CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS 4 Will "Push The Envelope In Innovation," Activision Proclaims

Ahead of the May 17 reveal for Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, publisher Activision has praised the newest installment in the long-running first-person shooter franchise.

Speaking during their latest earnings call, Activision Publishing president Coddy Johnson began by praising developer Treyarch for their "proven track record of innovation"; the studio created the fan-favorite Zombies mode as well as the Pick 10 multiplayer system that debuted in Black Ops II and may return in Black Ops 4.

Confident in Treyarch's ability, Johnson boasted, "Black Ops for us is going to be an awesome game, given the community, really just an incredible experience for us, gameplay features and modes. And we think not just for existing community members, but also for a significant number of new players that are coming into the shooter genre."

Citing specific reasons for his confidence, Johnson acknowledged that Black Ops has traditionally been the most played Call of Duty sub-franchise to date, having drawn in 200 million players and "billions and billions of hours of gameplay" over eight years. He added that Blacks Ops 4 builds upon what the developer and publisher has learned through those gameplay hours.

And lastly, Johnson said Black Ops 4 will "continue to push the envelope in innovation" in both the core game and multiplayer.

"You'll see that in the core game itself, where we have a number of new exciting developments to roll out very soon, but also in the game's appeal on growth platforms like PC, where we've invested significant dedicated resources and design time to make sure we can deliver a great PC game to serve that community," he said.

Fans will have a better idea for just how much Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 innovates when the community livestream is held on May 17.