Sledgehammer Games’ unannounced third-person Call of Duty game, codenamed Fog of War, was an “Uncharted-meets-Call of Duty idea,” according to developer Bret Robbins. The game never came to fruition after Sledgehammer was asked to help Infinity Ward with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III. Robbins confirmed that the studio also created early prototypes and possibly even a demo level for Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare II, but the game never materialised. Instead, Sledgehammer created Call of Duty: WWII, which Robbins said “felt like a better opportunity” for the team.
Fog of War: A Gritty Third-Person War Experience
Despite being just an experiment, Robbins shared that the unannounced third-person Call of Duty game was aiming to be a “more brutal third-person war experience.” Former Sledgehammer boss Michael Condrey said the game was aiming to be an Apocalypse Now-style Call of Duty game. “We built a prototype and it was cool,” Condrey said in 2014, “It was a true, gritty, Apocalypse Now take on Vietnam in an interactive way.”
Why Fog of War Never Came to Fruition
Sledgehammer had created a prototype and made a demo, but it did not get very far with it due to the studio’s shift in focus. Sledgehammer was asked to help Infinity Ward finish Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III after Infinity Ward’s top bosses were fired for alleged insubordination. “We didn’t get that far with it, honestly,” Robbins said.
No Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare II
Sledgehammer also created early prototypes and maybe even a demo for Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare II, but that game never came to fruition either. Instead, Sledgehammer made Call of Duty: WWII, which “felt like a better opportunity” for the team, Robbins said.
When Will Sledgehammer’s Next Call of Duty be Released?
In 2023, Activision will reportedly release a new Call of Duty game set in the Modern Warfare universe, with Sledgehammer said to be leading development on this project. The franchise’s latest release, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, featured flashback missions set in the year 1968 during the Vietnam War. The game’s next major update, Season 3, goes live soon.
Conclusion
Although fans did not get to play Fog of War or Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare II, they can instead look forward to Sledgehammer’s upcoming Call of Duty game set in the Modern Warfare universe, which is sure to be a highly anticipated title.
