Activision calls in reinforcements.
A third game in the Modern Warfare series is coming this year, according to a new report from the Los Angeles Times.
Citing unnamed sources, the LA Times says Activision has recruited Sledgehammer Games, the studio currently working on another unannounced Call of Duty title, and Raven Software (Singularity) to help finish development of Modern Warfare 3 for release this November.
The report states both Sledgehammer and Infinity Ward are equally completing the single-player portion of the game, while Raven is working on its online multiplayer features.
Due to the developer collaboration, sources said the Call of Duty spin-off project in development at Sledgehammer, rumored to be set in the future, has now been put on hold.
Since Infinity Ward executives Jason West and Vince Zampella were fired from the studio in March, more than 35 employees have left the studio. Activision said recently it has received over 5,000 applicants to fill the vacancies.
The publisher has not publicly announced what Call of Duty title would be released this year, but did confirm a new game would be arriving in the back half of 2011.
When asked about the report, an Activision representative told IGN, "There's been much speculation recently. We look forward to releasing details for the next Call of Duty in the near future."
Sledgehammer Games is made up of former Visceral Games members, the team behind Dead Space. Shortly after their formation Activision announced they would be working on a "Call of Duty game that will extend the franchise into the action-adventure genre." This game was slated for 2011. However it seems that this project has been put aside now that Sledgehammer is taking on half the weight of developing CoD: Modern Warfare 3's single player. Raven Software has been recruited to work on the multiplayer.
