CoD 2021 reportedly titled ‘WWII: Vanguard’ with Sledgehammer developing

Brad Norton
M1 Carbine CoD WWII

After months of speculation, Call of Duty’s highly-anticipated 2021 release appears to have been locked in as ‘WWII: Vanguard,’ a follow-up to the franchise 2017’s entry developed by Sledgehammer Games.

The next title in the CoD franchise seems to be set in stone after months of speculation. While a WWII setting has been heavily rumored in previous months, we now have a reported working title.

“Call of Duty: WWII: Vanguard” is the tentative title of the upcoming release, according to early reports from ModernWarzone.

This is allegedly the current internal codename, meaning it could change ahead of release. However, this does appear to confirm the WWII setting, along with locking in Sledgehammer Games as the 2021 title developers.

CoD WWII gameplay
2021’s CoD is reportedly locked in as a WWII follow-up.

With each new entry in the Call of Duty franchise comes a great deal of speculation ahead of release. One major talking point this time around is just who would be developing the series’ next expected title.

Having assisted Infinity Ward on 2019’s Modern Warfare before lending a hand to Treyarch on 2020’s Black Ops Cold War, Sledgehammer Games has been rather busy. Though it appears the North American and Australian-based studios under their banners are indeed working on this WWII follow up.

WWII launched in 2017, taking the series back to its ‘boots on the ground’ roots after years of futuristic warfare. While the earlier entry remained in the WWII period, the 2021 follow-up could venture into the 1950s, according to leaked intel.

This release will mark Sledgehammer’s third independent title in the franchise. The devs first released Advanced Warfare in 2014, followed by WWII in 2017.

CoD WWII gameplay
WWII: Vanguard would mark Sledgehammer’s third independent release in the CoD franchise.

It’s worth taking this information with a grain of salt for the time being, however. We could still be a few months out from an official reveal, leaving plenty of time for plans to change.

While the setting appears to be locked, as do the developers, the final title could be altered from this internal codename.

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About The Author

Brad Norton is the Australian Managing Editor at Dexerto. He graduated from Swinburne University with a Bachelor’s degree in journalism and has been working full-time in the field for the past six years at the likes of Gamurs Group and now Dexerto. He loves all things single-player gaming (with Uncharted a personal favorite) but has a history on the competitive side having previously run Oceanic esports org Mindfreak. You can contact Brad at brad.norton@dexerto.com