The next Call of Duty by Sledgehammer Games could be a return to jetpacks

A new report claims that Sledgehammer Games will be returning to the Advanced Warfare franchise in its next Call of Duty title.

Ralph Valve, with a track record of being correct on previous reports including Modern Warfare 2’s DMZ mode, claims in his report that its next title will be Advanced Warfare 2. This would mark a departure from the studio’s two previous titles that were set in World War II.

“Leading up to the release of Call of Duty: Vanguard, Sledgehammer’s narrative team originally had the desire to further explore their world and make several sequels evolving Vanguard’s cast of characters,” said Valve. “However, with Vanguard falling short of expectations, Sledgehammer was back at square one, tasked with pitching a new idea, entrusted with having something conceptually ready for executives to give the go-ahead.”

Valve said Sledgehammer then pitched a return to the Advanced Warfare sub-franchise, “a departure from the contemporary success of boots-on-the-ground combat, back to a more fast-paced sci-fi shooter focused back on Advanced Warfare’s frenzied sense of movement.”

Advanced Warfare was released in 2014 and featured the series’ first foray into futuristic, jetpack-style combat. The exosuits in the game allowed players to boost themselves in different directions and launch themselves into the air, creating a new era of gameplay in the series.

After a few years, though, the CoD community clamored for a return to boots-on-the-ground-style gameplay. With Treyarch’s Call of Duty 2023 rumored to be pushed into 2024, this could mean that Sledgehammer’s title would be scheduled to release three years from now in 2025 or beyond.