Veteran Call of Duty developer Treyarch has officially wrapped its work on Black Ops 7 and is now turning its attention to an as-yet-unannounced next project, with design director Kevin Drew hinting in a new developer talk video that the studio’s next venture could be “something that nobody’s ever experienced before.” The teaser arrived as the broader Call of Duty franchise navigates a wave of industry turbulence, from declining sales to a major platforming shakeup involving Xbox Game Pass and fresh rumors about the future of Microsoft’s Halo franchise.
Drew, who has spent years shaping Treyarch’s creative direction, said the studio has “learned a lot” from its recent titles, including 2024’s Black Ops 6 and 2025’s Black Ops 7, and that the team has “tried a lot of things in our current era.” He added that the studio is now “ready to make something new and something that nobody’s ever experienced before.” However, Drew himself acknowledged that the announcement “might not be what you expect,” leaving fans and analysts alike to speculate about what Treyarch’s next endeavor could actually entail.
That sense of hyperbole is, admittedly, nothing new for the franchise. Call of Duty studios have long been celebrated for their grandiose marketing claims, and this particular teaser is unlikely to be the first of its kind. Still, the timing is notable, as the series has faced mounting pressure to justify its cultural and commercial footprint in an increasingly crowded shooter market.
A Franchise Under Pressure
The context surrounding Treyarch’s teasing is far from reassuring. According to sales data, EA’s Battlefield 6 outsold Black Ops 7 in 2025, with the Treyarch title slipping down to the No. 5 spot for the year, at least in the United States. The result has been a significant shakeup for the franchise, with parent company Microsoft reportedly taking steps to boost unit sales.
Among the most consequential of these moves is the announcement that Call of Duty games will no longer be included with Xbox Game Pass at launch, beginning with this year’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4. The decision marks a departure from years of bundling the series with Microsoft’s subscription service and signals a strategic recalibration aimed at driving standalone purchases.
Modern Warfare 4 and the Studios Behind It
Infinity Ward is leading development on Modern Warfare 4, though, as is customary for the franchise, Activision’s wider network of Call of Duty studios—including Treyarch—are expected to contribute to the game’s overall development. This collaborative model has long been the backbone of the series, allowing multiple teams to share the workload across a sprawling, multi-platform release.
The studio’s pivot toward uncharted territory, as Drew framed it, may well inform how the broader development network approaches Modern Warfare 4 and beyond. If Treyarch’s next project represents a genuine departure from the formula, it could signal a shift in the creative DNA of the entire franchise.
“But we’re ready to make something new and something that nobody’s ever experienced before.”
Kevin Drew, Treyarch Design Director
Speculation Over the Future of Halo
Amid the Call of Duty chatter, a pair of intriguing rumors has been making the rounds regarding Microsoft’s other flagship franchise, Halo. One claim suggests that Microsoft—which owns both Call of Duty and Activision—is considering having a Call of Duty studio work on a Halo game. A second rumor takes things a step further, proposing that Microsoft could “put Halo under Activision” as part of a larger restructuring effort designed to help the aging FPS franchise regain its prominence in the competitive shooter market.
While neither rumor has been officially confirmed, they underscore a broader industry trend of studios being repurposed and restructured to meet shifting market demands. If true, such moves could reshape the creative landscape for both franchises and add a layer of anticipation to Treyarch’s own unannounced project.
Looking Ahead
For now, the specifics of Treyarch’s next project remain firmly under wraps, but the studio’s willingness to embrace uncharted territory suggests a period of creative reinvention on the horizon. With Modern Warfare 4 set to launch without Xbox Game Pass inclusion, the franchise is clearly positioning itself for a new era of commercial strategy.
As the Call of Duty community digests these developments, the coming months will be crucial. Whether Treyarch’s “something nobody’s ever experienced before” lives up to its bold promise, how the Modern Warfare 4 launch performs commercially, and what becomes of the Halo rumors will all shape the future of one of gaming’s most storied—and now most uncertain—franchises.
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