Call of Duty to be revealed on May 4; teaser video alludes to a new threat, PMCs

A new era of Call of Duty is coming, and on Sunday, May 4 it will finally be revealed. In an announcement today, Activision confirmed that in the new Call of Duty — as in the one being developed by Sledgehammer Games — the world's most powerful military is not a country. It's a corporation. Let that sink in for a minute.

Drumming up some hype for the big reveal, Activision today released a video that looked into the growing trend of countries using private military corporations, or PMCs, instead of their own military to solve global combat. It seems surreal, the notion of privatizing war, but it's the truth. It's happening today with companies like Academi (formerly Blackwater).

These private companies fight for the highest bidder, but as the trailer asks: what happens when these companies stop taking orders and start taking over? This seems to be the premise of the next Call of Duty. While we'll have to wait for the officially unveiling, it seems as though the new Call of Duty threat will be a PMC gone rogue or fighting on behalf of a very evil, very rich enemy.

Earlier today, GameInformer released a new in-game screenshot of the upcoming Call of Duty. While no details were provided, it seemed to debunk rumors that the game could take place in World War I. Unless there is some sort of time traveling, this looks very much like it's set in the current time or near future.