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A new report reveals that all of Activision’s studios are now working on the Call of Duty series. The first-person shooter franchise has become a staple of the gaming industry, with annual releases which consistently perform well. Due to the series’ success, rumors have suggested that almost all of Activision’s studios now work on Call of Duty, contributing to the ongoing financial success of the massive franchise.
The size and scope of the Call of Duty series demands collaboration between many dedicated game developers. Two different studios, Treyarch and Raven Software, co-developed the franchise’s 2020 installment Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. Infinity Ward developed the 2019 title Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, and then the studio collaborated with Raven Software to create the battle royale shooter Call of Duty: Warzone. The newly-revealed Call of Duty: Vanguard is also being handled by multiple different developers, with Sledgehammer Games leading development of the WW2 shooter while Treyarch handles the beloved Zombies game mode.
Unsurprisingly, a report from VentureBeat confirms that all of Activision’s core studios are now working on the Call of Duty series. Sledgehammer Games and Treyarch are developing Call of Duty: Vanguard, with additional support being lent by studios Beenox, Demonware, High Moon Studios, Activision Shanghai and Toys for Bob. Raven Software continues to develop Call of Duty: Warzone, and Infinity Ward is reportedly working on another upcoming installment in the franchise. Activision has also created an internal mobile studio, which is developing a mobile title in the series.
While the Call of Duty series has always been developed by multiple different studios, Call of Duty: Vanguard seems to be ringing in an unprecedented level of franchise cohesion. The integration of Call of Duty: Vanguard and Warzone will be quite extensive, with the upcoming World War II title opening up a new era for the battle royale shooter. Warzone will reportedly receive a massive new map, replacing the game’s current map Verdansk, which will tie into Vanguard‘s historical setting. The two titles will then share ongoing post-launch content, just as Warzone shared with Modern Warfare and Black Ops Cold War. A new anti-cheat system will also be shared between both titles once Vanguard launches, hopefully preventing cheaters from plaguing either game. Vanguard‘s iteration of the signature Zombies mode, being developed by Treyarch, will also act as a continuation to the Zombies storyline featured in Black Ops Cold War.
The Call of Duty series has been a massive success for Activision, with the franchise’s popularity seemingly unhampered by its annual release schedule. It makes perfect sense for the publisher’s full attention to be directed at the first-person shooter series, with all of its studios working on the franchise. A huge amount of talent has come together to create Call of Duty: Vanguard, and hopefully this focus will result in a high-quality product.
