Call of Duty: Vanguard brings the series back to WWII in Novembe
Sledgehammer Games has announced the next Call of Duty
which will publish in November, with the presentation of Vanguard.
The new shooter is set during a war and will include
a “historically inspired” single-player storey, as well as multiplayer and cross-play with Call of Duty: Zombies and Warzone.
As a consequence of a lawsuit filed by the state of California, Activision Blizzard,
the parent company of Sledgehammer,
and in particular Overwatch developer Blizzard, has been reprimanded for a culture of sexual harassment.
Since then, employees have organised a walkout, and several high-profile Blizzard developers have left the firm,
including president J. Allen Brack.
Last Monday, Sledgehammer studio head Aaron Halon started a news conference with a statement on the situation:
Call of Duty: Vanguard officially announced, revealing Warzone
The stories of pain and suffering that have been shared are terrible.
We love making games; it’s what we do for a job, and it’s something we enjoy.
But, more importantly, we’re individuals who are here for one another, collaborating and watching out for one another in good times and bad.
Harassment of any kind, on behalf of Sledgehammer Games and the whole Call of Duty: Vanguard team, is completely unacceptable.
Regardless of their title, position, gender, orientation, or colour, everyone deserves treate with decency, respect, and equality.
While we are unable to comment on the lawsuit,
I can tell you that we as a team are committed to making all team members feel safe, respected, and valued.
Please know that these thoughts and actions are at the forefront of our minds and will remain so.
They speak to the core values that determine who we are and who we aspire to be.
The single-player campaign for Vanguard
will focus on the beginnings of the special forces and will be told from
many perspectives; in addition to the Sledgehammer narrative team, sci-fi writer Tochi Onyebuchi will contribute to the storyline.
According to Sledgehammer, the narrative will chronicle “the untold tales of multinational soldiers who formed Task Force One, changing the face of history and establishing the groundwork for special forces as we know it.”
It will include a cast of real-life actors, including Lt.
Polina Petrova, who modelled on Soviet sniper Lyudmila Pavlichenko, known as “Lady Death.”
Aside from the storey, there will be multiplayer at launch
with 20 maps and game styles, including
“Champion Hill,” puts players against each other individually or in groups of two or three.
Treyarch has also developed a Zombies mode that will tie into the previous zombie storyline from Black Ops Cold War.
Raven Software is working on a Vanguard map for Warzone, a battle royale spin-off, at the same time.
When it launches later this year, Activision said the new map will be supported by “new anti-cheat technologies.”
According to the company, the crossover is an “all-new metaverse connecting Vanguard, Black Ops Cold War, and Modern Warfare.”
Call of Duty: Vanguard brings the series back to WWII in November
On November 5th, Call of Duty: Vanguard will be available on the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
