Call of Duty: Ghosts is set in a different universe to Modern Warfare

Call of Duty: Ghosts is set in an entirely different universe to the Modern Warfare series, Activision has confirmed.

The Ghosts name had led to some confusion over where the game fits in the Call of Duty canon, with the title suggesting that players could see returning characters from Modern Warfare 2, including fan-favourite balaclava-wearing squad mate ‘Ghost’.

But Activision’s VP of Production Daniel Suarez suggests that won’t be on the cards:

“It’s a completely different universe [to Modern Warfare], a completely different story and how we’re telling it,” Suarez told VideoGamer.com while explaining the game’s narrative.

“The story’s really about you and your brother,” he says. “You and your brother are witness to a cataclysmic event that changes the geographical landscape of the United States. No longer is the US a superpower, and you’re not a hero, you’re not a Task Force 141: you’re a dude.

“You, your brother and your dad grew up with a military background but you’re not hardcore military. And you witness this event, you’re part of it, you experience it, you survive it, but now battle lines are drawn and you’re no longer the superpower that America was: you’re now the underdog.”

Suarez says that Call of Duty: Ghosts – which is written by Syriana writer Stephen Gaghan – is going to have a “very different tone” and a “very different player experience to what you’d experience in a Modern Warfare game”.

“For the team at Infinity Ward, they really wanted to take that challenge,” he continues. “When we talk about the narrative and the story, the interaction with the squad, that’s going to feel new and different than anything we’ve ever done before.”

Call of Duty: Ghosts’ debut gameplay footage was revealed at the Xbox One reveal earlier this evening.

Source: VideoGamer.com interview at Call of Duty: Ghosts reveal event in Los Angeles. Flights and accommodation provided by Activision.