The Call of Duty franchise has officially announced a major shift in its release strategy following widespread criticism and disappointing sales tied to its latest title, Black Ops 7. The change marks the end of back-to-back releases from its two most popular sub-series — Modern Warfare and Black Ops.

The decision comes after consecutive Modern Warfare titles launched in 2022 and 2023, followed by Black Ops releases in 2024 and 2025. Fans and industry analysts alike expressed fatigue and concern over the rapid succession, with many noting that the titles lacked innovation and felt repetitive.

In a statement published on the official Call of Duty website, the team acknowledged player dissatisfaction and confirmed the new direction: “We will no longer do back-to-back releases of Modern Warfare or Black Ops games. The reasons are many, but the main one is to ensure we provide an absolutely unique experience each and every year.”

The developers added that their future focus will prioritize meaningful innovation rather than incremental changes. “We will drive innovation that is meaningful, not incremental. While we aren’t sharing those plans today, we look forward to doing so when the time is right.”

This shift follows a troubling performance from Black Ops 7, which launched last month. The game suffered a severe drop in sales, falling by 63 percent compared to Battlefield 6 in Europe, signaling one of the weakest releases in the franchise’s recent history.

Despite recent challenges, the franchise says it is committed to rebuilding trust and delivering stronger annual installments. The team assured players that the series will now aim to “deliver and overdeliver on the customer expectations as we move forward,” signaling a renewed focus on quality over consistency.