Call of Duty 2025 apparently in trouble without a ‘main developer’

Here we go again. Call of Duty is having internal warfare issues, and apparently, each studio is sparring for its position as lead developer of the game that it desires. Worryingly, the timeframe for each annual title is still causing a headache.

It was previously leaked that the Call of Duty roadmap was quite favourably laid out, with annual games all pencilled in up to Sledgehammer Games' next turn in 2027.

However, it looks like the seemingly impressive roadmap might've glossed over 2025, as the presumed second year in the back-to-back Black Ops hits still doesn't have a lead studio.

Call of Duty 2025 is reportedly still without a lead studio

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With Sledgehammer at the helm of MW3, Treyarch is set to roll out Black Ops Gulf War in 2024, having spent four years refining the title, which is said to have an all-out Zombies experience and a brand-new open-world Campaign.

Then, Call of Duty 2025 is supposed to be another Black Ops game, akin to how we have had a double-header of MW2 and MW3. It's reportedly a Black Ops 2 sequel or a remastered multiplayer experience based on the classic game (like this year).

According to Insider Gaming journalist Tom Henderson, Call of Duty 2025 still doesn't have a lead studio, despite releasing in 20 months' time, 

The journalist took to Twitter on February 5 to say, "Currently, Call of Duty 2025 (20 months from release) does not have an assigned main developer."

Why does nobody want to develop Call of Duty 2025?

Henderson continued to say, "It's my understanding that it was meant to be [Sledgehammer Games], but following on from the 16-month development cycle of MW3, they basically refused and didn't want to become a 'year 2 support studio'."

He also claimed that High Moon Studios - a previously Warzone-heavy studio - is in the running, while Infinity Ward is targeting its next game in 2026, and Sledgehammer Games is taking a similar stance for its 2027 title.

"I believe that it's likely going to fall to Treyarch Games in the end," Henderson concluded, which would actually be the first time a Call of Duty studio has had control for two straight years.

This already opens up the debate as to whether Call of Duty 2025 will just be a "DLC" game again for Gulf War, especially is Treyarch is releasing two games with the same engine in the space of 12 months.