Regarding ballooning costs, I've been thinking it's MS's plan to collect studios that typically crank out expensive games every 3 years or so, and having them slow down AAA production in order to maximize profits.

IE:

Old Method - Studio makes 2 AAA games within 6 years, costing $100 million to develop. Both games sell for a combined 12 million copies. Some profit.

MS Method - Studio makes 1 AAA game and 1 AA game every 6 years. Expenses reduced to $75 million for those years. Games sell for a combined 9 million copies. More profit.

There is a way to make more profit with less revenue by simply eliminating budgets and scaling down outputs. I think this is what they are already doing.

GTA 6 must cost $600m+ Lol.

This industry is crazy and heading for a horrific crash if these budgets don't get under control.

As a side note, these Sony leaks are becoming almost as bad as Microsoft's, feel sorry for them.

Sony ain't the first company that this Russian-linked hacking group has hit so companies better be careful.

This should be a success, longest dev cycle of any recent CoD (4 years), good setting and gameplay system choices, and it should be the first CoD with Xbox marketing and day one Gamepass.

I'm glad they didn't abandon the Void engine, was worried they had dropped it in favor of Unreal, considering Arkane Austin made Redfall in Unreal 4. Here is hoping they put a bigger focus on graphics, like in Dishonored 2, instead of relying purely on art design and settling for lesser technical graphics like on Deathloop. 

That'll be COD 2024 (Sony lost marketing as of COD 2023).

COD 2024 is a new Black Ops led by Treyarch, set during the Gulf War.

COD 2025 is a futuristic COD, a direct sequel to Black Ops 2.

Call of Duty 2024 is Black Ops: Gulf War - Insider Gaming

Call of Duty 2025 is a Semi Futuristic Black Ops 2 Sequel - Insider Gaming

Treyarch leading Black Ops Gulf War in 2024, their last title being Black Ops Cold War in 2020 which would give Gulf War around 4 years of development time. Sledgehammer doing Black Ops 2 sequel in 2025, their last title being Modern Warfare III but that was clearly cobbled together and meant to be DLC, their last full fledged title was Vanguard in 2021 so another 4 years. Infinity Ward in 2026, their last title being Modern Warfare II in 2022 which would give them around 4 years development time.

2 Black Ops in a row? Even with one being historical and one being near future, that may be overkill. Especially since Treyarch will be working on both presumably with resources stretched thin, co-development with Sledgehammer on one and by themselves mainly on the other, with various other CoD support studios assisting on both I would assume. I think Phil needs to go ahead and delay one or both of them personally.

We just had two Modern Warfare's in a row Tbf, Lmao.

I think them being set during Gulf War and 2030's will make them distinct enough.

Feels a bit pointless for them both to have round based zombies though so close to each other.

Treyarch may just be a support studio like Infinity Ward and whatnot, I don't think they have to co-develop 2025.

But if one is delayed it should be COD 2025 because COD 2024 will be bigger than COD 2025 Imo.