Sledgehammer approached Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare like a new IP

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare developer Sledgehammer Games approached its first solo entry to the series as a brand-new IP, and studio co-founder Michael Condrey and Glen Schofield have explained why in a new interview.

Just yesterday, Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare's cast list was outed by IMDB. The site also lists Metal Gear Solid series composer Harry Gregson-Williams on music duties.

Speaking with GameInformer, Senior development director Aaron Halon stressed Sledgehammer's commitment to Call of Duty's 60 frames-per-second display and other tropes, while making clear that the shooter will have a new spin.

One of those new ideas is that the exo-suit worn by protagonist Mitchell can be upgraded through experience earned in the solo campaign. The rig lets players stealth cloak, hover in mid air, use super-human strength and more.

Back to the interview, co-founder Michael Condrey added, “Yeah, we’re really looking forward to sharing more because we think we have some meaningful way to make this franchise feel like it’s got its Sledgehammer mark on it.”

Fellow co-founder Glen Schofield said, “We approached this like we would any new IP. I mean, this has been one heck of a creative challenge. I mean, everything is brand new in the game," then added that the shooter will include, "some pretty big experiments to the core mechanics that’ll effect multiplayer and every mode of the game.”

When asked what the team would say to fans worried about a new team entering the yearly Call of Duty cycle, Halon concluded, "Don’t worry about it. I mean, look, again, we’re fans. We’re really scrutinizing what we’re doing ourselves and can’t wait to show the stuff off."

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare will launch worldwide on November 4 for PC, PS4, PS3, Xbox 360 and Xbox One.