Call of Duty: WW2 was officially announced on Friday, and by the end of the weekend we already knew about its release date, its three main modes, and a private beta - which Activision probably isn't too happy about. The info emerged via a series of leaks and a French wall advertisement that may have gone up a little too early.
Call of Duty WW2 : le 3 novembre 2017.#SaintLazare pic.twitter.com/Pw9uLgGNT4April 24, 2017
That's a release date of Friday, November 3 on the advertisement, which sounds about right for the next Call of Duty game. Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare came out on November 4, 2016 and Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 came out on November 6, 2015, both Fridays. The date is also reflected in some leaked Australian marketing materials that were posted by Reddit user Jadeos.
The materials include a brief rundown of the game: the single-player campaign depicts the invasion of Normandy and includes more "iconic locations" In the battle across Europe. The promotional copy specifically calls out experiencing "the bonds of camaraderie", which sounds about right considering how much we've seen that five-man squad pop up in screenshots and promotional art.
As for the multiplayer, there still isn't much detail. It will be "grounded" and "fast-paced" (seems like the age of jetpacks is finally over), and players will have some new ways to interact with friends and the broader community. Also, there will be more "iconic locations' to fight in. Omaha Beach? Omaha Beach. If you want to play early, it looks folks who pre-order will get access to the usual closed beta sessions.
Last up is the "high-octane co-operative" mode, which takes place in a "new and original story". This one remains the most mysterious for now, with the copy only saying it will be full of "unexpected, adrenaline-pumping moments". It probably has zombies - this strange Call of Duty Zombies journey started back in World War 2 days with World at War, after all - but maybe it will break with tradition instead.
One more leak gives us our first (tiny) look at the game itself.
These images were briefly posted on the official Call of Duty site, and Reddit user braderz_12 snagged them before they were pulled down. From left to right we can see an American soldier firing a Thompson submachinegun, the good ol' squad tromping across some wreckage, and presumably the same guy from the first pic hefting his Thompson on his shoulder.
See that red "1" on his shoulder patch? That means he's with the 1st Infantry Division, a unit of the US Army that fought in the Tunisian campaign, the invasion of Italy, the invasion of Normandy, and the Battle of the Bulge, to name just a few. The 1st Infantry Division previously starred in 2005's Call of Duty 2: Big Red One.
That's a lot of info to have before the official worldwide reveal event on Wednesday, though I'm sure Activision will have plenty more to tell us then. While we're waiting, why not fondly remember Call of Duty's best World War 2 moments?
