News is starting to pick up regarding the 2024 title forCall of Duty, with the upcoming project reportedly being in the hands of veteran franchise studio Treyarch. Most of the current reports and rumors surrounding the game point towards the release being set during the Gulf War, with the title also being a part of the iconicBlack Opsfranchise.
More details about this year’sCall of Dutyare expected to come out in the near future, with an upcoming Xbox Showcase on June 9 supposedly focusing extensively on the release. While most of the current rumors surrounding the game focus on its setting and stage of development, a prominent supposed feature ofCoD2024 is that its single-player campaign will be entirely open-world. This particular rumor has already been met with a lot of controversy, but the freedom and scale of an open-worldCoDcampaign would have one key benefit that should not be overlooked.
Easter Eggs Could Be a Staple of Call of Duty 2024’s Open-World Campaign
WhileCall of Dutycampaigns have always been known for their linearity and explosive set pieces, the franchise has begun expanding the scale of its single-player experiences in recent years. This is best evidenced inthe campaign of the recentModern Warfare 3, which featured several “open combat” missions that allowed players to explore much wider areas, completing objectives in their own order and pacing.
These open combat missions were one of the most controversial elements ofModern Warfare 3, makingthe reports of 2024’sCoDfeaturing a fully open-world campaignan already divisive part of the upcoming project. However, this open-world formula for 2024’sCall of Dutywould give Treyarch a greater level of creative freedom, with things like Easter eggs potentially returning as a core part of exploration.
While rumored, it has not been officially confirmed that 2024’sCall of Dutyrelease will have an open-world campaign.
Treyarch Has an Easter Egg Track Record For Call of Duty
Interestingly, Treyarch already has a history with this sort of secret single-player content, withthe campaign of 2008’sWorld at Warperhaps possessing the most well-known campaign Easter egg inCoDhistory. After walking over puddles in a specific order in the mission “Little Resistance,” players could unlock the iconic Ray Gun fromCoDZombies to use throughout the rest of the mission.
A similar Easter egg was present in 2010’sBlack Ops, where players couldunlock the Thundergun Wonder Weaponin the title’s campaign. These kinds of Easter eggs were a fantastic way to stoke community discussion and encourage deeper exploration, but these campaign secrets have become much rarer in recent years.
With Treyarch being the pioneer of single-player Easter eggs inCall of Duty, the size of an open world would be perfect to bring these secrets back in a huge way. With theBlack Opsfranchise now being such a storied overall experience, there is a huge wealth of potential callbacks and references that can feature as Easter eggs throughout the map of 2024’sCall of Dutyrelease.
The size of the map could easily foster much more complex Easter eggs, the likes of whichTreyarch is known for implementing inCoDZombies, requiring multiple stages and extensive traveling to unlock but giving huge rewards to players who complete them. While the concept of an open-worldCall of Dutycampaign is not the most popular, it could reintroduce a deeper layer of gameplay and exploration that the franchise has not seen for some time.
Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (2023)
WHERE TO PLAY
The war has changed. Call of Duty returns with an all-new campaign, modernized versions of classic Multiplayer maps and an open-world PvE Zombies experience. The campaign, a direct sequel to the record-breaking Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, sees Captain Price and Task Force 141 face off against ultranationalist war criminal Vladimir Makarov as he extends his grasp across the world. In Multiplayer, the 16 maps that launched with Modern Warfare 2 in 2009 return with upgraded graphics, new modes and innovative gameplay features. In Modern Warfare Zombies, team up with other squads for the first time ever as you work together to survive in the largest Zombies map yet
