Activision is signaling a change of direction for Call of Duty. In an interview with trade publication The Game Business, chief marketing officer Tyler Bahl confirmed that a future title in the series will be a new sub-franchise rather than another sequel in the Modern Warfare or Black Ops lines, and that work on it is already underway. In Call of Duty’s structure, that points to a fresh series line with its own identity, much as Modern Warfare and Black Ops stand apart from one another.
Confirmation from the company
Bahl did not name the studio behind the project or offer a release window. “We’ve already stated that a future title is going to be a new sub-franchise and we’ve already laid the groundwork,” he said. “But we’re really excited about Modern Warfare 4, and that addresses some of that feedback.”
A shift away from rapid sequels
The move follows a period in which Activision relied on back-to-back sequels. Modern Warfare 2 launched in 2022 and Modern Warfare 3 in 2023, followed by Black Ops 6 in 2024 and Black Ops 7 in 2025. Bahl acknowledged that pace was not what players wanted, a shift that The Game Business ties to a commercial slide for the series. “It was not something that our community was looking for,” he said. “They wanted something fresh.”
Modern Warfare 4 closes the chapter
Bahl described this year’s Modern Warfare 4 as “the epic conclusion of this recent series of Modern Warfare,” while leaving open the possibility that some characters and pieces of that universe could be reinvented later.
For what comes next, innovation will be the priority. “Where we go with future games, we have to innovate,” Bahl said. “What we heard from the audience is they want new or better or different. The landscape is changing right under our feet.”
Details still to come
Activision has not said what the new sub-franchise will look like, which studio is building it, or when it will be announced. The project’s setting, features, and name remain unconfirmed, so the confirmation is a statement of direction rather than a reveal of specifics.
Sources
- Reporting source: IGN
- Primary interview: The Game Business
