Call of Duty: WWII

"Call of Duty returns to its roots with Call of Duty: WWII--a breathtaking experience that redefines World War II for a new gaming generation. Land in Normandy on D-Day and battle across Europe through iconic locations in history’s most monumental war. Experience classic Call of Duty combat, the bonds of camaraderie, and the unforgiving nature of war against a global power throwing the world into tyranny."

- Official description

Call of Duty: WWII is an upcoming first-person shooter video game developed by Sledgehammer Games for the Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Windows. Leaked concept art for the game was initially found in late March 2017, a month before the official reveal on April 26th, 2017. The game will be released on November 3rd, 2017. Call of Duty: WWII is the fourteenth game in the Call of Duty franchise and Sledgehammer Games' second to be developed in a three-year development cycle.

Set during World War II, it tells the story of an unbreakable brotherhood of common men fighting to preserve freedom in a world on the brink of tyranny. From the beaches of Normandy to the Hürtgen Forest, experience a dramatic story highlighting some of the most dramatic and iconic moments of World War II as a young soldier, Ronald "Red" Daniels, who is facing the unforgiving reality of war alongside his brothers in arms.

It is the first Call of Duty since 2008 to be set in World War II, and is the fifth main World War II title in the series.

Background
"You know I've been making games for over 26 years, and I'll tell you it's the best game we ever made."

- Glen Schofield, co-founder and studio head of Sledgehammer Games

A modern World War II Call of Duty was alluded to in a 2014 Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare launch interview with Michael Condrey, head of Sledgehammer Games. In the interview by Metro, the interviewer asked him what the possibilities of where the next Call of Duty could go in terms of setting. Condrey responded, "Well, no. It’s curious. I can only answer from my own personal tastes, this is my own personal opinion. But some of my favourite pieces of entertainment are set in World War II. Band of Brothers, I’m a massive fan of Band of Brothers? Did you see that?" Condrey then dived further into the subject, "And that’s a great hero’s war, kind of the last that was recognised as a noble cause in a war. So yeah, I think a next generation game with the latest production values and robustness in a World War II setting like Band of Brothers would be amazing. Now, how would it play and how would the multiplayer work after the new movement set in Advanced Warfare? That’s a tougher question than I’ve had to tackle yet…".

During an interview on February 7th, 2015, Michael Condrey talked briefly about the many ideas that Sledgehammer was toying around with for their next Call of Duty installment, saying that the team had "talked about new ways to play" and that these things could range from features such as "branching story-lines or third person mode or crazy changes to the multiplayer".

In June 2015, a post E3 interview with Activision CEO Eric Hirshberg and IGN occurred. At one point in the interview, IGN specifically asked Hirshberg if a return to the era was possible in the near future, to which Hirshberg replied “There are these moments where certain ideas seem to be floating in the collective consciousness, and there are two ‘meteor hitting the earth’ movies in one summer and were both in production for years.” “Those kinds of things happen,” Hirshberg said, “so there’s definitely a chasing of innovation and new ideas within a well-worn genre that lead people to similar conclusions like changing time periods. And of course I think that opens up the opportunity for what is old is new again.”

During Activision Blizzard’s Q4 Earnings Call, Activision confirmed that Sledgehammer Games would be developing the next Call of Duty in 2017. Activision also said that the Call of Duty 2017 title would "take Call of Duty back to its roots .” Activision Blizzard's COO emphasized that the game would have  “ traditional combat will once again take center stage ,”  confirming that the traditional gameplay would be returning.

In developing the game, Sledgehammer recruited World War II historian Martin Morgan, to help make the game as historically accurate as possible. Sledgehammer Games also traveled to various places across Europe to take pictures and drawings to be used as concepts for in-game. The theme of the game was to be connected with your men, to experience the brotherhood of American soldiers during World War II. Sledgehammer was inspired by the motto of the original Call of Duty "In war, no one fights alone." so they echoed that idea to their narrative.

Campaign
"Welcome to the bloody first, you're a long way from Texas farmboy."

- Technical Sergeant William Pierson of the 1st Infantry Division

Overview
Call of Duty: WWII focuses on the actions of a squad from 1944 to 1945, but will also touch on events from 1940 to 1944 to help set the stage for the narrative and establish the characters. It takes place in the European theater of conflict, at a time when the Allied forces were finally starting to gather strength on their march into Nazi Germany.

Featuring a global cast of characters across Europe, players will follow the gripping story of Ronald “Red” Daniels, a young United States Army private, as he and his squad, the legendary United States 1st Infantry Division, trek through the harrowing European theater of war. Joining Allied forces from the United Kingdom and the French Resistance, across the beaches of Normandy, to the liberation of Paris and ultimately into Germany, the squad must fight alongside a global and diverse cast of characters to achieve victory. The story campaign delivers the gritty authenticity and cinematic intensity of World War II combat, honoring the unforgettable heroism of the Fighting First.

Plot
Two missions from the Campaign have been detailed:
 * Hürtgen Forest: An old-growth forest on the German border where Allied forces engage in devastating encounters. In the heat of battle, the German Army uses tree burst bombs that detonate at treetop level, showering soldiers with wooden shrapnel. When the player's unit is zeroed-in-on by hostile artillery, the forest explodes around the player as debris rains down.
 * Normandy: From inside a Higgins landing boat, the player's squad will storm Omaha Beach in a visceral audiovisual experience unlike any D-Day landing experienced in a game to date. The player and their fellow soldiers must overcome the enemy defenses to serve as the tip of the spear for the Allied invasion.

Locations

 * Normandy, France
 * Hürtgen Forest, Germany
 * Ardennes Forest, Belgium
 * Aachen, Germany
 * English Channel
 * Crimea, Soviet Union

Overview
Multiplayer elements coming to Call of Duty: WWII include:
 * War: This narrative-driven mode brings a gripping new layer of excitement to Axis vs. Allies team play.
 * Divisions: A new approach to Create-a-Class and character customization as the player enlists in a division and progress through the ranks.
 * Headquarters: A brand-new, social feature for Call of Duty, where the player can rally and interact with fellow soldiers.

The game introduces Headquarters, a special lobby where players can interact with one another before an actual multiplayer game.

Private Beta
A multiplayer beta was held, known as the Private Beta, scheduled from August 25th to 28th on PS4 (actually began on August 24th), and from September 1st to 4th on PS4 and Xbox One. In order to gain access, the game must be pre-ordered.

An official statement read: "The Call of Duty: WWII Private Beta is your chance to be one of the first to experience and get hands-on with Call of Duty: WWII Multiplayer gameplay prior to launch. Stay tuned, as specific details on the Call of Duty: WWII Private Beta will be released in the future. Continue to check callofduty.com for more details."

Players who access the Private Beta are awarded an exclusive Calling Card and Emblem, as well as a helmet character customization option available for use in the full game.

For a FAQ on the Beta, please visit the external link in the quote.

Nazi Zombies
When the reveal trailer was released on April 26, Sledgehammer Games separately teased an image for Nazi Zombies. Activision described the mode as "...an all-new cooperative mode featuring a unique standalone storyline set during World War II that’s full of unexpected, adrenaline-pumping action."

Glen Schofield, co-studio head of Sledgehammer Games, describes it as "The Third Reich's desperate attempt to create an army in the final stages of the war."

On July 20th, 2017, the full reveal trailer was released, showing off the map and the characters. In the days a leading up to the release of the trailer, each day before they revealed each one of four characters available to play as a part of the mode, as well as releasing teaser images of the zombies themselves.

Viral Campaign
On April 26th, 2017, during the reveal livestream for Call of Duty: WWII, several letters were added to highlighted tweets: CAL, LOF, DUT, Y.C, LAS, SIF and IED leading to http://www.callofduty.com/classified.

The page contained an Enigma machine. At the bottom of the page, there were coordinates (51.0344n2.3768e) leading to Dunkirk, France.

Pro Edition
The Pro Edition is available for Xbox One and PlayStation 4 for $99.99 USD or $149.99 AUD. It includes:
 * The game.
 * The Season Pass for Call of Duty: WWII.
 * Steelbook Case.
 * The code to the multiplayer beta.
 * Additional content
 * Limited edition hat (Only at GameStop)

Digital Deluxe Edition
The Digital Deluxe Edition is available for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Windows for $100 USD or $149 AUD. It includes:
 * The game.
 * The Season Pass for Call of Duty: WWII.
 * The code to the multiplayer beta.
 * Additional content