Call of Duty will, as usual, be back with a new game in 2025, but details about its developer, release, and gameplay are more complicated than ever.
Currently, after enjoying back-to-back Modern Warfare games from Infinity Ward, Call of Duty players are in the midst of Treyarch's Black Ops 6, with new content in the campaign, multiplayer, zombies, and the Warzone battle royale.
Everything We Know About Call of Duty 2025
Call of Duty 2025 Is Reportedly a Black Ops 2 Sequel
While Call of Duty 2025 has yet to be officially announced by Activision, a report from Insider Gaming revealed the game will be a "direct sequel" to Black Ops 2 that will be set in the near future.
The 2025 game will reportedly see "the return of some fan-favorite protagonists" and debut "a new villain following the death of Menendez."
A description of some of Call of Duty 2025's game mechanics from a focus group meeting also surfaced online in October and offered more insight. These leaks were corroborated by Insider Gaming's Tom Henderson on X, giving them credence due to his strong track record of Call of Duty insight.
As shared on X by @FumoLeaks, the game will continue the storyline in 2035 as Black Ops 2's David Mason returns as the main protagonist for a Call of Duty tale focussed on "espionage and international warfare."
While the game's exact title was not revealed under the leaks, Black Ops 7 may be the most likely name, unless Activision chooses to add a subtitle (ala Black Ops Cold War) to deviate further from this year's Black Ops 6.
Gamers delving into Black Ops 6 will treated to a major twist in the campaign ending, but as 2025's sequel will jump decades in the future from the '90s setting, it will likely be largely disconnected.
When Will Call of Duty 2025 Be Released?
Looking back at recent years, every Call of Duty release date has ranged from the last Friday of October to the first two Fridays of November.
- Modern Warfare - October 25
- Black Ops Cold War - November 13
- Vanguard - November 5
- Modern Warfare 2 - October 28
- Modern Warfare 3 - November 10
- Black Ops 6 - October 25
As a whole there doesn't seem to be any pattern, this narrows down the likely release dates for Call of Duty 2025 to October 31, November 7, or November 14.
A release on November 14 would be the latest-ever date in the year for a Call of Duty game, while October 31 would fall on Halloween, which could risk drawing attention away from the FPS launch. As such, Call of Duty 2025 will likely be released on Friday, November 7.
Activision tends to begin marketing its annual Call of Duty release over the summer, meaning the first official details should come between June and August.
The Next Call of Duty Developer Is Still Unclear
Through all the details that have leaked online about Call of Duty 2025, one thing that still lacks a concrete answer is who is developing the FPS experience.
Well, as it will be a Black Ops game, one would naturally turn to Treyarch, who has handled every previous entry in the franchise. But as they have been preoccupied with last year's Black Ops 6, that may be tough to imagine.
Two Black Ops games releasing in back-to-back games isn't exactly historic for Call of Duty, as 2022 and 2023 did the same with concurrent Modern Warfare games. In that situation, development on Modern Warfare 2 was handled by Infinity Ward before Sledgehammer Games took the reins for Modern Warfare 3.
But a rumor shared by reputable leaker The Ghost of Hope on X stated Sledgehammer will instead be working on their game for 2027 while Infinity Ward is expected to release Modern Warfare 4 in 2026.
As this seemingly takes the three usual development studios out of contention, frequent support developers High Moon Studios, Raven Software, and Bennox are the top contenders to lead the charge, likely with help from Treyarch.
Zombies Might Be Returning for Call of Duty 2025
Just as with every other Black Ops game, Call of Duty 2025 will have a round-based zombie survival mode, according to a report from Insider Gaming.
The outlet noted plans for six zombies maps to be released for the next Call of Duty game, presumably two on launch and four as DLC content. One of the maps is said to be inspired by the Black Ops 2 launch experience "Tranzit" with a unique travel system to navigate one of the largest zombies maps ever made.
The Black Ops 6 storyline is reportedly set to continue as "a new enemy character who wants to absorb the “Dark Aether Essence” of the original four characters and bring back the old multiverse."
Insider Gaming stated, via sources from early playtests, that the original zombies crew of Richtofen, Takeo, Nikolai, and Dempsey are expected to return.
Further details from the focus group leak discussed earlier (via @FumoLeaks) noted zombies will have an eight-player mode that may be similar to Black Ops 2's Grief in which two teams try to outlast each other in round-based play.
The game is also rumored to include a classic mode, where players will spawn with a pistol, craft armor, and acquire new weapons from wall buys and the mystery box similar to earlier zombies game modes.
It's important to note that playtests often have variations in details from the final release to gauge reactions, adjust based on feedback, and, occasionally, find the origin of leaks surfacing online.
Multiplayer Details Have Already Leaked for Call of Duty 2025
The same leak discussed above noted Black Ops 6's Omnimovement feature is returning, allowing players to move smoothly in any direction. The mechanic is said to be returning with "increased fluidity... and animations," while the new wall jump will let players "leap from surfaces for new ways to engage."
Fans can expect to see Black Ops 2 maps remastered on the current engine, launching with a mixture of new and returning multiplayer arenas.
Call of Duty 2025 appears to be putting a new focus on teamwork as there will be ways to "buff nearby teammates and their gadgets," while Networked Perks will allow players to share their applied buffs.
Other notable details include the return of human shields, the basketball-esque Uplink mode, and the familiar Face Off and Gunfight experiences which allow players to compete on Call of Duty's smallest maps.
A Nintendo Switch Release Is Possible for Call of Duty 2025
Fans can expect to play Call of Duty 2025 on the familiar platforms on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, presumably along with PS4 and Xbox One as there has been no sign of abandoning the last-gen consoles just yet.
But the FPS giant might be getting ready to add a new platform, as Microsoft (who owns publisher Activision) landed a deal with Nintendo in 2023 to bring Call of Duty to their consoles "the same day as Xbox, with full feature and content parity."
As Nintendo is getting ready to release the Switch 2 with performance comparable to PS4 and Xbox One (which still run modern Call of Duty titles), this year's entry in the franchise could launch.
To add more fuel to the fire, Call of Duty has been listed among eight confirmed and 15 rumored games coming to the Switch 2.
