Addressing rumors that Call of Duty creator Infinity Ward will soon be the sole developer of the hit franchise, publisher and studio owner Activision has labeled the claims as "erroneous."

The reports first emerged from Next-Gen, which cited an ex-employee from Activision's soon-to-be-closed Foster City studio.

According to the source, Infinity Ward had somehow renegotiated its contract with owner Activision to become the sole developer of the Call of Duty property following Call of Duty 5, which is reportedly in the works at Call of Duty 3 developer Treyarch.

This act then supposedly contributed to the upcoming closure of... Read more

Activision announced that the legendary comic hero Spider-Man is set to return in Spider-Man: Web of Shadows (PC, PS2, PS3, X360, Wii, NDS, PSP), developed by Shaba Games and Treyarch.

According to IGN, Web of Shadows will see Spider-Man's return to a free-roaming, open-ended New York that combines web slinging with customizable powers, with an emphasis on vertical combat as well as traditional ground-based assaults on foes.

Moreover, publisher Activision says that the new title will allow gamers choose how they want to play—take up the mantle of the hero, complete missions and protect the innocent, or ignore them and be an anti-hero. Scores of Marvel heroes and villains will appear in the title, offering players the choice of switching sides whenever they want.

Screenshots and a teaser trailer will be available tomorrow morning.

A job posting by Activision-owned, California-based Treyarch suggests that the studio responsible for Call of Duty 3 (PS2, PS3, Xbox, X360, Wii) is returning to the still remarkably popular World War II first-person shooter genre for its next project. One qualification for the level design position is "working experience with first-person shooter or third-person shooter genres (console or PC)." The post adds, "And if you're a fan of World War 2 shooters, then even better!"

It is likely Treyarch is working on the next Call of Duty game, be it a main numbered entry or a spinoff. Treyarch has developed Call of Duty: United Offensive (PC) as Gray Matter, which merged into Treyarch; Call of Duty 2: Big Red One (PS2, Xbox, GCN); and Call of Duty 3. All of Treyarch's standalone Call of Duty games have been console-only.

In order to keep the successful series releasing on a yearly basis, publisher Activision juggled entries such that creator Infinity Ward worked on Call of Duty 4: Modern Combat while Treyarch worked on the prior game. Given that setup, it is plausible that Treyarch would now be working on Call of Duty 5 while Infinity Ward moves onto Call of Duty 6.

Given the language of Treyarch's posting, it is almost certain its next game is set during the ubiquitous world War II. Infinity Ward, however, has seen critical and commercial success with its new modern-day game, which may prompt Activision to keep new entries in that vein. In a Shacknews interview this year, lead designer Steve Fukoda said the studio had not decided whether it would retain the setting.