It has already been confirmed that a new addition to the hugely popular "Call of Duty" franchise will be released this year. Meanwhile, since the confirmation also came with details that the developer of the new title will be Infinity Ward, some fans are wondering if the studio will be offering a new game or a follow-up to an existing title.

According to press highlights released by publisher Activision, the upcoming game was mentioned briefly in the financial results announcement for the fourth quarter and the full fiscal year 2015. In a statement, it was said that, "In Q4 2016, Activision Publishing plans to release an innovative new 'Call of Duty' game from its studio, Infinity Ward, the makers of the 'Modern Warfare' series."

Although the confirmation is welcome news to hardcore fans of the franchise, there are no confirmed details yet regarding the upcoming title, which leads to some observers speculating on how Infinity Ward plans to take on the next "Call of Duty" title.

According to Express, Infinity Ward is best known for the company's "Modern Warfare" series of titles. However, the most recent work that the studio did under the "Call of Duty" franchise is "Ghosts," released in 2013. According to the industry follower, the path for the developer goes in two directions – either Infinity Ward continues its "Modern Warfare" title with a fourth installment, or fans may see "Call of Duty: Ghosts 2."

The industry follower is leaning toward the former since the "Modern Warfare" titles have enjoyed a huge following in the franchise. Currently, fans have been clamoring for all three previous "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare" titles to be included in Microsoft's Xbox One backwards compatibility program.

However, Games Radar may have subtly hinted that the upcoming title may go in another direction – Infinity Ward introducing a new title in the series. The industry follower observed that this new installment will be the studio's first step in a three-year cycle, following Treyarch and Sledgehammer Studios.