacturer announced in a new blog post, there will be no more consecutive games in the Black Ops and Modern Warfare series in the future.
This marks the end of the series’ annual releases of direct sequels. For example, two Modern Warfare games were released in 2022 and 2023, followed by two Black Ops titles in 2024 and 2025.
And judging by the community’s reactions, these direct follow-up releases further exacerbated the exhaustion and fatigue associated with the annual CoD launches.
The new roadmap for CoD releases
According to the CoD manufacturer, there are many reasons for this decision. However, the main reason is to once again deliver an “absolutely unique gaming experience” every year.
Instead of driving innovation step by step and bit by bit, the developer promises to deliver significant innovations every year from now on.
The details of these innovations are not yet known. “We are working hard on the new era of Call of Duty, and it will deliver exactly what you fans want,” promise the creators.
What happens next?
According to reports, Modern Warfare 4 will be released in 2026, which is currently in development at Infinity Ward (MW series, Ghosts, Infinite Warfare). According to insider information, it will be the first installment in the series that will no longer be released on the old PS4 and Xbox One consoles.
A new installment from Sledgehammer (CoD Vanguard, WW2) is expected to follow in 2027, with Treyarch (Black Ops series) taking over in 2028.
This rotation between the three studios was originally established in the 2010s and ran through several cycles from Black Ops 2 in 2012 to the release of CoD Warzone.
What does this mean for Black Ops 7?
The change of course comes at a time of uncertainty for the CoD series: Black Ops 7 was with weaker sales figures than usual .
Strong competition from Battlefield 6 and Arc Raiders may also have contributed to this.
On Metacritic, the current installment even marks a new low in ratings for the entire series. The response: Starting December 15, Black Ops 7 will be playable for free in multiplayer and Zombies for a full week.
“We want to give you the opportunity to try the game and then decide for yourself,” the statement said.
And they also want to go full throttle with further season support: “We won’t rest until Black Ops 7 has earned its place as one of the best Black Ops games we’ve ever made.”
