Official: Treyarch behind next Call of Duty title

It may be a case of confirmation of the blatantly obvious once again, but Activision has confirmed that Treyarch, the studio behind Call of Duty 3 and World at War, will develop the next instalment in the Call of Duty series.

The next title will release in the US fall (between September and December) and is rumoured to take place in Vietnam.

That Treyarch will develop the next Call of Duty title has been rumoured for some time, particularly given Activision's new strategy to 'annualise' the franchise. Treyarch now appears to take turns with Infinity Ward – the studio behind the original Call of Duty title and, more recently, the Modern Warfare games – in developing successive Call of Duty branded titles.

Because of this, it's safe to assume that the decision is quite independent of recent tensions that have seen publisher Activision sack two senior Infinity Ward developers.

In other Call of Duty news, Activision has confirmed that the upcoming DLC for Modern Warfare 2 will consist of new multiplayer maps, and the publisher has reaffirmed that the DLC will first appear on the Xbox 360 format. The first pack, scheduled for release in the US spring (between March and June), will see two new maps added to the multiplayer playlist.

Activision has also confirmed that it will form a "dedicated" Call of Duty business that aims to expand the brand into "high-margin digital online content and further the brand as the leading action entertainment franchise in new geographies, new genres and with new digital business models."

Another Call of Duty title from an unspecified developer is scheduled for 2011, alongside yet another Call of Duty title from Sledgehammer Games that Activision claims "will "extend the franchise into the action-adventure genre."