Call of Duty Ends Back-to-Back Black Ops & Modern Warfare Releases After Black Ops 7 Backlash

Activision has announced that, going forward, Call of Duty will no longer release the same subfranchises - such as Modern Warfare and Black Ops - in consecutive years. This news comes after the disappointing release of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, which we reviewed last month. Make sure you check that out if you have not already.

The change follows the franchise’s failure to meet some players’ expectations, with Activision stating in their own blog post: “We also know that for some of you, the franchise has not met your expectations fully. To be very clear, we know what you expect and rest assured we will deliver - and overdeliver - on those expectations as we move forward.”

Call of Duty Will Still Be Annual

Activision did, however, say that annual releases for the franchise will continue moving forward to ensure fans receive an “absolutely unique experience each and every year,” and that plans for future Call of Duty titles will be shared “when the time is right.”

This year marked a first for the Call of Duty franchise, with Black Ops 7 becoming the first title ever to be released by the same publisher as the prior year’s Call of Duty, with Treyarch and Raven Software developing both Black Ops 6 and 7. It was also only the second time the same subfranchise has been released back-to-back, with Modern Warfare II and III coming out in 2022 and 2023, respectively. However, Infinity Ward worked on MW II, while Sledgehammer developed MW III.

As someone who remembers when Call of Duty subfranchises and developers would rotate every year, I welcome the change and hope that Black Ops 7 will be a wake-up call to Activision - but only time will tell. Is this enough from Activision to bring you back on board for Call of Duty 2026, or should they move away from annual releases? Join our Discord and let us know your thoughts!