14 DAY TRIAL // Todd Alderman, one of the developers who was involved in the creation of the very successful Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, is returning to the team at Infinity Ward and will be the leader of the multiplayer development team that will work on the 2016 entry in the shooter franchise.
The move is surprising because the developer was part of the almost 40-man group that left the studio and then sued publisher Activision claiming that they were not paid huge bonuses for the work they had done on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.
Alderman was part of the team which created the new Respawn Entertainment company with Jason West and Vince Zampella, but he also left his position there in 2012 in order to then work with Riot Games.
The developer is quoted by Polygon as saying that he never thought he would once again work on Call of Duty. He adds, "It's been five years since I've been here and a lot has changed. There are a lot of new faces and motivated people who want to make something great. It's a really cool game concept that I want to be a part of. I can't wait to see what we do with a three-year dev cycle."
The new Infinity Ward has incorporated many of the game creators who were working at Neversoft, and the new leader of the studio, David Stohl, has said that he is satisfied with the return of Alderman and the impact he will have on the development of multiplayer.
Call of Duty now has a three-year development process
Activision has reshaped its flagship first-person shooter franchise to make sure that more time is used to create each installment.
The recent Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare was created by Sledgehammer Games and has managed to become both a solid seller and a fan favorite for the fact that it sought to innovate and introduce new multiplayer mechanics like the exo-skeleton.
At the moment, Treyarch is working on a new title, which is supposed to be launched this year, but no information has been offered on it, although it seems that the undead will play an important role.
It's unclear whether Infinity Ward aims to create a new Modern Warfare installment or if it will create an entirely new continuity in which to work.