Activision is currently working on a new Call of Duty (2025) title codenamed “Saturn” internally. According to an exclusive from Insider Gaming, the title will be a Black Ops 2 sequel set in the year 2030. Information suggests it will feature a semi-futuristic setting, instead of a full-blown futuristic setting like the previous Black Ops 3.
The report mentioned that Call of Duty 2025 would overhaul the movement mechanics of Black Ops 2. The title will also see the return of the classic create-a-class system to the franchise, alongside the 2v2 gunfight game mode. Moreover, following the release of World At War, Black Ops kept the tradition of releasing Zombies game mode, and as always it will return with this title.
Past leaks suggested that the next Call of Duty will be named Gulf War set to release in 2024. The exclusive report clarified it will be a completely new title, and may not incorporate the narrative from Black Ops Gulf War. Besides, since this title will be a direct sequel to Call of Duty Black Ops 2, the return of fan-favorite characters can be expected.
Call of Duty Black Ops 2 ended with the death of Raul Menendez, who was the main protagonist of the story. Fans claim this to be a canonical ending as it wrapped up his saga of retribution. Moreover, with the new Call of Duty taking place five years after the events of Black Ops 2, fans can expect a new antagonist.
The ending of Call of Duty Black Ops 2 showed Alex Mason and Frank Woods to be alive during a confrontation in 2025. Fans can expect the return of these beloved characters for a cameo. At the same time, lieutenant Commander David Mason, son of Alex Mason, could be the main protagonist of the upcoming story as he was the lead in Black Ops 2.
How can Activision redeem the Call of Duty franchise in 2025?
Call of Duty fans were left disappointed after the release of Modern Warfare 3 (2023) as it featured only remastered versions of Modern Warfare 2 (2009) maps and a meager three-hour-long campaign. This was caused by an extremely short development time of 16 months, which put immense pressure on Sledgehammer games. However, even though MW3 faced a lot of criticism from people, Activion managed to do well in sales.
Activision initially planned to take a similar approach with Call of Duty 2025, but the recent outrage from fans made higher-ups change their minds. Rumors suggest that new maps will be added for the title, and will be later followed by remastered maps. Fans didn’t like the reuse of the same maps in the 2023 title and called it a glorified DLC for Modern Warfare 2 (2022).
Activision Blizzard had been under a lot of pressure after facing several legal cases in the past few years. Even recently, Activision Blizzard had to settle a gender discrimination lawsuit worth $54 million. Facing many negative reviews from the public, the organization is changing its approach before everyone loses their trust.
To change how people think, Activision might focus on their upcoming games to earn back the trust of consumers. If all the reports in the exclusive turn out to be true, there is a chance of redemption for the company. The steady progress towards providing a quality experience to both consumers and employees is the only way forward for them.
Call of Duty fans have been asking for new maps and gameplay opportunities for a long time and have been left unheard. Moreover, Modern Warfare 3 (2023) featured the same graphics with slight tweaks in gameplay. This could have been added with an update to Modern Warfare 2 (2022) but was instead sold as a full game.
To avoid getting called out, Activision has to avoid making such decisions which disappoint fans. As known from the intel released recently, the company may be trying to fix its lost reputation. So, Call of Duty 2025 could be the last chance to provide gamers with the premium experience they have been asking for.
