Some newly discovered evidence suggests that the 2024 Call of Duty game may have a reveal as soon as this month. Another entry in the Call of Duty: Black Ops series is anticipated for the upcoming title.
Summer reveal parties have long been a tradition for Activision’s popular first-person shooter franchise. As Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 was officially announced in August 2023, this tradition was carried on with the latest entry in the series.
Call of Duty ‘Cerberus’ Reveal Evidence Found in Modern Warfare 3
But the 2024 game, rumoured to be called Call of Duty: Black Ops Gulf War, may deviate from that trend.
The latest version of Modern Warfare 3 contains multiple references to “s3_cerberus_reveal,” according to some newly discovered datamined evidence.
The middle portion of that designation is thought to be the codename of the 2024 Call of Duty entry, while the first part presumably refers to the recently released Modern Warfare 3 Season 3.
This find does not necessarily indicate a May 2024 reveal for Black Ops Gulf War because it only places it some time during the ongoing Season 3, which is expected to run for two to three months.
Multiple early April reports, however, have claimed that Call of Duty this year will be unveiled ahead of time and showcased at the upcoming Xbox Games Showcase.
A May or early June announcement is likely, given that the event is scheduled for June 9. Based on historical precedent, either scenario would see the game reveal a bit earlier than expected.
Potential Early Reveal of Black Ops Gulf War Aligns With Its Development Timeline
Following Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard, which was completed in October 2023, Black Ops Gulf War will be the first Call of Duty title to be unveiled.
However, there would seem to be no connection between this possible departure from the series’ regular announcement schedule and that ownership change.
The 2024 Call of Duty reportedly had an extra year of development compared to most other modern entries in the series, which is a more plausible explanation for why Activision might already have something to show off in the spring rather than waiting until the summer.
To be more precise, it is believed that the project’s original release target was autumn 2023. Early in the development process, Activision decided to push back the release date of Call of Duty: Black Ops Gulf War until at least February 2022, contrary to what industry insider Tom Henderson had initially reported.
The idea of that game being announced a bit earlier than the series’ typical summer win window would not be out of the realm of possibility if Treyarch has indeed been working on its next FPS for more than three years at this point.
