Skip to main content
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+ The Games, Movies, TV & Comics You Love
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
flag of UK
UK
flag of US
US
flag of Canada
Canada
flag of Australia
Australia
  • Games
  • TV
  • Movies
  • Hardware
  • Video
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Guides
  • Deals
  • More
    • PS5
    • Xbox Series X
    • Nintendo Switch
    • Nintendo Switch 2
    • PC
    • Platforms
    • Tabletop Gaming
    • Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • SFX
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Newsletters
    • About us
    • Features
Total Film
Gaming Magazines
Gaming Magazines
Why subscribe?
  • Subscribe from just £3
  • Takes you closer to the games, movies and TV you love
  • Try a single issue or save on a subscription
  • Issues delivered straight to your door or device
From$12
Subscribe now
Trending
  • Grounded 2
  • The Fantastic Four: First Steps
  • Donkey Kong Bananza
  • Switch 2 Starter Pack
Recommended reading
Battlefield 6 leak
FPS Games Testing lab for Battlefield 6 takes its "first big L" as it removes weapon restrictions, meaning your medics might be sitting behind you sniping instead of healing on the front lines
A close up of a man holding a gun during the reveal for Call of Duty: Black Ops 7.
Call of Duty Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 – Everything we know so far about the upcoming shooter
Screenshot from Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 reveal teaser.
Call of Duty Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 announced: the first consecutive release in the series gets a 2025 release window, is set 40 years after Black Ops 6, and brings back campaign co-op
A snow scene in Call Of Duty Black Ops 6 with soldiers moving forward, aircraft exploding in the background
Call of Duty The 10 best Call of Duty games of all-time
Helldivers 2 screenshot showing a fully geared/armored diver standing with gun in hand as three jets soar the skies behind him
Third Person Shooters Helldivers 2 devs are "very cautious" about bringing back weapons from the first game because they want the shooters "to feel unique from one another"
FPS Games Former Star Wars Battlefront 2 dev says "we want to get the gang back together" for a potential sequel as the game surges in popularity once more
Monster Hunter Wilds hammer promo art
Monster Hunter Monster Hunter Wilds' weakest weapon is probably my beloved hammer, but good news, bonk fans: Capcom is buffing it so hard that it can't fit it all in one patch
  1. Games

Should Sledgehammer bring WWII back to Call of Duty?

Features
By Lorenzo Veloria published 18 February 2014

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

What's next?

What's next?

Call of Duty has a new full-fledged developer. Sledgehammer Games is now part of a trinity of game developers that will be creating an annual Call of Duty title, freeing up more time each game maker has to create its respective sequel. Right now, Infinity Ward has the Ghosts series set in the near future; Treyarch could conceivably continue the Black Ops series (which is also set in the near future). With the CoD series spanning wars from World War II to the future, we have to ask, "What setting will Sledgehammer take for its new game?"

As far as wars involving guns go, Call of Duty has most of the major ones covered. It's hard to imagine what new trail in modern-ish warfare Sledgehammer could blaze. But I've come up with a list of possible settings Call of Duty could tackle, and all of them have the potential to be awesome. Where should Call of Duty go next? Read on.

Page 1 of 7
Page 1 of 7
Vietnam War

Vietnam War

Black Ops may have dabbled in the Vietnam War, but that was all behind-the-scenes, secret operative stuff. We still haven't experienced the conflict from the perspective of the average soldier holding his own in the jungles of 'Nam. Some of the greatest moments from the old WWII games in the CoD series came from being a participant in the massive, famous battles from history, and now I think it's time that Vietnam gets the same treatment.

What's most interesting about setting Sledgehammer's game in Vietnam is that the jungle environment and enemy Viet Kong tactics could make for some intense engagements. Enemies could use guerrilla tactics in the jungle, hitting your squad in the middle of a patrol, then disappearing into their dug-in hideouts. But there wouldn't be a lack of huge battles. The Battle of Hamburger Hill was one of the most hard-fought and tragic of the war. And while a CoD version of the battle could be one of the most epic missions ever, showcasing conflicts like these could give the developer a chance to show how much war actually, really sucks.

Page 2 of 7
Page 2 of 7
Far future

Far future

Look, I know that this is pushing CoD close to the Halo zone of FPSs, but going into outer space and having futuristic weaponry isn't too farfetched for the series. In previous Call of Duty games, players have already spent some time floating around in space, shooting zombies on the moon, and getting their hands on super-advanced tech. Sledgehammer could make bringing CoD to a far--but perceivably realistic--future a setting that could work.

So far, the series has taken us almost as far as the year 2030, which really isn't that far into the future. What would really be interesting would be to go into the distant future, perhaps 100 years, when the world would be almost unrecognizable. Maybe in the future, new tensions will rise between nations (anything to make it so that we won't have to fight Russians again). Advanced technology could give players more gadgets to play with, and soldiers won't be shooting bullets anymore. If Sledgehammer wants to differentiate its game from all of the others, a radically changed future would be a surefire setting to distinguish yet another CoD.

Page 3 of 7
Page 3 of 7
SWAT

SWAT

Ok, this one is a long shot--but hey, soldiers aren't the only ones who answer the call of duty. Drug-soaked streets and heavily-armed thugs can make city streets a warzone. Why not put players in the role of a Special Weapons and Tactics officer on the mean streets of cities around the world? Better yet, make the world some sort of alternate universe in which the law is outnumbered and failing, and criminals rule the cities with an iron fist. But, uh, different from Judge Dredd.

Playing a police officer could have features parallel with what other Call of Duty titles have. You could work as a team to take down a murderous drug lord and his cartel, losing your beloved squadmates to police corruption and betrayal. The police could get state-of-the-art equipment, like drones and weapons, to help in tense hostage standoffs. There certainly wouldn't be any missed opportunities to breach doors here and there. Sounds like a perfect fit to me.

Page 4 of 7
Page 4 of 7
Completely take over Treyarch's Zombies world

Completely take over Treyarch's Zombies world

Treyarch created a monster when it introduced it's Nazi Zombies mode in World at War. The wave-based horde mode got so big that Black Ops 2's Zombies was a full open-world. But where can Zombies go from here? How about the undead shamblers get their own developer, say Sledgehammer, and get their own full blown, full-featured game with a story, multiplayer, and, of course, classic Zombies mode.

Zombies has been so successful that I wouldn't be surprised if Activision decided to put a dedicated developer behind the concept. Players could follow a ragtag group of survivors as they attempt to stay alive in the undead-infested world, raiding other survivor camps, defending their base, and moving around an even larger open-world. There could even be a multiplayer mode in which players use the outlandish Zombies mode weapons against each other. It would be a silly contrast to the other CoD's more serious wartime tales and settings. But really, I just want to vaporize an opposing team with the Wunderwaffe.

Page 5 of 7
Page 5 of 7
World War II

World War II

Yeah, I know. World War II has been completely done to death, but that was last, last-gen. We haven't seen a true WWII game in some time now, and in all seriousness, I think I'm ready to get back into shooting-up Nazis again. The second World War was one of the most famous wars in history, but it still can be seen from many more perspectives than have already been presented in games.

The other positive about bringing back the World War II era is that this is the chance to see war-torn Europe in all its next-gen visual glory. Imagine storming the beaches of Normandy with thousands of soldiers running by your side getting blown to mulch, or manning a sniper nest in the besieged city of Stalingrad. You've played those levels already--but imagine them with all the next-gen particles you could shake a rifle at.

Page 6 of 7
Page 6 of 7
What setting do you want to see?

What setting do you want to see?

That's my wishlist for the settings I would like to see Sledgehammer's CoD create. Do you have any settings you want to see the next Call of Duty be set in? Let me know your suggestions in the comments below.

Also, be sure to check out our other articles, such as our The Order 1886 - Road to the Review and The Top 7...Games where you meet the President.

Page 7 of 7
Page 7 of 7
Lorenzo Veloria
Lorenzo Veloria
Social Links Navigation

Many years ago, Lorenzo Veloria was a Senior Editor here at GamesRadar+ helping to shape content strategy. Since then, Lorenzo has shifted his attention to Future Plc's broader video game portfolio, working as a Senior Brand Marketing Manager to oversee the development of advertising pitches and marketing strategies for the department. He might not have all that much time to write about games anymore, but he's still focused on making sure the latest and greatest end up in front of your eyes one way or another.

See more Games Features
Read more
Battlefield 6 leak
Testing lab for Battlefield 6 takes its "first big L" as it removes weapon restrictions, meaning your medics might be sitting behind you sniping instead of healing on the front lines
A close up of a man holding a gun during the reveal for Call of Duty: Black Ops 7.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 – Everything we know so far about the upcoming shooter
Screenshot from Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 reveal teaser.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 announced: the first consecutive release in the series gets a 2025 release window, is set 40 years after Black Ops 6, and brings back campaign co-op
A snow scene in Call Of Duty Black Ops 6 with soldiers moving forward, aircraft exploding in the background
The 10 best Call of Duty games of all-time
Helldivers 2 screenshot showing a fully geared/armored diver standing with gun in hand as three jets soar the skies behind him
Helldivers 2 devs are "very cautious" about bringing back weapons from the first game because they want the shooters "to feel unique from one another"
Former Star Wars Battlefront 2 dev says "we want to get the gang back together" for a potential sequel as the game surges in popularity once more
Latest in Games
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake
5 years after it was announced, Ubisoft says the Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time remake is coming "very soon"
Helldivers 2
Helldivers 2 devs say DLSS and FSR are "on the wishlist," but there are "other more fundamental problems that impact performance" to fix first
An orange car in The Crew.
Ubisoft CEO addresses Stop Killing Games after overseeing the deaths of The Crew and XDefiant: "Support for all games cannot last forever"
Link falling during one of the best Switch 2 games The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Switch 2 Edition).
"3,660 hours" in, Zelda's strongest soldier is farming max stacks of everything in Tears of the Kingdom by hand for a world-first: "You'll find me to be a man of my word"
Best Assassin's Creed protagonists: A close-up of Kassandra during Assassin's Creed Odyssey.
Ubisoft claims microtransactions help players "experience more fun"
Destiny 2 The Edge of Fate
Bungie says "we never intend to ship 'stealth nerfs' in Destiny 2" as Edge of Fate players find unmentioned changes: "We would be completely out of our minds if we thought we could slip something under the rug without players noticing"
Latest in Features
Caleb Landry Jones as Walter in Harvest
I loved the folk horror elements of 28 Years Later, and this new nightmarish medieval movie follows in its footsteps in all the right ways
Karl Urban as Judge Dredd in 2012's Dredd movie.
As a life-long Judge Dredd fan, here's why I'm excited – and more than a little nervous – about Taika Waititi's new movie
Steam Deck OLED with game library on screen sitting on woodgrain desk
After 3 years of holding out, I finally bought a Steam Deck thanks to the same logic I used to talk myself out of a Switch 2
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild screenshot showing Link, a male character with elf-like ears, blond hair, and bright blue eyes
The Legend of Zelda movie is exciting, but I'm still begging for 5 specific video game movies to get adapted next
Ghost of Yotei screenshot of Atsu with her arms raised as she wields a katana
I had to stop playing Ghost of Tsushima after 47 hours, but Ghost of Yotei is winning me back by channeling the coolest anime ever made
A screenshot of the upcoming RPG, The Outer Worlds 2
I'm convinced that 2025 will bring us the next Baldur's Gate 3, and these are all the upcoming RPGs that may prove me right
  1. DK and Pauline look surprised in Donkey Kong Bananza
    1
    Donkey Kong Bananza Review: "Destruction isn't just a flashy gimmick for the Minecraft generation, it's one of the best inventions Nintendo has had in years"
  2. 2
    Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 review: "A nostalgic, must-play hit for fans"
  3. 3
    College Football 26 review: “Thanks to rivalries and dynasty, this is the greatest show on turf”
  4. 4
    Mecha Break review: "This mech battler makes up for lacking customization with a varied roster that lets me live out my Evangelion fantasy"
  5. 5
    Death Stranding 2: On the Beach review: "This tarpunk delivery epic is more Metal Gear Solid than ever, for better and worse"
  1. David Corenswet as Superman inside the Fortress of Solitude in James Gunn's Superman.
    1
    Superman review: "A triumphant reinvention and a promising start for the DCU"
  2. 2
    Jurassic World Rebirth Review: "An unscary sequel that needed a little more time in amber"
  3. 3
    M3GAN 2.0 review: "A bold sequel with a slightly underwhelming conclusion"
  4. 4
    28 Years Later Review: "Enough terror, splatter and suspense to satisfy”
  5. 5
    Predator: Killer of Killers review: "Great characters, thrilling action, and gorgeous Arcane-esque animation"
  1. Lee Jung-jae as Gi-hun in Squid Game season 3
    1
    Squid Game season 3 review: "A staggeringly excellent final season wraps up one of the greatest Netflix shows ever"
  2. 2
    Ironheart review: "A relic of Marvel's content-at-all-costs era"
  3. 3
    Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 review: "The show's most assured run of episodes to date"
  4. 4
    Doctor Who season 2, episode 8 spoiler review: 'The Reality War' is "a mix of the good, the bad, and the truly baffling"
  5. 5
    Doctor Who season 2, episode 7 spoiler review: 'Wish World' is "an exciting and ambitious" start to the season finale, with hints of WandaVision

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...