Everything we know about Call of Duty 2022

Along with death and taxes, we can always be certain a new Call of Duty game will launch every year — at least for the foreseeable future. The franchise has received annual releases since the launch of Call of Duty 2 in 2005, raking in tons of money for publisher Activision. Unsurprisingly, we’ll get a new Call of Duty game in 2022, but it hasn’t been officially unveiled, at least in terms of its title and what to expect from it.

However, Activision has given us a few tidbits of information about the upcoming game, and considering several reports and leaks have indicated what COD 2022 will be, there’s a lot to digest about this year’s upcoming release. Below is everything we know about COD 2022, including info about its developer, possible release date, and Warzone integration.

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Release date

Although the new Call of Duty game hasn’t been unveiled by name, we do know it will launch “soon.” Typically, Call of Duty games launch in November, but considering this new entry will be developed by Infinity Ward, it’s possible it will release in October, just like Modern Warfare did in 2019. It was clear the previous two entries, Black Ops Cold War and Vanguard, weren’t as positively received — especially compared to Modern Warfare — so the team will likely follow in the footsteps of the 2019 game.

A new generation of Call of Duty is coming soon.

Stay frosty.

— Infinity Ward (@InfinityWard) February 3, 2022

Aside from its rumored release window, Call of Duty 2022 is said to be Modern Warfare 2. This will be a sequel to the 2019 game, not a remake of the 2009 title of the same name. Since Modern Warfare 2019 was so successful critically and commercially, it’s a no-brainer Activision will want to follow up with a sequel.

Trailer

Since Call of Duty 2022 hasn’t been revealed just yet, a trailer isn’t available. Typically, Activision reveals the next COD game in May for release in the fall, but in recent years, the publisher has pushed back the marketing cycle. It wasn’t until August that Call of Duty: Vanguard was officially unveiled, giving only three months of marketing until release.

Platforms

Many modern games have completely ditched the previous generation of consoles (PlayStation 4 and Xbox One), but don’t expect this to be the case with Call of Duty 2022. In looking at previous releases, Activision supported the previous generation for a couple of years after the launch of next-gen consoles. For example, the PS4 and Xbox One launched in 2013, but the Call of Duty series continued on Xbox 360 and PS3 until 2015 with the launch of Black Ops III.

With that in mind, Call of Duty 2022 will probably be the last COD game to launch for PS4 and Xbox One. It will, of course, be available for current-gen PS5 and Xbox Series X/S systems, along with PC. We don’t expect the game to come to Nintendo Switch, as the series hasn’t been on a Nintendo platform in nearly a decade.

The new hardware will hopefully serve the game well since Infinity Ward will be able to push the boundaries of the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S systems. It’s worth noting that COD 2022 could slightly suffer from launching across multiple generations of consoles, just as Warzone and many other games have before.

It’s also important to note that even though Microsoft will be purchasing Activision, the current COD games in development will still come to PlayStation platforms through 2023. These were already in development prior to Microsoft’s acquisition, so the company must honor existing agreements to allow COD to come to PlayStation. However, after 2023, the franchise may, indeed, become exclusive to Xbox platforms. But players won’t have to worry about this for at least the next couple of years.

Gameplay

It’s easy to predict what the gameplay for a Call of Duty game will be like, especially one so heavily rumored to follow in the footsteps of Modern Warfare 2019. Expect it to run on a similar (if not the same) engine as its predecessor, with many of the same features, such as the gunsmith, the ability to open and close doors, and even the reintroduction of weapons.

The gameplay will be fluid and fast, and will likely mirror Modern Warfare 2019, with a story mode and multiplayer suite to enjoy. Aside from the actual gameplay itself, this entry will also include a battle pass progression system just like the last few COD games.

The campaign will supposedly be centered around Colombian drug cartels and will feature many new features from 2019’s release, according to VGC.

A leaker by the name of @RalphsValve on Twitter shared a lot of information about the upcoming release.

Infinity Ward’s rumoured 2022 title, ‘Modern Warfare II’: Campaign details, Weapon dynamics, Facets of Gore and AI, New ‘Moral System’, SP Systems and more; pic.twitter.com/0oAWEVO9sx

— Ralph (@RalphsValve) October 28, 2021

Most notably, the campaign will feature some sort of morality system, wherein your decisions will impact how the story unfolds. It’s unclear if certain sections will be locked off to specific decisions. Along with this, the leaker notes that realism will be featured prominently, explaining that your character will react to being shot at.  Your character will be “visibly shaken up — struggling to insert the magazine, trembling hands” after being attacked by enemies.

It’s also been rumored that Call of Duty 2022 will tie to a new version of Warzone, which will launch exclusively for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. It’s unclear if this is true, but revamping Warzone with another Modern Warfare game makes a lot of sense.

Multiplayer

Multiplayer is at the heart of the COD experience, and this next installment will be no different. It will follow in the footsteps of Modern Warfare 2019, with various maps, modes, and post-launch content to enjoy. We hope it includes the popular Gunfight and Ground War modes, which send players to smaller 2v2 or 3v3 maps, along with massive 32v32 player matches, respectively. But we also expect to see new modes, such as Attackers v Defenders, according to leaker @RalphsValve on Twitter.

This mode will apparently resemble Search and Destroy, though with much more of a focus on tactical gameplay like in Rainbow Six Siege.

Ralph says “each player is assigned a role per a general vote, with one nominated Team Leader. Between each passing round, all teams will be given a Debrief period, allowing for roster reform.” Leaker Tom Henderson corroborates this report, stating a developer told him the mode is “not an afterthought.”

Modern Warfare II’s Multiplayer ‘Attackers v. Defenders’ Mode pic.twitter.com/js7nUqv5mU

— Ralph (@RalphsValve) January 2, 2022

Much like Modern Warfare 2019, COD 2022 will likely feature many callbacks to an older installment — this time — Modern Warfare 2 (2009). With that in mind, we should expect to see the return of beloved MW2 maps in COD 2022, such as Favela, Terminal, High Rise, and Quarry. It’s also possible more maps from the original Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare will be added. We’re hoping to see Overgrown make a return as a playable map.

Rumored Modern Warfare 2 (2022) Maps 👀

• Favela 🌴
• Terminal ✈️
• High Rise 🌇
• Quarry 🚧 pic.twitter.com/cmS32rFgxk

— ModernWarzone (@ModernWarzone) January 4, 2022

Along with its standard multiplayer mode, COD 2022 will supposedly be the start of Warzone 2, with a rebuilt game for modern hardware. If this is true, Warzone 2 will feature the same weapons, perks, progression, and mechanics from COD 2022, just as the original Warzone did with Modern Warfare 2019. This hasn’t been confirmed, but a number of reports have pointed to the existence of COD 2022 marking the start of a new generation of Warzone.

DLC

While it’s highly likely COD 2022 will feature DLC, it won’t be executed in the same way many other games handle additional content. Instead, much of the DLC will likely be free, such as maps and weapons, while other cosmetic items like skins and blueprints will be available to purchase or tied to the battle pass. Gone are the days of having to buy a new map pack or weapon set with real cash. However, there may still be some advantages to purchasing the battle pass each season, as you’ll typically gain access to XP tokens, exclusive skins, and even blueprints that immediately unlock a weapon without having to perform certain challenges first.

It’s highly likely new modes and limited-time events will be added post-launch as well, just as the past several COD games have done. These should be free, allowing the entire community to play with one another without paywall-ing certain pieces of content. Typically, DLC is tied to the multiplayer mode, but it would be neat to gain access to additional campaign content after launch — there just isn’t much precedent for this.

Pre-order

Activision has yet to officially unveil the next COD game, so it’s not available to pre-order just yet. Typically, a game will become available to pre-order alongside its official announcement, which will occur later in 2022. It might be as late as August, judging by the marketing schedule of previous entries, but you will no doubt be able to pre-order at some point. There will also likely be a deluxe edition of some kind that gives players early access to the game, so keep your eyes peeled for that when the game gets revealed. Much like other COD games, it’s possible the reveal will actually take place within Warzone itself.

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