Treyarch Teases Mysterious New Call of Duty Project After Black Ops 7

Ever finish a huge project and immediately start dreaming about what's next? That's basically where Treyarch is right now. The studio is wrapping up Black Ops 7 and already looking ahead to its next big thing — and according to design director Kevin Drew, it might not be what you expect.

In a new Dev Talk video, Drew explained that Treyarch has "learned a lot" from making 2024's Black Ops 6 and 2025's Black Ops 7, and that the team "tried a lot of things in our current era." But now? "We're ready to make something new and something that nobody's ever experienced before," he said. That's a bold claim, even for a studio known for grandiose promises. But it's also the kind of tease that gets your brain spinning.

Treyarch created the Black Ops series back in 2010, and it's still one of the most popular brands in the entire franchise. So why mess with a winning formula? Well, the studio has already admitted it worried about franchise fatigue after releasing back-to-back Black Ops games in 2024 and 2025. And the numbers backed up those concerns: EA's Battlefield 6 actually outsold Black Ops 7 in 2025, pushing Black Ops 7 down to the No. 5 spot for the year in the US. That's a pretty big shakeup for a series that usually dominates.

Meanwhile, Call of Duty as a whole is going through some changes. Microsoft announced that Call of Duty games will no longer be included with Xbox Game Pass at launch, starting with this year's Modern Warfare 4. Infinity Ward is leading development on that one, though Activision's network of studios — Treyarch included — are expected to chip in. It's a move that seems aimed at selling more units, but it also changes how a lot of you will access the game.

And if you thought that was the only rumor floating around, think again. There's chatter that Microsoft — which owns both Call of Duty and Activision — is considering having a Call of Duty studio work on a Halo game. Another rumor suggests Microsoft could "put Halo under Activision" as part of a bigger restructuring to help Halo regain its FPS dominance. None of that is confirmed, but it's certainly interesting to think about.

For now, all we know for sure is that Treyarch is moving on from Black Ops and promising something completely fresh. Will it actually be something we've never experienced before? Or is it just classic Call of Duty hype? Only time will tell. But one thing's for sure: we'll be watching closely.

What do you think Treyarch is cooking up? And are you excited for something totally new, or would you rather see another Black Ops? Let us know in the comments!