Veteran voice actor Nolan North has voiced his enthusiasm for returning to the role of Dr. Edward Richtofen, a central figure in Call of Duty's popular Zombies mode. North expressed his hope that Richtofen's narrative will continue in a future Black Ops installment, though he acknowledged that such a release might still be some time away.
Speaking at Gamergy in Puerto Rico, North indicated that current development schedules suggest Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer Games are slated to lead the next two Call of Duty titles before another Black Ops game is developed. He speculated that this could place a new Black Ops game, and potentially Richtofen's return, as early as 2028, but stressed this is purely conjecture. North clarified that he does not possess any inside information regarding future story developments for the character, but stated that he finds Richotfen to be one of his favorite roles to voice and hopes to portray him again.
North's tenure as Richtofen began with Call of Duty: World at War in 2008, and he has since reprised the role multiple times for developer Treyarch. Richtofen has become a fan-favorite character within the Zombies mode, with his story undergoing significant twists and turns across various titles.
Regarding potential studio involvement, North mentioned Sledgehammer Games as a developer potentially handling the 2027 Call of Duty release. While not officially confirmed, this aligns with previous reports from 2024 indicating Sledgehammer's involvement in a future title. The studio most recently served as the lead developer for 2023's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, making a return to a lead role in 2027 plausible. There have also been unconfirmed reports suggesting that Activision's acquisition of the Halo franchise could involve Sledgehammer, or a division within the studio, contributing to a Halo game.
This year's Call of Duty title, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, is being developed by Infinity Ward and is scheduled for release on October 23 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch 2, and PC.