Call Of Duty 2020 Is Reportedly Black Ops 5 With Reports Of A Treyarch Upheaval
Rumors of a 2019 Call of Duty game have been prevalent as of late, with varying evidence all-but-confirming a new Modern Warfare title set for later this year. However, one upcoming release that hasn’t been discussed too often is Activision’s plans for next year, specifically what may be in store for an inevitable Call of Duty 2020. A new report suggests this new game is intended to be ‘Black Ops 5,’ this time with studio Treyarch currently leading development.
Activision is known for their yearly-released COD titles, with each entry regularly cycling development between three main studios: Sledgehammer Games, Treyarch, and Infinity Ward. As Infinity Ward is currently busy and Treyarch only just finished work on last year’s Black Ops 4, it was expected that ‘WWII’ studio Sledgehammer would take the reins for Call of Duty 2020, but it appears this is not the case; at least, not anymore.
A new report from Kotaku reveals that Sledgehammer was at one point leading Black Ops 5, with series’ collaborator Raven Software sharing in development duties. The fifth installment was said to be shooting for a Cold War setting, possibly involving Vietnam, but “frequent” creative disputes between Sledgehammer and Raven reportedly made for a tense working environment. Sources with Kotaku described the situation as “a mess,” prompting Activision to step in and ultimately hand over control of project to Treyarch.
As of now, the outlet says that Treyarch is overseeing creative direction of Black Ops 5, with Sledgehammer and Raven taking reduced roles as “support studios” for the title. The project is expected to retain its Cold War-inspired setting, but also feature single-player story mode; a contrast to the notably absent campaign in the latest Black Ops entry. One reported downside of this upheaval is Treyarch’s fractioned development time, which now only allows two years to deliver Call of Duty 2020 rather than the usual three.
While all this drama is reportedly happening with Black Ops 5, it’s said that Call of Duty 2019 will be relatively unaffected, especially as an official reveal announcement is expected before the end of next month. Though nothing about the Infinity Ward game is confirmed as of yet, the project is widely believed to be a return to the popular Modern Warfare series, specifically Modern Warfare 4. Mounting evidence has done nothing to halt this speculation, with some suggesting the game could even debut the long-rumored Modern Warfare 2 remaster.
What do you think? Are you intrigued by a Cold War-set Black Ops 5, or are you worried about the potential drama happening behind the scenes? Let us know in the comments below and be sure to follow Don’t Feed the Gamers on Twitter and Facebook to be informed of the latest gaming and entertainment news 24 hours a day! For more headlines recently featured on DFTG, check out these next few news stories:
Eric Hall2712 Posts
Phone-browsing Wikipedia in one hand and clutching his trusty controller in the other, the legendary Eric Hall spreads his wealth of knowledge as a writer for Don't Feed the Gamers. Be sure to catch his biweekly "Throwback Thursday" segment for a nostalgic look at trivia from the past.
