Will Call of Duty rip off Fortnite? CoD Battle royale mode could replace scrapped Black Ops 4 campaign

UPCOMING shooter Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 could be the first game in the franchise to ditch a single-player campaign mode.

What's more, the story mode could be replaced by a battle royale multiplayer game instead – like smash-hit rival Fortnite.

Black Ops 4 is set to arrive in October this year - and it could be very different from the 14 Call of Duty games that came before it.

According to gaming site Polygon, the game won't feature a "traditional single-player story mode".

The article cited multiple sources who said that the campaign was scrapped simply because game creators have run out of time.

"As Black Ops 4's release date approached, it became evident that development on the single-player campaign wouldn't be completed," it explained.

The article went on: "Treyarch has since focused Black Ops 4's development on expanding multiplayer and the series' popular Zombies mode."

According to the source, Black Ops 4 would feature an "emphasis on cooperative modes as a potential stand-in for the typical single-player campaign experience".

But the rumours don't stop there.

Two different websites have confirmed with sources that Call of Duty will feature a battle royale mode.

Battle royale games have surged in popularity in recent months, with the likes of Fortnite and PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds becoming overnight hits.

The genre sees up to 100 gamers dropped onto an island (or some other closed-off area), and then forced to fight in a last-person-standing deathmatch.

Players are tasked with collecting weapons and loot to better their chances.

Generally, the playable area on the map shrinks over time too, forcing players into combat.

This spike in interest may have prompted Call of Duty makers Activision and Treyarch to build a Call of Duty battle royale mode.

Highly regarded gaming site Kotaku and specialist Call of Duty blog CharlieIntel both say sources have confirmed that a battle royale mode is in the works.

And back in March, industry analysts at Oppenheimer published a report teasing the likelihood of a battle royale mode on Call of Duty.

After meeting with Activision's finance chief and investor-relations director, Oppenheimer boosted its share price targets for the company from $70 to $87.

The report read: "Activision is keenly aware of how other game publishers have recently benefited from releasing titles in the popular 'battle royale' genre.

"Management reminded investors that the company is a fast follower."

Sadly however, Activision hasn't publicly confirmed any such battle royale mode for Call of Duty, or for any other game.

In a statement, Activision said: "We don't comment on rumour and speculation. We look forward to revealing Black Ops 4 on May 17."

Would you like to see a Call of Duty battle royale mode? Let us know in the comments!

We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368 . We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.