The Modern Warfare sub-franchise has received the most entries in the entirety of Call of Duty history when counting its run across generations and reboots. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 has landed, but it isn't just another campaign and multiplayer experience, as it has officially closed the book on the current saga.
This is a storyline that began seven years ago, dropping fans into an explosive world that introduced iconic characters like Captain John Price and the CIA's Kate Laswell. The sequels have built up this storyline to be full of global threats and intriguing protagonists. But with Task Force 141 finally hanging up their gear, the studio that originally created Call of Duty is staring at a completely blank canvas for the first time in years.
But what is Infinity Ward going to build next?
Between its two Modern Warfare timelines, Infinity Ward has shipped a handful of standalone Call of Duty games. This includes the near-future-set Ghosts, the sci-fi entry Infinite Warfare, and even assisting with the one set during World War 2 (aptly named Call of Duty: WWII).
Unless the studio wants to go for round three with a Modern Warfare series reboot, the most likely scenarios for Infinity Ward are a game set in a World War or in the future again. The studio also has to stay away from the eras that the Black Ops sub-franchise has also explored or is going in the future.
Historical and sci-fi wars aren't settings that are being explored by AAA first-person shooters nowadays. It's a risky swing, as players might come looking for the tactical boots-on-the-ground realism seen in the studio's recent games and come out with a different experience instead.
Activision may also not want its prized studio back in the land of standalone Call of Duty games. Well-established base universes with continuing sequels have been serving the publisher well for a long time. Infinity Ward could simply spin up a new sub-series in the modern era, introduce a new group of protagonists and villains, and continue as normal, just with a new name. Maybe just call it "Warfare" this time.
If the standard three-studio development cycle holds true, Sledgehammer Games is on track for the 2027 Call of Duty release. This is rumored to be a brand-new setting, finally breaking up the Modern Warfare and Black Ops back-to-back releases we've been having since 2022.
Going by the same schedule, Infinity Ward will be back in action with a new Call of Duty sometime in 2029 or 2030. It's a long wait, but the studio rarely misses, so whatever era it chooses to dive into, it's probably going to be a banger.
