Sledgehammer Games have confirmed that they are working on next installment of currently the biggest franchise in video games, Call of Duty.
Sledgehammer were founded in November 2009 by ex-members of the EA subsidiary Visceral Games, Glen Schofield and Michael Condrey. Schofield was creator and executive producer for the survival horror title Dead Space.
The studio’s involvement with the series means 2011 may break the previous cycle of the Call of Duty series’ releases shifting development on a yearly basis between Infinity Ward (Modern Warfare, Modern Warfare 2) and Treyarch Studios (World at War, Black Ops). The news of Sledgehammer’s decision stems from a job listing posted by the studio for a Community Manager that would “like the chance to build and drive the studio community management effort for Sledgehammer and the next Call of Duty game”.
Online rumours and conventional wisdom suggested that this year’s Call of Duty installment would be Modern Warfare 3 from Infinity Ward, though Activision is still locked in intense legal battles with the studio’s founders, Vince Zampella and Simon West. Activision fired West and Zampella after claiming the two had held meetings with rival publishers EA.
The duo’s exit sparked a mass exit of Infinity Ward employees, who have sinced joined West and Zampella’s newly-founded Respawn Entertainment, which is part of the EA Partners Program.
Recent online rumours allege that the next Call of Duty title will be a prequel that focuses on the character of Ghost, pictured above, who first appeared in Modern Warfare 2. The game is believed to centre around the events leading up to the war in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. Whether or not this is the title Sledgehammer are working are is currently unknown.
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