Call of Duty: Modern Warfare will Release on October 25, 2019

Quarter 4 2019 seems to be jam-packed with major releases with Ghost Recon Breakpoint and Death Stranding headlining the list so far (not counting Final Fantasy VII Remake if it releases late this year or early next year). Add Call of Duty to that list as it was announced that the sixteenth overall installment of the franchise named “Call of Duty Modern Warfare” is scheduled for release on October 25, 2019.

Serving as a soft-reboot of the Modern Warfare sub-series, Modern Warfare is set to take place in a realistic and modern setting, “heavy on troubling, realistic emotional moments” that are comparable to the thematic element of the controversial “No Russian” mission from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. According to Narrative Director Taylor Kurosaki, series regular Captain John Price is back, but the story is a ret-conned narrative where the events in the previous Modern Warfare timeline did not occur.

The single-player campaign will take players in covert operations alongside a diverse cast of international special forces throughout iconic European cities and volatile expanses of the Middle East. Ars Technica reports that half of the campaign will unfold from the perspective of an Arab soldier, a female rebel fighter named Farah. The report states further that the new Modern Warfare is aiming for a more brutal “morally gray” approach, with an extended sequence set in Farah’s home as it is terrorized by Russian soldiers with civilians – even infants – on peril.

The game was developed by Infinity Ward, who also made the 2016 entry Infinite Warfare. Beenox and Raven Software provided additional development. Modern Warfare uses a brand-new engine for the series, allowing for the use of more detailed environments, advanced photogrammetry and rendering, better volumetric lighting, and the use of ray tracing. You can see the results on the trailer which featured in-game footage.

Modern Warfare will also ditch the annual pass model, delivering free maps, content, and post-launch events to all players. It will also feature cross-play support between PC and consoles (no word yet on a cross-console play), and cooperative play will also return as “Elite Operations”.

The Call of Duty franchise has been known to depict warfare in a cinematic fashion, and in its long history, has depicted wars both real and imagined. It always attracts a huge audience in all its titles across three console generations and this one is no different: the reveal trailer has attracted over 25 million vies in 3 days. With Battle Royale games being all the rage, it’s refreshing to see Infinity Ward prefer to improve on the story and delivery of the next Call of Duty over a quick cash grab.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare will be released in October 25, 2019, on PC, Xbox One, and the PS4.