Call of Duty: Vanguard details leak ahead of game reveal

Call of Duty fans appear to be heading back to World War II later this year with the next entry in the franchise, which is called Call of Duty: Vanguard, according to leaked images posted online.

Charlie Intel reports that the new season 5 update for Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War contained some hidden files showcasing pre-order details for 2021’s Call of Duty title. Data miners pulled the images and started sharing them online. Activision has met some of these posts with copyright takedown notices, forcing them to be removed.

The images themselves seem legitimate, suggesting that Call of Duty: Vanguard will be the game’s official title and that it will be set during WWII.

The leaked images mention three bundles for Vanguard: Standard, Cross-Gen, and Ultimate. These bundles are similar to what Activision offered last year for Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War; it seems likely that the “Cross-Gen” bundle will allow players to jump from the game’s PlayStation 4 and Xbox One editions to the current-gen PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X editions.

The leak also contains detailed information around Vanguard’s Ultimate Edition, including early access to an open beta for pre-order customers. Those who purchase the Ultimate Edition will also get a handful of operators, a mastercraft weapon, a weapons pack, some bonus XP, and other assorted bonuses.

The leaked images don’t mention a release date for Call of Duty: Vanguard. It’s currently unclear when Activision will officially unveil the new game. We’ve reached out to Activision regarding the leak and will update the story if we hear back.

Call of Duty publisher Activision Blizzard faces wide-ranging allegations that it maintains a toxic workplace environment that is particularly hostile to women, pays them less, and subjects them to sexual harassment, and that perpetrators are not meaningfully punished, according to a lawsuit filed by California’s Department of Fair Employment and Housing in July. You can read more about the allegations against Activision Blizzard in Polygon’s explainer.