Sledgehammer Games Studio Head Discusses "Labor of Love" Behind Call of Duty's First Ever Back-to-Back Sequel
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Developing a video game is no easy feat, especially when it comes to a blockbuster franchise like Call of Duty. The latest installment in the long-running series, , was the first ever back-to-back sequel and it was a labor of love for the team at Sledgehammer Games. In a recent statement, studio head Aaron Halon discussed the development process and the challenges faced in creating the game.
According to sources, was initially pitched as an expansion but eventually morphed into a full-fledged game to fill a hole in Activision Blizzard's release schedule. A number of Call of Duty developers told Bloomberg that the production goalposts were constantly shifting, requiring employees to work nights and weekends in order to finish the game in time. Despite the inefficiencies, the game's campaign mode was completed in around 16 months.
In response to the Bloomberg report, Halon took to Twitter to refute the idea that wasn't initially envisioned as a full-blown sequel. He said that was the plan "long before we wrapped up our previous game" and that the team was "laser focused" on creating the next groundbreaking Call of Duty game. He also noted that the team was proud to lead the way on , adding features like Carry Forward to honor the investment players have made in the Modern Warfare series.
Overall, the development of was a labor of love for the team at Sledgehammer Games. Despite the challenges they faced, the studio was able to deliver a groundbreaking Call of Duty game that will now be moving forward under the watchful eye of Microsoft after the Xbox maker acquired Activision Blizzard. While the game has been met with mixed reviews, the team can be proud of their accomplishments in creating the first ever back-to-back sequel in Call of Duty history.
