It has been five years since the Xbox One and PS4 released, we’ve had a smattering of generation and medium defining titles and while it feels like these consoles are still young, developers are already moving on.
While games will be released for Xbox One and PS4 for several years to come, some of the biggest developers and publishers are seeking talent to help them undertake their next projects on new consoles. While no one specifically mentioned the next Xbox or PlayStation, the term “next-gen” was mentioned.
Rockstar Games is already underway with their next game following the massive success of Red Dead Redemption 2 and is hiring to “create next-generation worlds for some exciting upcoming projects!” Their search for new hires spans across the globe with their India, New York, and Toronto studios seeking developers for this mystery next-gen project(s) which is rumored to be a Bully sequel and/or the inevitable Grand Theft Auto VI.
Hopefully, this lead time with development will give us a new Rockstar game within the first couple of years of the new consoles as opposed to waiting five years as we did between GTA V and Red Dead Redemption 2.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare developer Infinity Ward is also looking for folks to help them tackle the new hardware. What’s most peculiar is that Infinity Ward is set to release a new title in the FPS franchise this year so it begs the question of how close these consoles really are.
While they’re likely not coming this year, some rumors have suggested they’ll be hitting as soon as early/mid 2020 or sometime in 2021. Infinity Ward could be either working on a port of 2019’s Call of Duty for next-gen so the consoles have a Call of Duty game at launch or they could be working on something else.
The job listing mentions third-person animations, something obviously not particularly featured in Call of Duty outside of the occasional multiplayer mode like third-person Team Tactical in MW2. The listing for a Senior Gameplay Animator job reads: “Work closely with the Animation Director, Animation Programmers, and Gameplay team to set a new bar for 3rd person player animation in a shooter.”
Unless they’re developing some special modes for the new Call of Duty, they may have a second team working on an all-new game that will let the studio stretch its legs come next-gen or are getting a super early start on 2022’s Call of Duty.
Infinity Ward is reportedly working on Modern Warfare 4 right now for 2019 and some teases have hit the web suggesting the likes of Ghost may return but nothing is official yet.
