Call of Duty 2025 might receive a massive change in development due to recent layoffs

Call of Duty 2025, codenamed "Saturn," might see a massive change in its development department due to the recent layoffs by Microsoft and Activision. While the game is only 20 months ahead of its release, it doesn't have a primary developer, and some of the leading studios under Activision reportedly refused to develop the game due to certain circumstances.

Read on to learn more about what's going on regarding Call of Duty 2025 and who might be the title's primary developer.

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Who is developing Call of Duty 2025?

Previously, it was leaked that Call of Duty 2025 would be developed by Sledgehammer Games, which is popular for making Call of Duty games like Modern Warfare 3 and Vanguard. However, Activision wants two years of aftermarket support. Given the game doesn't have enough time in hand, Tom Henderson's recent report suggests that the developer refused to make the game as it didn't want an MW3-like repetition.

High Moon Studios, the developers who made the Fortune's Keep island, was one of the first choices after Sledgehammer Games refused to take the lead. However, the recent layoffs by Activision and Microsoft affected almost all developing studios, and High Moon may not have enough resources to make the game aptly.

According to Henderson's post, the developing responsibility might fall to Treyarch Studios, which is already making Call of Duty 2024 Black Ops Gulf War. A recent report also suggested that the upcoming game will have an open-world campaign, which will be developed by Raven Software, the studio that makes Warzone.

It is also reported that Call of Duty 2025 will have a similar open-world approach, and it will change the usual linear direction of the CoD stories. Given Treyarch Studios is already working on it, the developer will likely take the baton for working on next year's title.