In recent years, the Call of Duty (CoD) franchise has been focused on futuristic combat. Last year’s CoD: Infinite Warfare took players into the very distant future in terms of weaponry, setting, and plot. Although the futuristic settings of Infinite Warfare and Black Ops III were very successful, Activision is aiming to bring the franchise “back to its roots.”

According to sources, during Activision Blizzard’s quarterly earnings meeting, a confirmation was given that another Call of Duty game will be out later this year. No details were given, but it was made clear that although Infinite Warfare was the best selling game of 2016, in the eyes of the company, it under-performed. The comment was made that last year’s title “didn’t resonate” with audiences as well as the company had hoped. When speaking about the upcoming title, an Activision representative claimed that the next entry will “take Call of Duty back to its roots.”

Long time fans of the series will remember that the first CoD games were set on the battlefields of World War II. Taking the franchise back to its roots could mean that the next installment is heading back to where it all began. Call of Duty franchise’s war time first-person shooter competitors, Battlefield ,went all the way back to World War I in their last title, which was well received from fans worldwide.

When it comes to development, the CoD franchise is compiled of three separate studios that work on a rotation for each year’s release (Treyarch, Infinity Ward, and  Sledgehammer). Infinite Warfare was developed by Infinity Ward and Black Ops III by Treyarch, meaning that Sledgehammer is up to bat for the next catalog entry. Sledgehammer’s last CoD game, Advanced Warfare was a fan favorite due to the intense and epic single player campaign.

We’re honored & excited to bring this year’s @Callofduty to fans everywhere! It’s our biggest achievement as game makers. Much more to come.

— Sledgehammer Games (@SHGames) February 9, 2017

No further information has been released at this time about the upcoming game, but rest assured that we here at DFTG will keep you updated as we learn more. Would you like to see the Call of Duty franchise go back to the wars of the past or are you enjoying the futuristic elements of recent releases? Let us know in the comments section below and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and Facebook to make sure you never miss your daily gaming news.