Call of Duty is, arguably, one of the biggest and most well-known franchises in gaming history. It regularly emerges as the best-selling game of the year and has been the pinnacle of first-person shooters since the original Modern Warfare shook up the genre back in 2007.

While the series has thrown in the occasional curveball here and there, such as Advanced Warfare, Ghosts, and Infinite Warfare, the franchise has predominantly focused on two subseries of Call of Duty – Modern Warfare and Black Ops. Diehard Call of Duty fans will often have their preference on which is the “better” subseries of games, but there’s no denying that both have been on a rollercoaster in recent years.

After releasing one of the greatest Call of Duty trilogies of all time between 2007 and 2011, Infinity Ward returned to the Modern Warfare series in 2019 with a complete reboot. While Treyarch hasn’t done the same with its Black Ops series, it has released a total of five games set within the Black Ops universe.

Now, less than a year after Microsoft finalized its acquisition of Call of Duty publisher Activision-Blizzard, Xbox has teased a dedicated showcase to what many believe to be the next instalment in the Call of Duty: Black Ops series. While it’s not confirmed, leaks and rumours suggest the next Call of Duty title will either be called ‘Black Ops V’ or ‘Black Ops: Gulf War’. But no matter what it’s called, it’s got a ton of pressure on its figurative shoulders.

The Modern Warfare Fatigue Is Real

Ever since Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare brought the series into the mainstream in 2007, the franchise’s lead developer has alternated, mainly between Treyarch and Infinity Ward. While Sledgehammer Games and Raven Software have also been brought on board from time to time to help out, Treyarch and Infinity Ward were once the sole developer duo of Call of Duty.

This meant that they each had two years to develop their new title, and would often alternate between the Modern Warfare series and the Black Ops series. There were a few rogue years thrown in between, such as World At War in 2008, Ghosts in 2013, Infinite Warfare in 2016, and a few more, but there was always a gap between subseries. That was up until recently, anyway.

Activision has never publicly commented on what went on behind the scenes, but a report from Bloomberg stated that Call of Duty 2023 (which many believed to be Treyarch’s follow-up to Black Ops Cold War) was delayed and would be the first year since 2004 without a new entry. While this turned out to not be the case, 2023 still marked a big change for the series.

For the first time since the original Call of Duty trilogy between 2003 and 2006, the series released a direct sequel within one year. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, the second entry in the subseries’ reboot, was released in 2022 and developed by Infinity Ward. Then, just a year later, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III was released. But this time it was developed by Sledgehammer Games.

Modern Warfare II wasn’t exactly a hit with players. While critics were generally favourable of the sequel, user reviews on Metacritic have it at a pretty low score of 5.2. Things got even worse for the series when Modern Warfare III was released, as both users and critics blasted the latest entry for its short campaign and lack of notable changes. While the multiplayer was praised by the community, many felt as though this was a $70 DLC with changes that could have been implemented in Modern Warfare II.

After two back-to-back lacklustre entries in the same universe, there’s no denying that we’ve all had enough of Modern Warfare and are ready for something fresh.

Black Ops 5 Has Been Cooking For Quite Some Time

I’ve got high hopes for the next Black Ops game, not only because Black Ops 2 is one of my favourite games of all time, but because this year’s Call of Duty entry has had a phenomenal 4 years of development time. Sure, that’s nothing compared to the likes of Rockstar, who takes a decade to develop a new game, but for a Call of Duty game, it’s practically an eternity.

Treyarch hasn’t been the lead developer on a Call of Duty game since 2020’s Black Ops Cold War, and while they have been assisting in the development of other Call of Duty titles, such as Modern Warfare III’s Zombies mode, they’ve had plenty of time to cook up something special for the next Black Ops game.

Despite the short development time that Call of Duty games often get, it’s rare for an entry to release with bugs or performance issues. So, while a bug-free release is likely a given, I’m hoping these four years of development time mean we get a meaty campaign, a lore-filled Zombies experience, and a multiplayer mode filled with plenty of maps, camos, and challenges at launch.

The Black Ops Series Has Been On A Downward Spiral

I’m burnt out on Modern Warfare and I can’t hang with the kids on Warzone like I once could, which means my final shot at Call of Duty redemption is for Treyarch to bring the Black Ops series back to its heyday, Black Ops 2.

Not only was Black Ops 2 one of the greatest Call of Duty games of all time (this isn’t up for debate), but it was a high point for the Black Ops series as a whole. When Black Ops 3 was released 3 years later, things got a little too far-fetched with the wall-running and jetpacking jumping. Plus, we’d just had Advanced Warfare the year before, and we all know how that one went.

Then came along Black Ops 4, shortly after the absolute travesties that were Infinite Warfare and WWII, but it was ultimately just a slightly updated version of its predecessor. I say “updated,” but it felt like a downgrade with its forgettable maps and absent campaign. This, for all intents and purposes, was Black Ops 3.5.

And then we have our most recent Black Ops title, Cold War. It featured a vastly different Zombies experience compared to previous games, turning the previously simple round-based mode into something tremendously overcomplicated. Its multiplayer mode lacked that classic arcade feel that Treyarch is known for, as well as featuring weak gunplay and skill-based matchmaking ramped up so high it was enough to make you want to smack your head off of a brick wall.

All in all, the Black Ops series feels like its been on slow decline over the years, with each entry being more forgettable than the last. With 4 years worth of development and a community sick of Modern Warfare, now is the perfect time for Treyarch to come out with something special.

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