The Call of Duty community is buzzing with excitement after well-known leaker Tom Henderson shared news that the series' 2025 entry will be a "direct sequel to Black Ops 2."
The report was first shared to Insider Gaming, with Henderson's sources revealing the series' intentions to return to the near-future - 'around 2030'. This would see the game begin five years after the events of Black Ops 2, giving ample space for popular characters to return and set up conflicts seen later in the timeline.
The game is set to release in 2025, though the long development time may lead to a change in setting. The report makes it clear that there are plans for "round-based zombies", a movement system overhaul, the return of gunfight as a game mode, and "pick 10 create-a-class."
Fans' criticism of Modern Warfare 3 has apparently been heard, as remastered Black Ops 2 maps will be joined by several original maps. Fans of the recent remakes shouldn't be too worried about the series' future, however, as Infinity Ward is apparently "well into development on its next Modern Warfare game."
Another noteworthy reveal was the project's high likelihood of moving away from the 'carry forward' system. With it, players could keep using their cosmetics and progression between games. The feature has proved popular in the Modern Warfare games, but these are set in the same time period - subsequent games will likely find it difficult to include certain weapons as they jump through different periods of history.
If the leaks are to be believed, Call of Duty 2025 is curiously using the codename "Saturn". It's unlikely yet entirely possible that this signals a return to outer space assisted by the advanced technology of the era, similar to 2016's Call of Duty Infinite Warfare.
Regardless of the grand plans being drawn up, we can only hope that the teams behind upcoming Call of Duty games aren't forced to crunch through short development times.