The hype is beginning to build around the next release of the Call of Duty franchise despite no official announcement from Activision and lead developer Treyarch.
The launch of the new game is set to occur in the latter stages of 2020, before the launch of the Xbox Series X and the PlayStation 5.
Releasing so close to the new generation of consoles implies that COD 2020 will be available on the current generation and the next once the new consoles have been released, and here is why.
No Release Date In Sight
This is the latest a Call of Duty game has been revealed and a release date is nowhere in sight.
While many are expecting to see a traditional October or November release, it's suspicious that we've still yet to get a concrete date.
It's likely due to the fact that there were complications with development, coupled with the fact that COVID-19 has slowed down development for all studios.
Delays have been coming in left, right and centre - so it won't be a surprise to see the same situation with Treyarch's new title.
It's likely they've not revealed the game or produce a release date in case they do need to delay release and prevent them from making a promise that they can not keep.
At this stage, it's almost a certainty that Activision is looking at waiting for a next-generation launch.
Affordability
With the game releasing before the release of the Xbox Series X and the PS5, Black Ops Cold War will see players having to buy the game for the current generation for a minimum of £50; which is quite an expense considering it looks like there are no plans for the game to be added to Xbox Smart Delivery or PlayStation’s equivalent.
If there are no plans to offer players a free upgrade of the game when they buy a new console, the next Call of Duty could prove to be very expensive if players have to buy two editions of the game in order to play it on their new consoles.
With no free upgrade for players on the cards, the return to Black Ops looks to be releasing on both generations of the console at the same time. Not to mention that Warzone is free-to-play and will deter people from buying the game if it isn't placed at a good price and offer a free upgrade.
It Happened Before
All the way back in 2013 and the release of Call of Duty Ghosts, the game arrived just as the Xbox One and PS4 first hit the shelves, leaving players out of pocket if they wanted to play the game on their brand-new consoles.
Many players bought the game on the older generation of consoles given the extortionate price of the new consoles and then moved to the upgraded version when they could.
Exclusively releasing the game on the new generation of consoles would prohibit a wealth of players from getting their hands on the new game so repeating what Activision did for Ghosts is the most likely scenario.
Players Want To Upgrade
Players will likely want to upgrade as soon as possible, as release date to the new generation of consoles draws near, many players will sell their current console in order to fund their next machine.
If the game released on current generation consoles first, many players would miss out on the game's launch.