Is Activision on the verge of a major turning point? Reports suggest that one of its key studios is working on a project far removed from the Call of Duty DNA. A LinkedIn profile tied to Sledgehammer Games points to an action RPG “with deep lore” and a large-scale world.

For years, part of the community has hoped to see Activision’s studios tackle something entirely new. Growing fatigue around Call of Duty has fueled calls for a fresh IP that would let these teams explore different genres and flex their creative muscles. While that scenario remains unlikely given the franchise’s massive revenue, a detail recently uncovered by a Sledgehammer Games developer has drawn significant attention.

New IP at Activision?

It appears that Sledgehammer Games – the studio typically responsible for delivering a Call of Duty entry every three to four years – may have been working on a project far removed from the shooter space. The project in question would be an unannounced action RPG described as having “deep lore” and a vast world.

The clue comes from the LinkedIn profile of Ben Wanat, a former studio member who served as senior creative director between 2019 and August 2025. His job description references franchise planning, hiring, prototype development, and mechanics design, along with extensive world-building work covering locations, concepts, assets for cultures, environments, and characters, and even “lore books” for the world, cultures, and languages (via Insider Gaming).

If accurate, this would point to an RPG aiming to build its own universe, complete with fictional races and cultures, and systems far more complex than what the studio is known for after years focused exclusively on shooters. That said, everything remains unconfirmed and purely speculative at this stage. There is no title, platform, or release window, and it is entirely possible the project was canceled during the recent Activision Blizzard layoffs.

Source: 3djuegos