After the latest Call of Duty was heavily criticized for not only lack of innovation, but also with bad sales figures, it seems the time for change has come.

Sledgehammer, Activision's developer for Call of Duty, ended the year with some mysterious posts on social media. Most notably, the New Year's wishes accompanied by an M1911, the standard issue pistol for many soldiers during the 20th century, as well as a tweet with a video. The video style suggests the late age of industrialization or early modern times and this leaves room for discussion.

Merry Christmas everyone, hope your day is joyous. Did you see our @SHGames card: https://t.co/c2DvVXW5ju? Now, can you unsee our runner-up? pic.twitter.com/v0cY4TfllD

— Michael Condrey (@MichaelCondrey) December 25, 2016

It's officially 2017! Some call it the zodiac year of the Hammer. Have a safe and fun New Year's, everyone! #SHGholidays pic.twitter.com/24qlku6ITd

— Sledgehammer Games (@SHGames) January 1, 2017

After the success of the franchise rival, Battlefield 1, with its WW1 scenarios, a step toward this direction is anything but unlikely. The only question should be whether it will be a step back to the second world war, to visit the first, or even show us Vietnam.

Whether or not any of these rumors are true remains to be seen. History suggests that we should know by the first two weeks of November by the latest, although this is speculation, of course. The release date for the Call of Duty in 2017 has yet to be officially confirmed, but recent years have seen this period of time as the release zone for the franchise. Breaking two habits at once might be a bit too much for the franchise to handle.

What are your thoughts on these rumors? Where would you like to see the next Call of Duty set in? Let us know in the comments below!