Call of Duty Now On Three-Year, Three-Studio Cycle

The Call of Duty franchise is going on a new development cycle, Activision announced on Thursday.

Instead of the previous two-year, two-studio cycle that rotated between Infinity Ward and Treyarch, Call of Duty will now be developed on a three-year cycle. The game will still be an annual release.

Coming into the fold as a developer for the franchise is Sledgehammer Games which was already rumored to be developing the next Call of Duty title for release this year.

“This will give our designers more time to envision and innovate for each title. Simultaneously, it will give our content creators more focus on DLC and micro-DLC which, as you know, have become large and high-margin opportunities and significant engagement drivers,” Activision Publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg said during the company’s earnings call on Thursday. “Finally, we’ll give our teams more time to polish, helping ensure we deliver the best possible experience to our fans – each and every time.”

Additionally, Hirshberg expanded on why Sledgehammer was chosen to develop Call of Duty by stating that the company “needed a third studio capable of delivering the level of excellence required for the West’s biggest interactive entertainment franchise.”

“They demonstrated their skill on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and on their past highly-rated games,” he said.