According to a report from Ralph Valve of whatifgaming.com, a reputable Call of Duty insider, Sledgehammer Games may be returning to Advanced Warfare for their next Call of Duty title. The alleged sequel would come 11 years after the original Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare.
When did the first Advanced Warfare release?
Sledgehammer Games as a development studio has had its history devoted to Call of Duty. After its assistance on Modern Warfare 3 in 2011, Activision made the decision to switch the Call of Duty series to a three-year Dev cycle. This three-year dev cycle featured a rotating set of studios – Sledgehammer, Treyarch, and Infinity Ward.
Sledgehammer Games and the rest of Call of Duty’s development studios committed to a futuristic setting as of 2014. Although Call of Duty Ghosts was slightly futuristic in setting, Sledgehammer Games placed a mark on the series with its first full Call of Duty game. Advanced Warfare marked the era of jet-boosting Call of Duty games. As a concept, however, this received a mixed reception from the community.
Many Call of Duty fans look at the jet-boosting era as something new and fresh. However, the community grew tired of it by the time Infinite Warfare came around in 2016. This was proved when the game’s trailer became one of the most disliked videos in YouTube history.
Back to the Future for Sledgehammer Games?
Sledgehammer Games likely wishes to stray away from the World War 2 setting after Call of Duty Vanguard’s lukewarm reception. In fact, Activision previously stated that Vanguard did not meet their expectations:
The game’s World War 2 setting didn’t resonate with some of our community and we didn’t deliver as much innovation in the premium game as we would have liked. We are certainly addressing both of these issues with the 2022 launch. Development on the 2022 premium and Warzone experiences is being led by Activision’s renowned Infinity Ward studio.
On October 28th, 2022, Call of Duty Modern Warfare II will release as the year’s premium Call of Duty title. The next Call of Duty title will be released by Treyarch, with Sledgehammer following after.
Sledgehammer Games is seen as a bit of a black sheep among Call of Duty fans. Advanced Warfare, WWII, and Vanguard haven’t generated the same buzz as Infinity Ward or Treyarch’s titles. According to Ralph Valve, Sledgehammer initially wished to explore the universe of Vanguard further. Ultimately though, it was tasked with pitching a new idea.
With Call of Duty switching to a two-year dev cycle after Modern Warfare II, Treyarch’s next Call of Duty title will release in 2024. Ralph Valve, however, reports that Sledgehammer’s title will release in 2025.
We have yet to see if Treyarch’s 2024 Call of Duty will indeed get a two-year lifespan like Modern Warfare II. If it does, Sledgehammer will have plenty of time to work on what comes next.
What do you think about Sledgehammer’s Call of Duty titles? Do you think they’ll deliver in 2025 or 2026? For the latest on Activision, Call of Duty, and their releases, stay tuned with us here at the Lords of Gaming.
