Activision itself is going through major structural and organization changes following the Microsoft acquisition, while it tries to reason with union protesters and deal justice to victims of sexual harassment at the firm. It’s a lot for a company to deal with and things haven’t been going very smooth either, but the studio is not pumping any brakes anytime soon. Call of Duty, by far the company’s premier game franchise, has several projects under active development as we speak. Despite the recent turbulence, the yearly COD releases are not stopping and there will be a new mainline Call of Duty title this year. Not only that, but a direct sequel to Warzone is also being developed alongside the new mainline Call of Duty, and it’s not just a major update, but a whole new game built from the ground up. We’ve known for a while now that this year’s Call of Duty will itself be a direct sequel to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019), the most successful game in COD history. The game would be developed by veteran studio Infinity Ward, who also developed the 2019 Modern Warfare. Infinity Ward is also responsible for Warzone and the Warzone 2 (or whatever it may be called) that is in the works at Activision right now. While Activision has remained mostly silent about this year’s COD game, last week, Infinity Ward “went dark” on Twitter by changing its social media banners to a blacked out picture containing nothing. However, when enhanced and brightened, the picture reveals what appears to be a silhouette of iconic character Ghost, first introduced in Modern Warfare 2 back in 2009. Obviously, this had fans excited as the prospect of Ghost returning to COD as a main character was alive again. Ghost has not been part of a Call Of Duty game’s main campaign since his introductory outing in Modern Warfare 2 (2009). Seeing him standing menacingly in the shadows, thus, has fans understandably elated for his return. And it seems like we won’t have to wait much longer for an official reveal.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II
While gameplay and plotlines are still under wraps, today Infinity Ward and Activision has officially announced Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 as the name of this year’s COD. Not to be confused with 2009’s Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2, a small teaser video was posted on the official COD social media handles showing off the logo for the upcoming game with the caption “The new era of Call of Duty is coming. #ModernWarfare2“, confirming the game’s title.
— Call of Duty (@CallofDuty) April 28, 2022 No other information accompanied this logo and title reveal, but we still know quite a bit about the game through leaks and rumors. Video Game Chronicles first reported back in September of last year that this year’s COD will have a campaign revolving around the narcotics war against the Columbian cartels. Moreover, the game is supposed to be “a grittier take on Modern Warfare 2019’s campaign” with more close-quarter combat resembling the now-legendary “Clean House” mission in Modern Warfare 2019. That being said, the video did include a very brief showing of the Task Force 141 logo. Keen fans will instantly recognize it as the multinational special operations unit that served as the primary protagonists of 2009’s Modern Warfare 2, suggesting that this year’s game may be linked to the original it derives its name from (Ghost’s tease is further evidence of this). A screenshot of the logo is attached below, keep in mind that it appears for literally just two frames in the original teaser video, so we had to enhance the image to the best of our abilities. Speaking of logos, this year’s COD may technically be called Modern Warfare II and not Modern Warfare 2, in order to differentiate itself from its twin. As you can see below, the logo very clearly outlines “II” which is just the number 2 but in Roman numerals. It looks clever but also serves a purpose of making sure that there is an easy identifier of sorts that help distinguish this logo from the original game.
Release
Activision is expected to reveal the game to the public in the coming weeks as it has already shown some parts of the game to NFL draft prospects in Las Vegas, hinting at an explosive announcement soon. Apparently, Call of Duty Modern Warfare II will be the “most advanced” COD game ever, according to Activision, which only gets our hopes up for this year’s release. Warzone 2 is said to be developed side-by-side Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II which is an eerily similar situation to how Warzone 1 was developed side-by-side Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019), of course all games are also helmed by Infinity Ward. Warzone 2, on the other hand is not guaranteed to release day and date with this year’s mainline COD, though Activision would certainly love it that were the case. Warzone 2 will be revealed officially later this year, most likely after Modern Warfare II is revealed worldwide. Both games are supposed to mark a historic turning point for Activision and the Call of Duty franchise as these will be the very first COD games excusive to current-gen consoles (and PC). Call of Duty has not missed a release on PS4 and Xbox One since 2013, but that streak ends this year, leaving a large number audience behind in favor of catering to more powerful and capable hardware. Let’s see if this decision results in the kind of hit Activision is expecting or not.
