The 3 Studios Behind the Call of Duty Empire
As an industry expert and lifelong Call of Duty fan, I often get asked – why does Activision have 3 different studios working on Call of Duty?
It‘s a strategy that has fueled the franchise‘s unprecedented success, with over 425 million games sold to date. Let‘s analyze the identities of Infinity Ward, Treyarch, and Sledgehammer Games – the trifecta of developers that drive the Call of Duty empire.
Infinity Ward – The Trailblazing Creator
Founded in 2002 by former Medal of Honor staff, Infinity Ward revolutionized first-person shooters with their directorial style and focus on revolutionary technology. They developed the first Call of Duty game that landed on PC in 2003 and launched the blockbuster Modern Warfare series.
Other major contributions:
- Call of Duty (2003) – The debut that started it all
- Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (2007) – Pioneered cinematic campaigns
- Modern Warfare (2019) – Powerful reboot with photorealistic visuals
Under studio heads Patrick Kelly and Dave Stohl, Infinity Ward has stayed on the cutting-edge with performances captures, photogrammetry effects, and the latest GPU raytracing tech. They anchor the future-facing identity of Call of Duty focused on high fidelity warfare.
Treyarch – The Zombies & Black Ops Experts
Founded in 1996, Treyarch steadily grew as Activision‘s go-to support studio on games like Tony Hawk and 007. In 2008 they took the reigns of Call of Duty with World at War, and later pioneered the Black Ops series which delves into Cold War spy Technology.
Major Contributions:
- Call of Duty 3 (2006) – Their first CoD as lead developer
- World at War (2008) – Introduced the now iconic Zombies Mode
- Black Ops (2010-2012) – Signature clandestine style
- Black Ops Cold War (2020) – Ambitious integration with Warzone
Led by studio chairman Mark Gordon, Treyarch has established themselves as masters of alternative warfare and the Zombies co-op experience which has a cult following. They bring unique ideas like the Specialists system that allow personalized playstyles.
Sledgehammer Games – Fresh Blood Pushing Innovation
Originally part of Activision‘s development team, Sledgehammer Games spun off as an independent studio in 2009 helmed by Glen Schofield and Michael Condrey. While newer to Call of Duty, they\‘ve brought ambitious ideas like the Advanced Warfare\‘s exoskeletons and WWII\‘s Headquarters social space.
Key Contributions:
- Modern Warfare 3 (2011) – Co-developed campaign
- Advanced Warfare (2014) – Future tech like exo movement
- WWII (2017) – Back to boots on the ground combat
Now led by Andy Wilson, Sledgehammer has become integral to Activision‘s 3-year Call of Duty cycle. Their drive for innovation shakes up the standard formula with new settings and mechanics with each release.
Behind the Scenes – How 3 Studios Deliver Annual Call of Duty
Developing these visually stunning, fast-paced shooters requires huge team efforts now involving:
- Development staff sizes over 500+ people across multiple global studios
- Budgets exceeding $200 million, surpassing Hollywood blockbusters
- Content that connects 3 games across Warzone, mobile, and mainline entries
| Studio | Last Major Release | Critical Reception | Launch Month Players |
|---|---|---|---|
| Infinity Ward | Modern Warfare II (2022) | 88 Metacritic | Over 10 million |
| Treyarch | Black Ops Cold War (2020) | 83 Metacritic | Over 40 million |
| Sledgehammer | Vanguard (2021) | 75 Metacritic | Over 20 million |
It‘s an enormous undertaking which is why Activision staggers responsibilities across 3 powerhouse studios. This allows each team roughly 3 years to develop their title with less crunch, while Activision can still deliver an annual Call of Duty release.
It‘s a pipeline that has worked remarkably well for over 15 years. Though with Microsoft‘s recent $68 billion acquisition of the publisher, it will be interesting to see if this changes strategy changes in the coming years.
In Conclusion – A Trifecta of Developers United by Call of Duty
At its core, Call of Duty thrives on big ideas – whether its spy games, zombies, future warfare, or gripping photorealism. Activision‘s unique 3-studio model encourages each creative team to play to their strengths and push boundaries in their own style.
It‘s this variety that has kept fans like myself engaged for nearly 20 years. We eagerly anticipate the next daring concepts from Infinity Ward, Treyarch, or Sledgehammer Games every November – driving Call of Duty forward as one of gaming‘s premiere franchises.
