Treyarch, the studio behind the long-running Black Ops series, is preparing to embark on its next project, with design director Kevin Drew suggesting it will offer an experience unlike anything seen before in the franchise. Following the development of "Black Ops 6" in 2024 and "Black Ops 7" in 2025, Drew stated in a recent Dev Talk that the team has "learned a lot" and "tried a lot of things in our current era," but is now "ready to make something new and something that nobody's ever experienced before."
This announcement comes after a period of significant output for the Black Ops brand, with two consecutive annual releases. Treyarch itself acknowledged concerns about potential franchise fatigue. The studio's efforts in 2025 saw "Black Ops 7" fall to fifth place in US sales for the year, outsold by EA's "Battlefield 6."
In broader Call of Duty news, Microsoft has altered its strategy regarding Xbox Game Pass. Beginning with this year's "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4," new Call of Duty titles will no longer be available on Game Pass at launch. While Infinity Ward is spearheading "Modern Warfare 4," other Activision studios, including Treyarch, are expected to contribute. Rumors have also surfaced suggesting a potential crossover where a Call of Duty studio might work on a Halo game, or that Halo could be placed under Activision's purview as part of a wider restructuring aimed at revitalizing the FPS franchise.