Activision Confirms Development of 2021 Call of Duty Title, Lead by Sledgehammer Games

As the Summer of 2021 comes in swinging, fans of the Call of Duty franchise are left to speculate what's in store for the series later this year. Despite the successful launch and post-launch seasons for Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War and Warzone, many players eagerly await to learn what's next for the ever-growing lineup of games.

Rumors and speculation have flooded the internet due to a lack of information, and although not much has been confirmed at this time, Activision has given fans a dose of a hope in their latest quarterly report. But be warned, this information will leave you gasping for more - a move which was likely intentional and premeditated by the mega-publisher.

Call of Duty 2021

During Activision's Q1 2021 investors conference call, the publisher confirmed the development of this year's primary entry to the Call of Duty franchise. As rumors previously suggested, development of the game will in fact be lead by Sledgehammer Games.

Activision refused to provide specifics in regards to the Call of Duty title at this time, only noting that it is generating excitement behind the scenes and the teams look forward to sharing more when the time comes. The only further information that has been confirmed regarding Call of Duty 2021 is that it will be integrated with Call of Duty: Warzone in some capacity, although the specifics of which are currently unknown.

Vanguard

In March of 2021, rumors began to surface online from credible sources, including Eurogamer and VGC, that Sledgehammer Games would lead development on the latest entry to the franchise titled Call of Duty: Vanguard. These rumors suggested that the San Francisco based Studio would be releasing the third title in which they have lead development in the fourth quarter of the year; this came as a surprise for many as the Studio had been notably absent from the typical cycle of development for the 2020 release.

Further information regarding Vanguard is rocky, at best, however, reports suggest that the title will be based on the "IW8" engine from 2019's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, developed by Infinity Ward. Its integration with the massive, free-to-play Battle Royale title, Warzone, was uncertain at best - although Activision has now confirmed that the title will in fact intertwine with Warzone in the future.

For more information regarding the initial Vanguard rumors, refer to the following article.

Call of Duty: Vanguard to be Developed by Sledgehammer Games, Release in 2021

Reports from Eurogamer and VGC suggest that Sledgehammer Games is to release Call of Duty: Vanguard in Q4 2021.

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