Activision confirms new Call of Duty title for 2023

Call of Duty 2023 release plans
Credit: Activision

Call of Duty 2023 release plans
Credit: Activision
Updated on February 9, 2023: An Insider Gaming report reveals Call of Duty 2023 will have a beta, early access to the campaign, and Sledgehammer Games is leading development. It's unconfirmed whether it's Modern Warfare 3.

Following the launch of Modern Warfare 2 in October 2022, the future of the popular shooter franchise has been up in the air. While some believe Activision has plans to make Infinity Ward’s latest release a two-year cycle, others think the publisher has something in the works.

Ahead of Season Two, Activision had its quarterly earnings call and revealed Modern Warfare 2 generated hundreds of millions in revenue despite claims of Infinity Ward prioritising Warzone 2 over the success of multiplayer.

During the earnings call, the publisher revealed it intends on releasing a new title in the fourth quarter of 2023.

Call of Duty 2023 is happening

Despite reports claiming 2023 won’t feature a new Call of Duty release, a statement in the earnings call states ‘the next full annual premium release in the blockbuster series” will launch this year.

Call of Duty 2023 release plans
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Credit: Activision

Prior to the revelation, it was believed 2023’s Call of Duty offering would feature paid DLC containing every single map from 2009’s Modern Warfare to carry players over until the launch of 2024’s title developed by Treyarch.

With Treyarch still working on next year’s release, it appears Sledgehammer Games is expected to take the reins in 2023 with a new single-player campaign and multiplayer offering. This would coincide with claims revealing the plan is to release a continuation of the Modern Warfare 2 story. In short, it looks like Modern Warfare 3, not to be confused with 2011’s Modern Warfare 3, is on the way.

The release of a second Modern Warfare 3 would complete the current trilogy that started back in 2019 that started with the reboot of the Modern Warfare series. Considering the series continues generating huge amounts of revenue, another bite at the cherry isn’t the worst option before the return of Black Ops.

Before you go, take a look at our guides showcasing the best Modern Warfare 2 sniper rifle and all there is to know about the next Modern Warfare 2 double XP event.