Call of Duty 2016 Being Developed By Infinity Ward

Activision has today announced that this year’s Call of Duty game will be developed by Infinity Ward, creator of the Modern Warfare series and Call of Duty: Ghosts, and launch this holiday season.

Activision described Infinity Ward’s next entry in the shooter franchise as “innovative” but has declined to reveal details on what to expect when it’s released. The game will be studio’s first since Ghosts, which launched in 2013 and was the first Call of Duty released for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

Sledgehammer Games developed 2014’s Advanced Warfare as the series moved to a three year, three studio setup, with Treyarch making 2015’s Black Ops 3 – last year’s best selling game.

During an earnings call this evening, Activision said Infinity Ward’s 2016 Call of Duty is not expected to generate as much money as Black Ops 3. Even so, overall Call of Duty franchise revenue is projected to rise year-on-year, thanks in part to new downloadable content packs for Black Ops 3, including the recently released Awakening.

A new Skylanders game will also be released this year, Activision confirmed, but no details were provided on the title.

The company also announced that Destiny 2 will be released in 2017, with a major new expansion planned for the original game this year. Details on what the expansion will include or when it will be released have not yet been divulged but given Bungie’s history September seems a likely bet.

Destiny’s spring update was detailed as well, and will include an increase in Light level, new PvE challenges, and a host of new gear to find and equip.