Video game sequels have reached some pretty absurd levels at this point, with some of the biggest franchises having upwards of five titles all within the same universe. In the case of Call of Duty, we are now up to seven with Black Ops and the same for Modern Warfare when combining the old trilogy with this newer run, but even before Modern Warfare 4 has had a chance to stretch its legs, we have confirmation about the kind of game we can expect from the series in 2027.
Tyler Bahl, marketing lead for Call of Duty, has confirmed that in 2027, the IP will be receiving yet another sub-franchise (via GamesRadar), rather than just another sequel in an existing one. This is hardly the first time Call of Duty has expanded into new territory, with games like Vanguard and Ghosts existing in their own standalone worlds. However, by revealing that detail now, it makes Modern Warfare 4‘s safer approach feel even less interesting than it already did, potentially harming the game’s launch by putting attention on 2027’s exciting release.
Call of Duty Is Leaving Sequels Behind In 2027
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If there is one series that milks its games more than any other, it’s Call of Duty. Out of the last 10 mainline releases, only two were from new sub-franchises, being Vanguard and World War 2, with the rest either being yet another Black Ops or Modern Warfare. That has made the level of progress and innovation feel quite lackluster, as while those two major brands have had their fair share of settings and styles, they are still relying on bigger names and marketing to drive sales.
And as fun as it is to mock Call of Duty for releasing the same game over and over again with different paint jobs, it is hardly their fault. When they did attempt to branch out into other areas, whether it was with Vanguard or Advanced Warfare back in the day, the reception was far from universally positive. However, it was still nice to see something different for the series, and in 2027, it seems as though they are going back to the drawing board to try it again. As exciting as that sounds, it comes off as rather odd to mention that detail now, especially given how close to Modern Warfare 4’s launch we are.
By revealing that detail now, it makes Modern Warfare 4‘s safer approach feel even less interesting than it already did, potentially harming the game’s launch by getting people too excited for 2027’s release.
Instead of focusing all of their attention on this year’s game, the focus has now shifted slightly to the future, which in turn will make a lot of Modern Warfare 4’s more conservative ideas stand out far more than before. I already thought it was bold to keep pushing the sequel idea, particularly after how much backlash Black Ops 7 received, and now, any minor flaw or decision will stick out like a sore thumb because if they were willing to change the formula for next year, why didn’t they just do it now?
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A zombie from Call of Duty: Vanguard against a red, smoky background.
It is hard to know how the Call of Duty development cycle works, but it is safe to assume that there is some kind of roadmap in mind for upcoming games. 2026’s Call of Duty wasn’t made start to finish in a single year, and I imagine there were plans in place well ahead of time, the same as can be said for 2027’s game. So my concern is that after hyping up this new game with all these updated features and creative strides and then diverting the playerbase’s eyes elsewhere, you actively harm the success of Modern Warfare 4 and highlight the questions surrounding innovation more than ever.
Risks Don’t Always Pay Off
A lot of people really like to make fun of the number of Call of Duty sequels that seem to go on forever, but it is worth pointing out that the repetition is hardly exclusively the developer’s fault. In the past, when new ideas were tried with Ghosts, Advanced Warfare, or Vanguard, players were very quick to criticize the games’ directions, mechanics, and stories, and then when things went back to repetitive sequels, they complained about a lack of variety.
For the teams over at Call of Duty, it must feel almost impossible to please everyone, and that’s why I think they have been playing it safe for a little while, to squash at least some of the poor faith that arose during the lower periods. The sentiment is for many that they would rather play an average or even a bad Modern Warfare than have a new franchise flop at the finish line, but that idea starts to come apart when you attempt to sell both sides of the coin at once. We are being given the safe sequels, whilst also being fed the promise of new ideas down the line, which will no doubt bring about concern from players who hated the previous spin-offs and those who would still be happy to pick up their 8th Modern Warfare game.
Looking at the bigger picture, we still have no idea what 2027’s Call of Duty will entail, other than it being its own separate entity from the previous franchises. Maybe it will have jetpack movement, or maybe it will send us back to pirate times and have us running around with a blunderbuss on sandy coves, or if you really want to get your speculation caps on, it could be a nice precursor to the film releasing in 2028. Whatever it ends up being, it still comes off as a brave decision to bring it up so soon, given how much of an emphasis they have placed on Modern Warfare 4 being a breath of fresh air, and this new information may make a lot of the supposed innovations fall flat on their face.
