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Call of Duty: Vanguard reportedly coming this year, per leak

By Emily Morrow August 12, 2021

Logos and images from the latest entry in the Call of Duty franchise have reportedly leaked on Twitter and Reddit. The game, titled Call of Duty: Vanguard, appears to be 2021’s entry in the series, reports CharlieIntel.

The images come from a data mine of the season 5 update for Black Ops Cold War, which contained the leaked images in its files. The setting appears to be World War II, confirming months’ worth of rumors. Publisher Activision has not officially announced a Call of Duty for 2021, but they are actively issuing takedown notices for reposts of the images.

A variety of Vanguard images were found within Black Ops Cold War‘s files. The game’s key art and logo were found, as were promotional images for a Standard Edition, Ultimate Edition, and Cross-Gen Bundle. According to the leak, the game will have an open beta, with early access and exclusive content available to those who purchase the Ultimate Edition. The content includes a variety of skins and weapons for several of the game’s operators as well as an XP boost.

This is not the first time the Call of Duty franchise has used World War II as a setting: The aptly-named Call of Duty: WWII used the war as a backdrop for its campaign and multiplayer modes in 2017.

The leaks come amid a powerful lawsuit at Activision Blizzard. Former employees have alleged that Activision Blizzard’s upper management created and maintains a hostile “frat boy” workplace culture that disproportionately targets women. Current and former employees have reported sexual harassment and lower pay at the hands of the company’s higher-ups and allege that those who are responsible had not been punished for their actions. The lawsuit is still ongoing.

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Emily Morrow is a games journalist and narrative designer who has written for a variety of online publications. If she’s…

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