It is clear that Activision is gearing up for the launch of 2024’sCall of Dutyentry, given the recent announcement that an upcoming Xbox Direct will be followed by another presentation dedicated to one game. While this game has not been officially confirmed by Xbox, fans are all but certain that the Direct presentation will give them the first real glimpses of this year’sCoD, with a big hint potentially being present in the background of the announcement.
The promotional image for the alleged upcomingCall of DutyDirect features a wolf’s head in the background, which many think has some hidden meaning for this year’s upcoming release. With that being said, wolf iconography was a huge part of the pre-release theories concerning 2012’sBlack Ops 2, and recent rumors surrounding a sequel to the game may explain the wolf imagery within the ambiguous announcement.
The Wolf in Call of Duty’s Rumored Announcement May Hold Relevance Beyond 2024
The recently announcedXbox Games Showcase is set to take place on June 9, with the currently anonymous follow-up Direct being set to happen right after the show. The name of the Direct and the game it is in relation to has been redacted in its promotional imagery, although some keen-eyed fans are very sure that it will finally reveal the details about this year’sCall of Duty.
It is already known that Treyarch is in charge of this year’s entry to the FPS giant, with the orange theme of the promotional art and the redacted information being synonymous with the studio’s massively successfulBlack Opsgames. Pre-existing theories and rumors behind 2024’sCoDstated that it would belong to theBlack Opsfranchise, supposedlyset during the Gulf War, and the promotional image for the upcoming Direct seemingly corroborates theBlack Opslink at the very least.
Black Ops 2 Could Be Very Important For the Near Future of Call of Duty
The center-piece of the promotional image is a snarling wolf with its teeth bared. Some fans believe that this relates to a currently unknown group that will be atthe core of this year’sCall of Dutynarrative. However, long-time fans may remember that the original codename forBlack Ops 2prior to its release was Iron Wolf, with players at the time debating what kind of game this codename could be alluding to.
The longstanding internal association withBlack Opsand wolves within Treyarch seemingly gives more credence to this year’sCall of Dutybelonging to the sub-franchise, and this could have implications for 2025’sCoDrelease if it ends up holding weight. Recent rumors suggest that2025’sCall of Dutywill be a direct sequel toBlack Ops 2, set roughly five years after the events of the 2012 title, and the upcoming Direct’s wolf imagery could be a nod to this.
Xbox took a similar standalone Direct approach withStarfield, and it makes a lot of sense that the firstCoDto fall under the Microsoft name will receive the same prestigious treatment. While it seems likely that the promo for this presentation indicates a 2024Black Opstitle, the wolf imagery in particular could be a well-played callback toBlack Ops 2and the importance that the title will have on the events of 2025’sCall of Dutyinstallment.
Call of Duty: Black Ops II
WHERE TO PLAY
FORCED TO GO ROGUE - HUNTED FROM WITHIN While the Gulf War commands the global spotlight, a shadowy clandestine force has infiltrated the highest levels of the CIA, branding anyone who resists as traitors. Exiled from their agency and country that once hailed them as heroes, Black Ops veteran Frank Woods and his team find themselves hunted by the military machine that created them.
