According to a leaker, Microsoft is establishing a committee to determine future Call of Duty changes and improvements after Black Ops 6.
From the outside looking in, Call of Duty’s development has largely been directed by the creative leadership of individual production teams working in tandem. Treyarch, Infinity Ward, and Sledgehammer games have all taken turns spearheading development on CoD games for any given year.
The process of alternating studios has allowed each year’s entry to remain fresh, with each team choosing what to innovate upon and how to try and move CoD forward.
However, Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision has raised numerous questions about how the series will be managed in the foreseeable future, and it seems the company is trying to find paths resulting in a more consistent product.
Microsoft remains mum on the matter, but leaked details suggest Black Ops 6 could mark the end of an era, or perhaps the beginning of a new one.
Microsoft allegedly making big changes to Call of Duty
A Twitter/X post from Call of Duty leaker TheGhostofHope claims a “committee” formed by Microsoft will decide on future franchise changes, including which features and systems debut and stick around.
Individual teams such as Infinity Ward, Sledgehammer, and Treyarch will have the floor to make suggestions.
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Yet, TheGhostofHope reports Microsoft’s committee will get the final call on whether or not, say, the new Omni-Movement addition remains in play after Black Ops 6.
It’s additionally claimed that higher-ups have instructed developers “not to innovate in areas like UI, Prestige, [and] certain gameplay features.”
Instead, their focus of innovation is being steered toward “maps, modes, [and] storytelling as that is where [Microsoft] wants the creativity to come from.”
TheGhostofHope’s reporting remains unsubstantiated, so it’s worth taking the news in question with a grain of salt. But, if there does exist some truth to the leak, Call of Duty’s post-Black Ops 6 days could prove interesting since decisions by a committee may result in a more unified vision.
Who would sit on the committee and how those people would govern the brand is not yet known. Plus, Microsoft may choose to keep such information close to the chest.
Regardless, fans have mixed opinions on what this could mean. TacticalBrit’s response to the leaker’s post reads, “This is best for the franchise. Should have happened years ago.” Meanwhile, another fan said they “can see this being good and bad.”