The Call of Duty franchise has always been the subject of some of the most high-profile leaks in gaming, and while that's only grown more true with each new entry, things have now gone to the extreme. For well over a year, it was leaked that this year's Call of Duty would be the sixth installment in the Black Ops series and that it would be set during the Gulf War. But those are far from the only rumors circulating about the Call of Duty franchise right now.

Just a few weeks ago, leakers Visceral and VondyisPog claimed that the next 3-4 years of Call of Duty had already been mapped out and that Infinity Ward would be handling 2026's Call of Duty entry. According to these leaks, this Infinity Ward entry could be some kind of Call of Duty Ghosts remake or reboot, which has led some fans to believe that it could finally be the long-awaited origin story of fan-favorite Modern Warfare character Ghost. While it's all hearsay at this point, a Call of Duty Ghost-focused prequel does sound like a fun idea, though it wouldn't be without its downsides.

Call of Duty Character Frank Woods
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Infinity Ward's Rumored Ghost Prequel Could Be a Double-Edged Sword

Call of Duty 2026 Could Deliver Something Fans Have Wanted for Years

First introduced in the original 2009 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Simon "Ghost" Riley quickly became one of the most iconic characters in the entire franchise. Despite appearing for only a few hours in total, Ghost made a sizable impression on fans, due in no small part to his skull-adorned mask and gruff voice acting. In a series that was often criticized for its archetypal, indistinguishable characters, Ghost stood out in the best way and became somewhat of a mascot for the franchise, despite meeting a grizzly end in his debut title.

When the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare series was rebooted in 2019, many fans were quick to vocalize their desire to see Ghost in the game, but they'd have to wait a little longer to see him again. After being teased briefly in Modern Warfare's post-credits scene, Ghost made his rebooted debut in Call of Duty: Warzone, and then appeared as a primary character in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. But some fans still want to see more of Ghost, and in particular, more of the character's mysterious origin, and the rumored 2026 Infinity Ward Call of Duty could finally give players exactly that.

Some Fan-Favorite Characters Can't Show Up

An origin story revolving around Ghost wouldn't come without its drawbacks. A Ghost origin story would presumably have to be set at least a few years before Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, and that would mean that the vast majority of the Modern Warfare cast couldn't appear in the game. Beloved characters like Soap, Gaz, and Pharah don't meet Ghost until around the time of Modern Warfare 2, so Infinity Ward wouldn't be able to put them in the game. And though Captain Price could technically appear, he might not tie in too directly with Ghost's origin. Ghost is a charming character, but a good portion of that charm only comes through when he's bouncing off those around him.

Modern Warfare's Future Might Be Put on Standby

Making Infinity Ward's next Call of Duty be a Ghost origin story would also have a pretty sizable impact on the rest of the Modern Warfare series. Without spoiling too much, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 ended on some major cliffhangers, and if Infinity Ward's next project is a Ghost prequel, then fans might not be given the conclusion to these events for years, as the annual Call of Duty cycle would likely see Sledgehammer and Treyarch produce the following yearly entries.