Call of Duty in space may never happen, here's why
"I don't think we're ever going to reach a point where we just completely ignore finding authenticity."
Activision's Call of Duty series has taken players to all manner of locations, but could outer space be next?
Don't get your hopes up, according to Call of Duty: Black Ops III multiplayer director Dan Bunting. He says in a new interview with GamesRadar that, while Activision has a "never say never" attitude about it, the company is more likely to stick with grounded and believable settings.
"The way that we approach the creative on our game? I don't think we're ever going to reach a point where we just completely ignore finding authenticity," Bunting explained.
He went on to say that Call of Duty "needs to feel believable." The futuristic technology seen past games like Advanced Warfare and in trailers for the upcoming Black Ops III are not considered science-fiction because they are rooted in reality, according to Bunting.
This isn't the first time the topic of a Call of Duty game in space has come up. Former Infinity Ward producer Mark Rubin said in November 2013 that a Call of Duty game set in space "makes sense." But at the same time, he said there would be a number of gameplay and systems challenges to overcome.
"Grenades wouldn't work exactly right," he said. "Kill Streaks wouldn't work at all -- can't have a helicopter in outer space. Or a dog for that matter."
The opening section of 2013's Call of Duty: Ghosts was set in space, but the action took place mostly inside of a space station.
It also appears that, at least at one point, Activision was considering a Call of Duty game in space. In May 2010, the publisher trademarked a game called Call of Duty: Space Warfare. However, Activision abandoned this trademark in August 2014.