Call of Duty’s 2017 game will focus on traditional gameplay, not sci-fi

So long, sci-fi.

During a conference call today going over its record financial results for the fourth quarter of 2016, Activision Blizzard noted that the next Call of Duty game will focus on traditional gameplay and take the series back to its roots. Recent Call of Duty games, including last year’s Infinite Warfare, have featured sci-fi settings, but the original Call of Duty shooters were in World War II and later modern settings (no cybernetic soldiers or futuristic guns and space combat in those).

This new game will come from Sledgehammer Games, the studio that made 2014’s Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare.

Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare was the best-selling game of 2016, but Activision Blizzard noted that it still underperformed. It blames that on the sci-fi setting not resonating with fans.

A new Call of Duty releases every year around the holiday season, so expect this name game sometime around November.

Mike Minotti

Mike Minotti has been with GamesBeat since 2012, starting as an intern. Based near Youngstown, Ohio, he now manages GamesBeat's editorial team. He's also a prolific podcaster, appearing on multiple shows covering the gaming industry.