The latest Call of Duty WWII: Vanguard rumor claims the title's multiplayer will bear many similarities to the online suite in Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. Activision has shared few details about this year's COD installment, though the publisher did confirm reports that Sledgehammer Games sits at the helm this time around.
Sledgehammer Games hasn't led the charge since 2017's Call of Duty: WWII. While the team did co-lead Black Ops Cold War with Raven Software for a time, reported disputes between the two development firms resulted in Sledgehammer sitting on the sidelines. Such upheaval came on the heels of studio co-founders Michael Condrey and Glen Schofield exiting the group in February 2018. Thus, the last few years the Sledgehammer has experienced quite a few ups and downs in recent years; by this year's end, all eyes will be on the studio once again.
Industry insider Tom Henderson recently posted a video (via Wccftech) filled with information he's heard about 2021's Call of Duty entry. According to Henderson, most Activision-owned teams have their hands full with Warzone, leaving Sledgehammer to handle every aspect of Vanguard on its own. As a result, the multiplayer suite that comes packaged with Vanguard will "essentially be a Black Ops Cold War 2.0." Sledgehammer reportedly pitched several ideas to help differentiate Vanguard's online from that of 2017's WWII; however, Henderson claims the proposed features fell to the cutting room floor for reasons unknown. The leaker went on to say that he's yet to hear anything special in this regard, meaning fans may want to prepare themselves for a "traditional Call of Duty title."
As Henderson notes in the above video, the lingering effects of the pandemic may also play an integral part in some of Vanguard's alleged shortcomings. But the supposed unambitious nature of the online offerings do align with Henderson's previous report that Activision expects the new COD to underperform. Of course, these details and similar bits of rumor and speculation should not be taken at face value, though.
When Activision plans to formally announce Vanguard remains a mystery, yet rumors suggest the publisher could lift the veil later in the summer. Until then, fans can keep busy by engaging with ongoing updates to Warzone and Black Ops Cold War.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is out now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S; meanwhile, Call of Duty WWII: Vanguard should launch this holiday season.
Source: Tom Henderson/YouTube via Wccftech