While this year's "Call of Duty" is still on schedule, next year's has been pushed back and will not be released in 2023, a new report reveals.

According to Bloomberg's Jason Schreier, Activision is pushing the game, which is being developed by Treyarch, after last year's yearly release, "Call of Duty: Vanguard," failed to meet expectations. Schreier says this caused officials to "suspect that it had been cannibalized by the previous year's game."

Activision, however, appears to be planning to release more Call of Duty content. Activision has previously confirmed that "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2" will be released in 2022, with "a steady stream of additional content," according to Schreier. There will also be a new free-to-play online game released in 2023, which appears to be in addition to the eventual release of "Warzone 2."

With Sledgehammer handling last year's "Call of Duty: Vanguard" and Infinity Ward overseeing this year's entry, the next Call of Duty entry will come from Treyarch and be part of the "Black Ops" franchise. Following the delay, this new "Black Ops" game can be expected in 2024.

Because of the delay, 2023 will be the first year without a mainline entry in the series since 2004. The "Call of Duty" franchise started on Windows PC in 2003, therefore the series will also be without a big new release to celebrate its 20th anniversary.

This delay, as well as the development of Call of Duty 2023, comes at a pivotal time for Activision Blizzard. Microsoft stated earlier this year that it will acquire the publisher for $68.7 billion. The deal is anticipated to close in Microsoft's fiscal year 2023, making Treyarch's next "Call of Duty" game the first to be published under the Microsoft banner.

According to Bloomberg, the decision to delay the game was not influenced by the acquisition, but rather by the fact that last year's "Call of Duty: Vanguard" failed to fulfill expectations, raising concerns that the business was releasing new editions too soon.

Activision has been under fire as a result of a California lawsuit alleging that it fostered a culture of "constant sexual harassment," as well as labor protests by employees, including some who work on "Call of Duty."

The studio revealed early details regarding the Modern Warfare sequel and a "new Warzone experience" (perhaps the "Warzone 2" described by Schreier) in February, and both are set to release this year. While Activision has stated that they would be "designed together from the ground up," it is unclear whether the new "Warzone" is a full sequel or a significant update to the existing game. Both will be powered by a brand-new engine.