Call of Duty: Vanguard has been out for just over a month, and during that time the rumor mill has been churning. Not about Vanguard itself, but what the next game in the annual series will look like.

A series of leaks from reasonably trustworthy sources has shed light on what could possibly be Call of Duty’s next big project. These leaks all point to next year's game being a sequel to 2019’s Modern Warfare. Here's everything we know about Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and when players should expect to get their hands on it.

While we already know a surprising amount about a game that hasn't even been officially announced, we still don't know when it will be released. Call of Duty games have come out in November nearly every year, suggesting that 2022 will be no different.

There have been rumors that Call of Duty will be moving away from a yearly release cycle, but this has yet to be confirmed. November is still the most likely month in 2022 for the game to release. According to Henderson, the next Call of Duty game will release on both current and previous generations consoles. However, it will be the last game in the franchise to do so — you'll need to pick up a PS5 or Xbox Series X/S in 2023 to get your Call of Duty fix.

Furthermore, Henderson and CODWW2Vanguard has noted that Modern Warfare 2 is already in the Alpha stages of development.

This is well ahead of previous COD titles, and it'll be interesting to see if the beta and full game release earlier because of this.

It's now been confirmed that Call of Duty 2022 is going to be titled Modern Warfare 2 and will be a direct sequel to the 2019 Modern Warfare that released with Warzone as well.

It'll be an entirely different engine for both MW2 and Warzone 2, and will further be developed by Infinity Ward with Raven Software helping out!

One further interesting aspect is Infinity Ward tweeting the other night, which we can assume is them teasing Modern Warfare 2.

As well, Activision-Blizzard has also directly announced that this year's COD is a direct sequel to Modern Warfare 2019.

Another leaker by the name of Ralph has been hard at work delivering leak after leak when it comes to Call of Duty's 2022 release. According to Ralph, a few fan-favorite maps from the series will be present in next year's game. Right now, Ralph believes that the following maps will be included:

• Favela
• Terminal
• Highrise
• Shipment
• Quarry

These maps were also rumored to be entering the game by ModernWarzone, so it seems like a decent leak as of now.

While there are certainly more to come, and these maps are in no way confirmed yet, this list is already a great start for fans of the original Modern Warfare 2 from 2009. Terminal is an iconic map for the series, so it would be great to see it get a next-gen facelift.

Of course, a Call of Duty game is only as good as the weapons it has. Right now, Ralph has found several guns from throughout the series that he believes will be present in the next game. Here's what he thinks will be included:

• AR: Mk47, DT MDR, Beretta ARX-160, Ak (Multiple variants)
• SMG: MP5K, MP9, MP7, UMP45, Vz.61
• Marksman Rifles: Kel-Tec RFB, M110 SASS
• Shotguns: SPAS-12, Savage M24
• Pistols: AMT Hardballer, Beretta, CZ P-09
• Snipers: BFG-50, CheyTac Intervention
• Lever action: Winchester 92
• Browning BLR, Savage M99
• Launchers: RPG-7
• Knives: Karambit, Butterfly Knife, Combat Knife

Ralph also says that Infinity Ward will be "redoubling" their efforts on Gunsmith, adding multiple caliber options for players. Of course, with every gun included there has to be one that isn't. He thinks certain popular weapons like the ACR won't be included as Infinity Ward wants to put more of a focus on Gunsmith.

Furthermore, the ACR and Intervention have been noted to be present within MW2 and feature 5 attachment slots per TheGhostofHope.

Escape From Tarkov is a simulation-style shooter where players drop into a map and are tasked with scavenging for supplies and surviving to reach an exit. There are limited resources, and every player has to fend for themselves. To top it all off, all of the gear from your backpack to your gun must be bought or found in game. Each round is a gamble — you may make good on your gear investment or lose it all.

Battlefield 2042 launched with Hazard Zone, a toned down version of Escape From Tarkov that featured a similar gameplay loop. Now it's looking like Infinity Ward is hopping on the Tarkov hype train for its 2022 game. According to Henderson, DMZ mode will be the name for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2's take on Tarkov.

Longtime Call of Duty fans will be delighted to hear that Ralph thinks some popular characters are returning to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. It seems that the game will continue the story from 2019’s Modern Warfare (which is itself a remake). Captain Price, Ghost, Soap, Roach, and General Shepherd will all reportedly make appearances.

According to details obtained by VGC, Modern Warfare 2 will follow U.S. special forces as they fight a Columbian drug cartel. Henderson has also backed up this claim, and it falls in line with what Ralph believes the first few missions will look like. For those missions, Ralph believes the player will be tasked with raiding a drug lord's safe house.

TheGhostofHope furter posted some new information pertaining to some of the multiplayer aspects around the game, and these are all beloved features coming back to COD this year.

Dolphine Diving, Classic Mini-map and 3-lane Maps are rumored to all be coming this year!

TheGhostofHope has been posting some new rumors in the leadup to MW2's release and the latest two are pretty interesting to say the least.

They've noted that the Perk Last Stand is going to return, and will function as a Field Upgrade rather than a Perk.

While on the flipside, they've also noted that Roze is going to return as some form of skin/Operator in MW2.