Call of Duty: Fans Think We're Getting Black Ops 5 in 2024 After Image Leaks

New Call of Duty images have leaked online that, among other things, appear to hint at Black Ops 5 being 2024's installment for the FPS series.

The images were reportedly mined from a recent Warzone Mobile update by Twitter user RealiityUK (who has since been suspended from the social media platform). The images are currently viewable on ResetEra (we won't be reposting them here), and are seemingly a mix of shots from the upcoming Modern Warfare 2, and a new game in development at Black Ops developer Treyarch.

Thought to be loading screens for upcoming Call of Duty projects, the two images that really got everyone’s attention are labeled “Stealth” and “Pillage” – which apparently stem from the upcoming Call of Duty game due for release in 2024.

Although no details about the game have been officially released, some fans now believe that it will take place during the Gulf War – a continuation of Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. Essentially, that would mean Call of Duty’s 2024 release would be Black Ops 5.

It’s easy to see why fans might jump to this conclusion. The images contain a sepiction of the real-life F-117 Nighthawk stealth aircraft, which was first deployed by the U.S. military in the '80s and became synonymous with the Gulf War in 1991.

If accurate, the time frame certainly suggests a continuation of Cold War’s story, but with nothing official just yet, it remains speculation for now. At the very least, the copyright claims and account suspension of the leaker in question lends a feeling of authenticity to what's been revealed.

The release pattern of recent Call of Duty games might also give us a hint about what to expect from the 2024 release. The modern CoD era began in 2019 with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare – a reboot of the classic Modern Warfare. This was followed up in 2020 by Black Ops Cold War, with the WWII-era game Call of Duty: Vanguard in 2021.

The next major release will be Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 later this year and, with CoD reportedly taking a year's break in 2023, it suggests that a Black Ops sequel could well follow in 2024.

Check out more about Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 with our extended look at the game’s gameplay, as well as what you’ll get in each edition of the game.

Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.