The developers behind the historically successful Call of Duty franchise will now operate on a rotating three-year release cycle, with Sledgehammer Games joining series stalwarts Treyarch and Infinity Ward.

Activision will continue to release Call of Duty games on an annual basis and they confirmed that Sledgehammer is in charge of this year's entry, but the publisher claims this change will allow each studio the increased development time they need to ensure a high quality end product.

"There are several advantages to doing this. The first is of course quality; this will give our designers more time to envision and to innovate for each title," said Activision Publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg during a recent earnings conference call.

"Simultaneously, it will give our content creators more focus on DLC and micro DLC. Finally, it'll give our teams more time to polish, making sure that we relive the best possible experience to our fans each and every time."

Since the release of Call of Duty 2 in 2005, instalments in the first-person-shooter franchise have been released annually, with development alternating each year between Infinity Ward and Treyarch. Sledgehammer Games later become involved in 2011, assisting on the development of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 following major staff reductions at Infinity Ward.