Rumor: Call of Duty Modern Warfare sequel enters alpha state with 11 studios involved

[Daniel Sims]

In context: In response to worries that the franchise might be in trouble, an industry insider has provided a minor update on how the development of this year’s Call of Duty game is going. In short: things seem to be going smoothly, but many studios are involved.

Activision hasn't yet unveiled this year's Call of Duty game, which Infinity Ward is helming, but all signs indicate it's a sequel to that studio's previous game—the 2019 Modern Warfare reboot. Multiple sources told industry insider Tom Henderson that the game had entered alpha.

Henderson says this is the earliest he’s heard of a Call of Duty game entering alpha. He doesn’t think it’s cause for concern, speaking positively of the footage he’d seen so far.

That may support Henderson’s previous rumor stating the Modern Warfare sequel is being pushed up to October instead of the usual November launch due to disappointing sales of last year’s Call of Duty Vanguard.

Last week, Twitter user @RalphsValve said 11 studios are working on this year’s Call of Duty, calling it an “all hands on deck” situation. In addition to Activision and three Infinity Ward studios, Raven Software, Toys for Bob, Demonware, High Moon Studios, Beenox, Sledgehammer, and Treyarch are all involved in the development.

Just heard that Treyarch are also helping out, “all hands are on deck”

— Ralph (@RalphsValve) January 29, 2022

One possible source of the recent conflicts between Activision and its workforce (which probably led to Microsoft acquiring the company) is how so many of them have been directed to work on Call of Duty. Toys for Bob, known for Crash 4 and the Spyro Reignited Trilogy, was a rather strange call-out for help. Raven Software employees are in the middle of unionizing in response to the laying off QA employees, while Activision's reaction seems to be "worry about it later."

In November, @RalphsValve leaked several details of this year’s Call of Duty. It will apparently deal with the War on Drugs, feature more realistic gore, and incorporate a morality system.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/93201-rumor-call-duty-modern-warfare-sequel-enters-alpha.html

 

[Karlos95]

Hopefully they put effort into it and not a money grab like the last 2 games. They were trash.

 

[Dimitriid]

Well it certainly sounds like a lot but considering how many studios would fall behind because of crippling anxiety attacks during crunch time and employees still leaving the company to avoid being sexually harassed or worst I am not surprised this time it takes that many studios.

Plus I still expect at least 1 or 2 of them to be studios dedicated to implementing NFTs last second because of course they will f-ing try.

 

[texasrattler]

Hopefully they put effort into it and not a money grab like the last 2 games. They were trash.

Well MS bought it all up and MS is about $$$. But with10/11 studios helping out that should result in a better product. However, we have seen multiple studios helping with cod since like mw3. So it's not uncommon for 3 or 4. Now they have even more help. Basically if a dozen studios can't get it right, it's over.

 

[gamerk2]

Well MS bought it all up and MS is about $$$. But with10/11 studios helping out that should result in a better product. However, we have seen multiple studios helping with cod since like mw3. So it's not uncommon for 3 or 4. Now they have even more help. Basically if a dozen studios can't get it right, it's over.

If you think bringing in multiple studios, each with their own management, vision, and culture is going to result in a BETTER product, then you have no idea how software development works in practice.

 

[Nobina]

Hopefully they stick to it longer than a year or two. Last couple of games were so average people play MW 2019 to this day and ignore the newer releases.

 

[Burty117]

if a dozen studios can't get it right, it's over.

Battlefield 2042 would like to have a word.

 

[Geralt]

They release new COD games like they had diarrhea. Will they stop milking this franchise some day? I liked only COD 1 and 2. The rest is just diarrhea.

 

[Ohnooze]

Hopefully they put effort into it and not a money grab like the last 2 games. They were trash.

I didn't think cold war was that terrible though not even close to MW. And I think in general Vanguard tanked because people prefer to not go that far back in time. But that's just my opinion.
I know one thing...it's got to be better than the turd show Dice put out recently.

 

[Burty117]

Vanguard tanked because people prefer to not go that far back in time. But that's just my opinion.

Meh, I've been wanting a good WWII game to come out for years now, they were good back in the PS2 days but now developers refuse to make them even remotely accurate. Vanguard being a prime example.

I know one thing...it's got to be better than the turd show Dice put out recently.

BF2042 might be one of the worst games I've played in years, it's incredible just how much ball was dropped with that one.

 

[Duke9192]

If you think bringing in multiple studios, each with their own management, vision, and culture is going to result in a BETTER product, then you have no idea how software development works in practice.

Exactly, and for business in general. More companies and contracts equals more change orders equals more cost and zero accountability because they all point the finger at the other

 

[Karlos95]

I didn't think cold war was that terrible though not even close to MW. And I think in general Vanguard tanked because people prefer to not go that far back in time. But that's just my opinion.
I know one thing...it's got to be better than the turd show Dice put out recently.

You can tell how little detail they put into both games. Hence why I didn't buy them and still play MW.

I don't mind WWII games as long as they put in the effort to make authentic as possible (with the exception of fun modes) WaW is still the best WW game they have made in my opinion. Their last WWII game wasn't to bad but definitely not as memorable as WaW and definitely didn't play it as long.

 

[texasrattler]

Battlefield 2042 would like to have a word.

BF stopped being good or at least interesting after 3. They didn't change or simply listen enough.
That's on Dice.

Make it free to play, fix a ton a problems and ffs add a BR mode.

 

[texasrattler]

If you think bringing in multiple studios, each with their own management, vision, and culture is going to result in a BETTER product, then you have no idea how software development works in practice.

I know Activision and MS know how business works.
While every issue may not get resolved and even new ones may come up, more helping COULD result in a better product. Hence, more money being made.

Again, as I have said this isn't anything new for CoD. They have been doing this for awhile. Just not on this big of scale.

Also each team will likely be doing something different n in most cases not directly together. Which is likely how things got done faster. Whether the game will be any better, we will all have to wait n see.

 

[gamerk2]

I know Activision and MS know how business works.
While every issue may not get resolved and even new ones may come up, more helping COULD result in a better product. Hence, more money being made.

I'm going to talk to you as someone who's worked in profession software development for over two decades now: All throwing more companies at a project does is get more code done, but I guarantee you it also results in a far less polished product.

I'd argue more then three studios is excessive. TWELVE is comical beyond belief. I'll warn you now: This next CoD is going to be a dumpster fire.

 

[TeddyBertrand]

Thank you, Microsoft lol

 

[texasrattler]

I'm going to talk to you as someone who's worked in profession software development for over two decades now: All throwing more companies at a project does is get more code done, but I guarantee you it also results in a far less polished product.

I'd argue more then three studios is excessive. TWELVE is comical beyond belief. I'll warn you now: This next CoD is going to be a dumpster fire.

Well again CoD has done this before. Not a dozen but more than a few studios working on a game. All successful. Some were making a billion dollars a game. So it can and has been done.
Success isnt tied to performance. Plenty of games can have issues and still be financially successful. Just look at Cyberpunk.

So while unconventional, it can work. We just havent seen it done on this kind of scale. We will just have to see what happens.

 

[Burty117]

All successful.

Has CoD been successful since MW2? I stopped playing them when dedicated servers got removed. I did get the 2019 MW reboot though and enjoyed that for a few months but soon got frustrated by the amount of cheating going on.

Except for Warzone, it sounds like most CoD releases are garbage.

 

[texasrattler]

Has CoD been successful since MW2? I stopped playing them when dedicated servers got removed. I did get the 2019 MW reboot though and enjoyed that for a few months but soon got frustrated by the amount of cheating going on.

Except for Warzone, it sounds like most CoD releases are garbage.

Financially yes. Even with all the mess in Warzone it has sold a lot of skin bundles. Billions with a B. 3 games before Warzone had made Billion dollars alone.
I skipped some of them after mw2.