Summary
The first details about the single-player campaign of Treyarch’s nextCall of Dutygame, rumored to be subtitledBlack Ops Gulf War, have emerged online. The main takeaway from the leak is that the 2024Call of Dutygame will supposedly fully embrace the open-world missions fromModern Warfare 3.
While multiple insiders initially reported that Treyarch’s next shooter was slated to release in 2023, Activision is understood to have eventually pushed it back to 2024, switching its place in the series' annual lineup withModern Warfare 3. As a result, the upcoming FPS is believed to be the first-ever installment in the long-running franchise with a four-year development cycle. A November 2023 leakalleged that the game would be calledCall of Duty: Black Ops Gulf War, thus also pointing to its apparent early ’90s setting.
Black Ops Gulf War May Mark Call of Duty’s Second Attempt at Open-World Story Mode
Insider Gaming nowreportsthat the 2024Call of Dutywill feature an open-world single-player campaign, citing sources familiar with the matter. The story mode is allegedly being handled by Raven Software, while Treyarch is in charge of its multiplayer features, as per the same source. That claim tracks with the fact thatRaven Software has yet to get a shot at a standaloneCall of Dutygame, but has assisted in the development of 14 series entries—including all five existingBlack Opstitles—since 2010.
TheModern Warfare 3campaign has already experimented with open-world levels, but that move received a largely negative response from the fans and critics alike. Many players have argued that its so-called Combat Missions are essentiallyWarzonematches with AI opponents, while others labeled the campaign as the series' single-player low point. AlthoughBlack Ops Gulf Waris said to continue with the open-world story missions, Insider Gaming’s sources claim its campaign was built from the ground up instead of recycling content this time around.
Black Ops Gulf War Campaign Rumored To Be Closer to Far Cry Than Call of Duty
The same report describes the game’s single-player experience as something closer toFar CrythanModern Warfare 3, while noting that some linear missions will still be included. A fast travel system is also said to be part of the package, together with a returning cast ofBlack Opscharacters such as Adler. While the series was never known for offering prolonged single-player experiences, the length of its 2024 story campaign remains unclear. The 2025Call of Duty, code-named Saturn, is currently planned to have an open-world campaign as well, according to the same source.
The social media reactions to this rumor have been mixed. While some fans expressed optimism at the possibility of getting a fully original single-player campaign in an open setting, others offered more doubtful takes. A lot of that skepticism appears to stem from the fact thatModern Warfare 3ended up being the worst-rated mainline game inCall of Dutyhistory, primarily due to the lackluster nature of its single-player campaign. Many fans hence seem to be exercising caution until they learn more about the upcoming shooter, which is expected to hit the market in October 2024.
Call of Duty: Black Ops
Call of Duty: Black Ops is a series of Call of Duty games developed by Treyarch. The series began in 2008 with Call of Duty: World at War, which acted as a prologue to the series, and there have been a further five games since.Along with the change in development studios, the Black Ops series also differentiates itself from the other Call of Duty games by having a separate timeline, different weapons, and covert operation missions.
