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Call of Duty 2024 has not been confirmed by Activision, although the rumor mill is beginning to pick up steam as we head deeper into the year. Call of Duty games typically arrive towards the tail end of the games calendar, so if there is going to be a new game, it’ll likely arrive between October and November this year. While details are scarce, there’s still a few bits of information – at the moment in the form of rumors, that we can evaluate. So, without further ado, here’s everything you need to know.
What’s this year’s Call of Duty?
We don’t know exactly what this year’s game will be, however, we reported that a number of Call of Duty games – at least for the next few years – have been leaked. Among the leaks, which are not verified, was a title within the ‘Black Ops’ series of CoD games. It’s rumored to be developed by Treyarch, who have handled the Black Ops saga since it kicked off in 2010. Further evidence that a new entry to the Black Ops saga is on the way emerged in 2023, when actor Luke Charles Safford posted on his Facebook, claiming that Activision was using his likeness in the next game. The post, which was originally reported by Insider Gaming, has since been deleted, but stated Safford’s likeness would be used for a character called Ratcliffe in this year’s game.
Later rumors suggest the game will be called Black Ops: Gulf War, and feature more fleshed out open-world elements similar to that teased in Modern Warfare 3. Again, a report from Insider Gaming claims the game worlds will be so large, you’ll be able to fast travel and take vehicles to get to different locations on the map. There is no word yet how large the map will be, or if the the game takes place on a vast map – with different missions and objectives set within it.
‘Should Call of Duty: Gulf War be open-world, it must not sacrifice the cinematic pace associated with the best COD campaigns’
Should the game go down the open world route, which we have seen with the likes of Warzone and DMZ, it’ll represent a complete overhaul of the Call of Duty campaign experience. Typically, all of the Call of Duty campaigns have been ‘on the rails’, with minimal open-world elements, bar some small sandboxes to explore. Last year’s Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 attempted to add open world elements to the campaign, but these were not as fleshed out as they could have been. The result? They felt too familiar to DMZ and lacked the structure and intensity oft associated with a more cinematic, linear experience.
Activison usually tease the new Call of Duty long before it’s announced. The last game was officially announced on August 7th – three months before release. We expect a teaser, which will likely not shw too much gameplay, around the same time this year.
There is a silver lining, though. There are also rumors and reports that this year’s game has been in development for four years. This suggests that it could be a far larger and more complicated title than we are used to, especially when compared with Modern Warfare 3, which many thought was ‘rushed’.
OK, so Treyarch could be developing the game. This means Zombies, right?
In theory, yes. Zombies has always been a huge part of the Treyarch games – so, should they be behind this year’s game, we’re expecting zombies to make an appearance. A number of creators on YouTube have already come out to say they’re excited about this year’s Zombies. One of them, MrRoflWaffles, highlights leaks that suggest Black Ops 3-style systems will be returning to the game, as well as potential multiple round-based maps. If these rumors do end up being verified, we could be in line for something very special indeed.
So, when is this new ‘Call of Duty: Gulf War’ coming out?
If we’re to take a guess at a Gulf War release date, that’s assuming it’s called that, we would suggest a window between late October and early November. This is because Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 released in October 28 2022, but last year’s game arrived on November 11. This time of year is typical for Call of Duty titles, so we don’t expect anything to change drastically.
If it’s based in the Gulf War, what actually happened?
Oh, you’re after a history lesson? Sure. In August 2 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait under the leadership of Saddam Hussein. This was with the intention to seize the nation’s oil reserves. This triggered an international crisis, which led to a US response following the United Nations Security Council passing Resolution 661. Within days thousands of US troops were on the ground, the first landing in Saudi Arabia with permission of King Fahd. From here, the US dispatched its Rapid Deployment Force – acting as a deterrent as Saddam’s troops neared the Saudi border. The following months saw the US undertake an enormous military operation. This year’s game is rumored to focus on some of the lesser known parts of this conflict, although we’re not sure yet exactly what that means and how that will play out.
Will there be Call of Duty: Gulf War early access at all?
Potentially, yes. As we reported, there is a chance the game will land on Game Pass. As per Modern Warfare 3, we are also expecting some sort of early access for those who pre order the game. If it’s anything like last year’s game, “The full Campaign, of course, is available up to one week prior to the game’s official launch on November 10, and is available through Campaign Early Access, included in all digital pre-order editions of Modern Warfare III.”
