Highlights

  • Activision's 2024 Call of Duty game, rumored to be called Black Ops Gulf War, has already leaked online, signaling a return to the Black Ops series.
  • Fans disappointed by Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3's campaign can look forward to Treyarch's 2024 entry, which promises a longer development time and a greater focus on narrative.
  • Black Ops 6 will mark the first Call of Duty released and marketed under Microsoft's ownership, potentially setting the stage for how the company handles the franchise moving forward.

The dust has barely settled on this year's launch, and yet, Activision's 2024 Call of Duty game has already leaked online. After two straight years of releases within the Modern Warfare series, Call of Duty is reportedly returning to Black Ops.

Despite some up-and-down reception to the latest release, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 has broken player engagement records for the trilogy and sold relatively well. Fans were initially disappointed by the game's brief campaign, but the reception to Modern Warfare 3's multiplayer modes has been much better in comparison. Still, after three Modern Warfare releases in the past four years, CoD fans are eager to see what's next.

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Windows Central is reporting that Call of Duty 2024 will be Black Ops, as rumored, and the game will be set during the Gulf War. Longtime Call of Duty developer Treyarch is said to be leading the way for Black Ops 6, which is rumored to be called Call of Duty: Black Ops Gulf War. While Treyarch has assisted on each Call of Duty title over the years, its 2024 entry will represent the studio's longest development period for a CoD game.

For players disappointed by Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3's campaign, Treyarch's 2024 entry, at least, sounds to be a step in the right direction thanks to a longer development time and early focus on narrative. According to Windows Central's sources, Black Ops 6 looks to tell a nuanced story that explores multiple angles surrounding the Gulf War. Additionally, the game will dip back into "traditional military combat technology and familiar Black Ops gadgetry" rather than futuristic tech from recent Modern Warfare titles.

On a bit more of the speculative side, Windows Central is also hearing about the potential return of early access as a pre-order bonus. One of Modern Warfare 3's pre-order bonuses included early access to the game's campaign, which launched a week early. However, Black Ops 6 could potentially offer several weeks of early access for select modes.

Aside from the return to the Black Ops series, 2024's Call of Duty will be noteworthy for another reason; Black Ops 6 will be the first Call of Duty title released following Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard. While Modern Warfare 3 technically launched after the acquisition, the game's development and marketing were long underway before the deal was finalized. Assuming there aren't any standing timed exclusivity agreements for Activision to uphold moving forward, Black Ops 6 will likely lay the groundwork for how Microsoft will handle its new massive IP.