Activision is branching out from Call of Duty with a new open-world role-playing game developed by its recently formed studio, Elsewhere Entertainment. Rumors also suggest involvement from Sledgehammer Games, known for the franchise's shooters. This move comes amid declining sales for the series' latest entries.
Activision, long synonymous with the Call of Duty franchise, appears to be diversifying its portfolio through a secretive big-budget role-playing game project. The initiative is led by Elsewhere Entertainment, a Polish studio established under Activision in 2024. Comprising developers with experience on titles like Cyberpunk 2077, the Uncharted series, and The Division, the studio aims to create a 'new narrative-based and genre-defining AAA franchise.'
A recent LinkedIn job listing from Elsewhere Entertainment seeks a senior cinematic animator for 'an open world role-playing game set in a new, epic IP.' With approximately 130 employees, the studio is positioned to handle this ambitious endeavor. The last Activision-published game unrelated to Call of Duty was Crash Team Rumble, a free-to-play multiplayer spin-off launched in June 2023 and supported for only nine months before its developers, Toys for Bob, went independent.
Adding intrigue, former Sledgehammer Games senior creative director Ben Wanat's LinkedIn profile, updated after his departure in August 2025, references his role as creative director on an 'unannounced action role-playing game' at the studio. Sledgehammer, primary developer of 2023's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, has no prior experience in the RPG genre, fueling speculation of collaboration with Elsewhere.
This project echoes earlier rumors from 2022, when Infinity Ward posted a job for a narrative director in Poland to work on an open-world RPG. Meanwhile, Call of Duty faces challenges: the series is being outpaced by competitors like Battlefield 6, and Black Ops 7 has underperformed in sales despite an official apology for its launch issues. Activision plans to end back-to-back Modern Warfare and Black Ops releases, though annual entries continue, with the next rumored as a Modern Warfare sequel set in Korea.
The RPG effort signals Activision's push into the thriving genre, inspired by successes like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, as the company seeks to mitigate reliance on its flagship shooter.