A number of sources think that the next chapter in the Modern Warfare franchise will be written by Sledgehammer Games. That’s right: many think that Sledgehammer is already hard at work on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, and not Infinity Ward.

Suggestions seem to favor the fact that Infinity Ward is currently in a rebuilding process and trying to aggressively restock its talent pool. Even if Infinity Ward is successful in doing so, it is unknown what the future might hold for the developer. No one seems to know what they might be working on going forward, or if it will still be working on projects in the Call of Duty family of titles.

It could be that Sledgehammer is working on something else that will be new to the Call of Duty franchise, which is speculated to be a third-person-style shooter spin-off; but with Infinity Ward in a rebuilding phase it is possible that those plans might have been put on the shelf, according to some of the whispers that we are hearing. Of course, a COD MMO FPS title has also been rumored, so perhaps there is enough work in the Call of Duty franchise to go around.

Still, we are told that Activision is expecting a Call of Duty release for November 2011; but right now we don’t know who is developing it or what kind of title it will be. Sources tell us that a possible announcement could come during CES in January that will provide more insight to the future of the Call of Duty franchise.