It's increasingly likely that Activision's flagship shooter for 2022 will be Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, as the publisher has confirmed that Infinity Ward is developing this year's game.
In a financial statement released last night, Activision said that "development on this year's premium and Warzone experiences is being led by Activision's renowned Infinity Ward studio." Details are limited, but the company says that its team "is working on the most ambitious plan in franchise history, with industry-leading innovation and a broadly appealing franchise setting."
Neither Activision's statement nor the involvement of Infinity Ward confirm the name of this year's series entry, but rumours from as far back as October 2021 claimed that Call of Duty 2022 is Modern Warfare 2. The follow-up to Infinity Ward's 2019 outing is said to be primarily set in Latin America, and to resurrect the infamous General Shepherd alongside its returning cast of Captain Price and company. If Modern Warfare 2 is indeed in store for later this year, it's likely that "broadly appealing franchise setting" relates to this branch of the Call of Duty tree.
Whatever the game proves to be, it's been rumoured that Call of Duty 2022 will launch earlier to make up for Vanguard's poor sales. To further combat the franchise's difficult year, Activision also stated in its report that it's looking to make even more Call of Duty games - "studio expansion has continued to add development resources worldwide as plans continue for ongoing live operations and new, unannounced titles in the Call of Duty universe."
Given that the series currently exists under a yearly release schedule, it's no surprise that Activision has unannounced Call of Duty titles in the works. That said, an attempt to further expand the many studios working on the series could suggest a wider variety of titles. It's also worth noting, however, that in the wake of Microsoft's acquisition of Activision, it's been rumoured that Call of Duty's annual schedule might not be long for this world.
While we wait, here's a list of new games 2022 to get excited about.
Battlefield 6's first teaser takes me back to the days of Modern Warfare 2 lobbies and 24/7 Metro matches, proving we all crave a return to shooters' simpler times
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