Doritos may have spoiled the next 'Call of Duty: Black Ops' game

You might not have to wait for Activision to reveal the name of the next Call of Duty game — apparently, a snack food purveyor is one step ahead. TheGaming Revolution has shared (via Call of Duty News and Windows Central) pictures of what’s said to be a Doritos promo for the still-unannounced Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. The return to the original Black Ops era had been rumored for a while, but this seemingly confirms the plans.

The promo (which offers a chance to win double experience points for a year) appears to start October 5th, although that doesn’t necessarily guarantee the game will be available at the same time. A similar promo for Modern Warfare started October 1st last year ahead of the game’s October 25th release, but it also didn’t arrive during a pandemic that could affect development.

While nothing has been confirmed at this stage, leaks have suggested it may take Modern Warfare’s grittiness one step further. The title will supposedly explore the Vietnam War from the perspectives of the US, South Vietnam and the Viet Cong, with excursions to other parts of the world. The game might also be the product of corporate drama, with Treyarch apparently taking over after Raven and Sledgehammer fought over the title.

Treyarch co-head Jason Blundell also left the studio after 13 years, although his March departure was late enough into development that it might not have affected the upcoming game in a major way.

Whatever game arrives, the announcement will come relatively late. Activision has historically announced Call of Duty games at or before E3 in June. With E3 cancelled, however, the publisher hasn’t had to stick to that timetable. An announcement might also be affected by the expected fall launches of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, provided the game takes advantage of them. Don’t be surprised if Activision takes its time, then, no matter how accurate this leak may be.