Call of Duty Is Getting a Brand-New Sub-Series, Activision Confirms

Tired of the same old Black Ops and Modern Warfare cycle? Good news, because Activision says a brand-new Call of Duty sub-series is officially on the way.

Activision chief marketing officer Tyler Bahl confirmed the news in an interview with The Game Business. He explained that the community wanted something fresh, and even though past games mixed up time settings and features, that tonal shift is what players were really craving. According to Bahl, Activision has already stated a future title will be a new sub-franchise, and the groundwork is already laid.

So why the change? Modern Warfare 4 is just over a week away from launching, and it marks the fifth straight year of either a Black Ops or Modern Warfare entry. That's a long run, and it looks like Activision is ready to shake things up going forward. Bahl made it clear the studio won't do back-to-back sequels in the same sub-series anymore.

There are already some intriguing hints about where this could go. Last month, Black Ops developer Treyarch teased it's working on "something that nobody's ever experienced before." Meanwhile, Sledgehammer Games is reportedly in charge of 2027's Call of Duty, which might also introduce a new sub-series. If that happens, it wouldn't be Sledgehammer's first rodeo, since the studio also made 2021's Vanguard, the last entry that wasn't a Black Ops or Modern Warfare game.

And there's more going on behind the scenes. Activision is now in charge of the Halo franchise, and Xbox management says a new team will be spun up for the next Halo game. It wouldn't be surprising to see a Call of Duty studio heavily involved in that project, which could mean big things for both franchises down the line.

For now, though, all eyes are on Modern Warfare 4. It launches October 23 on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Switch 2. If you preorder, you can jump into campaign early access tomorrow, October 16, plus the DMZ mode on October 20. Not a bad way to get a head start.

So, what do you think? Are you ready for a completely new Call of Duty sub-series, or will you miss the Black Ops and Modern Warfare staples? Let us know in the comments.