‘Call Of Duty’ Spinoff To Be Virtual Reality Shooter?

A possible Call of Duty spinoff could be in the works as two of the series’ veterans have left to start their own studio. So far there are only 12 people working for the newly formed Reload Studios, but their first project is apparently already under way.

It is said that you should stick to what you know, and that’s what James Chung and Taehoon Oh are doing as they head into the brave new world of virtual reality gaming. The ex Infinity Ward artists are being joined mostly by ex Heavy Iron Studios staff, the people behind the Wii/Wii U versions of Disney Infinity, and the Wii U version of Epic Mickey 2. This combination of talents could easily create some incredible games in the future.

It is doubtful that Activision’s killer IP would be so easily taken, especially after the recently reported efforts by Sony to hopefully make a PlayStation 4 comeback for Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon. Activision holds on to its licenses, and isn’t likely to share them with a start-up studio, even one founded by members of its own developer. A Call of Duty spinoff is unlikely, but we won’t know until further announcements are made.

Activision might see enough potential to decide to publish the new virtual reality shooter under their own umbrella, however.

It is currently unknown what the first project from Reload Studios will be. It was James Chung who revealed it will be a first person shooter with a virtual reality focus. With his experience working on Activision’s yearly release, it only makes sense that he should continue working on shooters.

Reload Studios revealed their intentions to help bring Oculus Rift and Project Morpheus a degree of mainstream success:

“When I first saw what the latest round of VR devices could do, I realized these were not just peripherals but brand new platforms that could transform the way we experience, interact with and create media.

“It was the perfect time to follow my passion and bring together the most talented people I know under one roof to form a development culture that promotes creativity and collaboration.”

Their first project might not be a Call of Duty spinoff, but with that level of talent behind it, we can expect something big to help launch the first mainstream virtual reality shooter. If Activision ends up supporting them, we could very well end up with CoD: Advanced Warfare‘s follow-up on the upcoming VR headsets.

Ex-Call of Duty Devs Found Brand New Studio http://t.co/bzNlHudEBN I’m keeping my fingers crossed that these guys at Reload Studios succeed

— David Pratt (@Supergamesniper) July 15, 2014

Is Reload Studios making a Call of Duty spinoff for the Oculus Rift and Project Morpheus? Would you be excited to try it?

[image via twinfinite, gamesindustry]