A reliable source close to the Call of Duty development teams has revealed not only the existence of Call of Duty 4, but vital details surrounding the game as well, including the fact that it will be based on modern combat.
According to our source, Call of Duty 4 will be developed by Infinity Ward, the developer behind the first and second installments. The three-way deal established between Infinity Ward, Treyarch, and Activision states that Infinity Ward will develop all even numbered titles while Treyarch develops the odd numbered games, such as Call of Duty 3. Treyarch did develop Call of Duty 2: Big Red One as well, however.
As aforementioned, Call of Duty 4 is said to step away from the war torn locales of World War II, instead focusing on the battlefields of present day. It is unknown if it will take the same path as Electronic Arts" Battlefield franchise, placing the spotlight on the Middle East.
The source compared Call of Duty 4"s technical achievements to other games saying that while most shooters have two or three critical points on the head, Call of Duty 4 has 16, saying that you can shoot the side of an opponent"s helmet to make it spin on their head, or knock the helmet clean off. Supposedly you will even be able to shoot an enemy"s ear off.
Although Call of Duty"s single player has always been a mainstay of the franchise, the multiplayer is certainly something to write home about. Our source has said that there have been multiplayer bouts with 54 players. PC gamers will be happy to know that they will be able to join the action once again, as Infinity Ward is supposed to be bringing Call of Duty 4 to the PC as well as consoles. Call of Duty 3 is only available on consoles and eventually the PSP.