A new Call of Duty game comes around every year like clockwork, and news about Call of Duty 2020 is likely just around the corner. The Call of Duty series operates on a three-year cycle, with developers taking turns releasing their entries every year. 2019’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare was developed by Infinity Ward, and now Treyarch is leading development on Call of Duty 2020. Nothing about the upcoming game has been officially revealed as of yet, but as always, there are tons of leaks and rumors surrounding Call of Duty 2020 that are most likely legit. Still, Call of Duty has taken some strange turns in the past few years, opting for an entirely multiplayer game with Black Ops 4, a free to play standalone battle royale game with Warzone, and a mobile game with Call of Duty Mobile. With next-gen consoles on the horizon, it’s an exciting time for Call of Duty fans, and the next game is highly anticipated by many. This is everything we know about Call of Duty 2020, including when to expect a reveal, whether it will have a battle royale mode, and if it will have a single-player campaign.
Call of Duty 2020 Release Date – When will the next Call of Duty be revealed?
Typically, Call of Duty games follow a set schedule leading up to release. The games tend to release in the fall, so expect Call of Duty 2020 to release sometime in October. Early November used to be the time to expect the annual Call of Duty entries, but the games have recently shifted to a mid-October release window. As for the reveal, it should be happening sometime soon. Call of Duty reveals typically happen every spring. Sometimes teasers get released in the earlier months like March (like with Black Ops 4), but full-blown reveals are usually saved for May. Black Ops 4’s community reveal event took place in May, and the reveal trailer for Modern Warfare released at the tail end of May last year. As such, Call of Duty 2020 will likely be revealed in the coming weeks.
However, with the ongoing global pandemic, the reveal schedule might have shifted around a bit. All sorts of games and gaming events have been delayed or outright canceled due to the coronavirus, and Call of Duty 2020 could be affected as well. The reveal could happen sometime later this summer, or it could happen at one of the big reveal events for either the PlayStation 5 or the Xbox Series X. Still, Call of Duty has not taken a year off in a long time, so Call of Duty 2020 will probably still come out in the fall even if the reveal doesn’t happen anytime soon.
Call of Duty 2020 Setting and Title
While the title is currently unknown, multiple rumors point to Call of Duty 2020 being a reboot of the Black Ops series. Originally, the game was thought to be called Call of Duty: Black Ops 5 or simply Call of Duty: Black Ops, but a new Call of Duty 2020 leak suggests that the game might be called Call of Duty: Classified instead. Regardless of the title, the game will still stick to the Black Ops universe and feature several familiar characters like Frank Woods and Alex Mason. The game is rumored to be a reboot of the Black Ops series just like 2019’s Modern Warfare.
The game will be set during the Cold War, sending players to both Vietnam and Korea. It will also focus on covert operations and conspiracies, including the assassination of President Kennedy and the MK-Ultra project. Much like Modern Warfare, this Black Ops reboot will place heavy emphasis on gritty realism and attempt to portray the Vietnam War and surrounding events much more seriously than before. Of course, all of this is just speculation at this point, but Call of Duty settings and plot details tend to be regularly leaked before official announcements.
Will Call of Duty 2020 Have a Campaign?
All signs point to Call of Duty 2020 having a single-player campaign. Black Ops 4 strayed away from a campaign, instead offering a strictly multiplayer experience without much of a story. Each of the game’s playable characters had their own backstories and identities, but they were not a replacement for a campaign in any way. Every rumor about this year’s Call of Duty mentions a campaign. Modern Warfare’s campaign was a huge focus leading up to release, and Call of Duty 2020’s campaign will likely be a huge selling point as well. The gritty, dark depiction of the Cold War we mentioned above would be perfect for a narrative-driven experience.
Will Call of Duty 2020 Have Zombies?
While Zombies has been in most Call of Duty games released in the past decade, the mode still hasn’t made its way into every single release. Some Call of Duty developers opt to include their own special modes, such as Survival, Spec Ops, or Extinction, rather than the undead horde mode. Every Black Ops game to date has included Zombies mode, however, so Call of Duty 2020 will probably have Zombies, too. Leaks about the game also mention the Zombies mode, so it’s all but confirmed that Zombies is returning to Call of Duty this year.
Will Call of Duty 2020 Have Battle Royale?
Black Ops 4 had a battle royale mode, and even though Infinity Ward stated that battle royale was not in the works for Modern Warfare, Call of Duty: Warzone released just a few months ago. Because of the franchise’s track record with battle royale modes, it’s unknown whether Call of Duty 2020 will feature battle royale. Even if Treyarch came out and denied the existence of the mode, they could very well add Blackout 2 to the game a few months after release. The only evidence suggesting that this year’s game will not eventually get some kind of battle royale mode is a recent interview with Infinity Ward that states that Warzone will be updated every year to incorporate content from new games. Call of Duty has never had a constant game that gets updated every year before, but this could definitely end up being true. Call of Duty Mobile has been updated to include content from multiple Call of Duty games, so Warzone could easily follow suit.
Will Call of Duty 2020 Be on PS5 and Xbox Series X?
Call of Duty games always come out in the fall, and with new consoles on the way, many people want to know if Call of Duty 2020 will be on PS5 and Xbox Series X. While the game hasn’t been officially confirmed for any platforms, it’s highly likely that it will come to next-gen consoles. Every time new systems have released, Call of Duty has been on them. Realistically, the game will also launch on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in order to reach the most people possible. Just like Call of Duty Ghosts, Call of Duty 2020 will probably be a cross-gen title.
As for next-generation upgrades, nothing has been detailed as of right now. Footage of next-generation games is rare, and the footage that’s currently available is only of smaller indie titles. Larger AAA games and exclusives will be shown later this summer, and Call of Duty will likely be shown among them. The PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X are both incredibly powerful machines, and Call of Duty 2020 is bound to look stunning on these consoles.
