Editor’s Note: A lawsuit has been filed against Activision Blizzard by the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing, which alleges the company has engaged in abuse, discrimination, and retaliation against its female employees. Activision Blizzard has denied the allegations. The full details of the Activision Blizzard lawsuit (content warning: rape, suicide, abuse, harassment) are being updated as new information becomes available.
According to a prominent leaker, the title of next year's Call of Duty is Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II. This likely won't surprise many people, but what is surprising is that word is starting to trickle out regarding Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II when this year's entry hasn't even been released yet. Nonetheless, it is exciting to know that Infinity Ward will be doubling down on the incredibly successful sub-franchise once again.
Earlier this year, it was reported that Modern Warfare 2 would be about drug cartels, possibly taking inspiration from films like Sicario and Clear and Present Danger. Nothing has been confirmed regarding next year's game and there's still a lot of time for things to change, but it would be a radically new direction for the series to take. The franchise has almost always focused on world-ending conflicts, but it seems like the next entry may be a bit more grounded and may feature smaller-scale battles.
Both popular Modern Warfare is, and Infinity Ward knows the series' name evokes a lot of memories and goodwill from players. Any attempts to veer off to other corners of the series through games like Call of Duty: Ghosts and Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare have largely been met with negative reception.
It will likely be quite a while before Activision reveals the new entry officially as Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II. The publisher has revealed the last two games in August of their respective release years and revealed prior games around May or June. With Call of Duty: Vanguard on the verge of release, fans are already looking ahead at what comes next. The beta for Call of Duty: Vanguard was wrought with hackers, leaving a sour taste in the mouths of some fans.
Should Vanguard be a miss for the series, there will be lots of pressure on Infinity Ward's shoulders. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II is incredibly anticipated following the massive success of the 2019 entry, which broke records for the series. Whether or not Infinity Ward can live up to the hype while reportedly taking the series in a brand-new direction remains to be seen, but it does seem the studio is attempting to play into its strengths.
Sources: Tom Henderson, CharlieIntel
