Veteran Call of Duty dev leaves franchise, continuing a worrying trend for the FPS juggernaut

Every year, Call of Duty is developed by a huge team of talented individuals looking to make the best first-person shooter Activision’s franchise has ever seen. Ranging from Advanced Warfare to Black Ops, hundreds of people use their talents to launch an all-new experience every single year without fail. 

Sledgehammer Games is one of three main studios responsible for Call of Duty’s development. It is also responsible for numerous Modern Warfare games and 2015’s Advanced Warfare. With the state of Call of Duty continuing to spark debate among players, one veteran developer has called time on their storied career which is a worrying sign for the franchise’s future.

Call of Duty veteran Greg Reisdorf leaves Sledgehammer Games

On January 13th, 2025, former Sledgehammer Games multiplayer creative director Greg Reisdorf revealed he left the studio after a 15-year career working on every game created by the studio.

Within an extensive thread sharing several highlights, Reisdorf revealed he’d worked on some of 2011’s Modern Warfare 3’s popular missions including Blood Brothers. He also shared intel surrounding how the design process took place.

“My general philosophy on design is make it playable, fail fast, and don’t be afraid to change or cut,” the veteran CoD developer explained.

Friday was my last day at Sledgehammer Games after 15 years. I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunities and amazing developers I worked with. Here's a thread sharing some of my favorite features I worked on during my time. 🧵

— Greg Reisdorf (@gregreisdorf) January 13, 2025

Reisdorf is the second notable Call of Duty developer to depart their roles. In August 2024, Treyarch talisman David Vonderhaar departed the studio two months before the launch of Black Ops 6. Since leaving Call of Duty behind, Vonderhaar has become the studio head of Bullet Farm Games, a studio looking to create “AAA action-adventure experiences.”

Is CoD’s future a concern?

The departure of Greg Reisdorf is a hammer blow to Call of Duty. With two huge names no longer working on the franchise, many fans are concerned about what the future has in store. 2025’s CoD is rumoured to be a direct sequel to Black Ops 2, a game many consider the best in the franchise. 

If the developers miss the mark for a second consecutive year, the downward trend Call of Duty is currently on has every chance of continuing. A Black Ops 2 sequel certainly sounds exciting but is already at risk of failing to live up to expectations.

For more Call of Duty, take a look at the best C9 loadout along with the best controller settings to keep you shooting straight.