Activision is preparing a brand-new Call of Duty sub-series to sit alongside Modern Warfare and Black Ops. Chief marketing officer Tyler Bahl told The Game Business in an interview published on October 15 that “a future title is going to be a new sub-franchise” and that the company has “already laid the groundwork.” He gave no name, setting, studio or release year.
The comment came in a wider conversation about why Call of Duty lost ground over the past year, and it lands eight days before Modern Warfare 4 launches on October 23.
Modern Warfare 4, out October 23, is Activision's attempt to win back players before a new sub-series arrives. Image: Activision
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What Activision actually said
Bahl was asked about the series’ habit of back-to-back sequels: Modern Warfare 2 (2022) and Modern Warfare 3 (2023), then Black Ops 6 (2024) and Black Ops 7 (2025). His answer, in full: “It was not something that our community was looking for. They wanted something fresh, and even though there were different time settings, and ways to play the game with new features, that tonal shift is something that they were looking for. So, we’ve already stated that a future title is going to be a new sub-franchise and we’ve already laid the groundwork. But we’re really excited about Modern Warfare 4, and that addresses some of that feedback.”
Note the wording: Bahl framed the new sub-franchise as something Activision has “already stated,” not as a fresh announcement, and he did not say which year’s game it will be. Some coverage has gone further. Dexerto reports that CharlieIntel’s sources point to a 2027 release, and Insider Gaming recalls July 2025 reports of a modern-era game that would not be a “jetpack-style” shooter. Activision has not confirmed any of those details, so treat the 2027 timing as a report for now.
If it happens, it would be the first new branch of the series since Vanguard in 2021, and before that WWII in 2017.
Why Activision is changing course
The numbers behind the interview explain the urgency. According to The Game Business, Black Ops 7’s European launch was 50% below the previous year’s game, and in the US it finished 2025 at No. 5, the lowest ranking for a Call of Duty since World at War in 2008. Battlefield 6 was 2025’s best-selling shooter.
Ampere Analysis estimates cited in the piece put Call of Duty’s monthly players at around 40 million in 2024 and in the mid-20 millions during 2026 (with some games’ data missing after July 2025 and July 2026). The summer’s surprise PlayStation releases of Black Ops (2010) and Black Ops 2 (2012) pushed the franchise back toward 40 million. “We thought they would do well, we didn’t think they would do that well,” Bahl said.
“I don’t think we were happy with every aspect of last year’s game, and we heard the feedback loud and clear,” he said, describing Modern Warfare 4 as a return to “a grounded military shooter.”
Bahl calls MW4, set during a North Korean invasion, the conclusion of the current Modern Warfare series. Image: Activision
What it means for players
For players, the message is that Modern Warfare 4 is a course correction rather than the end goal. Bahl called it “the epic conclusion of this recent series of Modern Warfare,” while leaving room for characters to return, and said future games “have to innovate.” He also said Activision is not judging MW4 by a sales target: “even if it delivers on sales, if people don’t like the game, we’ve missed the mark.”
The interview touched on a few other business points worth knowing:
- The “Call of Duty tax”: Bahl’s term for the tougher reviews and reception an annual mega-franchise gets, pointing to 4,500 staff working on the series.
- GTA 6: asked whether Grand Theft Auto 6 (November 19) would steal attention, he said “no offense to Zelda,” but GTA and MW4 are “the two biggest games of the year,” and argued GTA will bring lapsed console players back.
- Nintendo: MW4 on Switch 2 is Call of Duty’s first Nintendo release since 2013, backed by a co-marketing deal; Bahl said “Nintendo has been all in.”
What’s next
Modern Warfare 4’s Campaign Early Access opens on October 16 for digital pre-orders, and the full game launches October 23 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC and Switch 2, according to the official Call of Duty blog. Activision hasn’t said when it will share more about the new sub-franchise; for reference, Modern Warfare 4 itself was revealed in May. We’ll update this story if Activision names the project or confirms a year.
Sources: The Game Business (interview with Tyler Bahl), Kotaku, VGC, Dexerto, Insider Gaming, Call of Duty blog.
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Featured image: Activision
