Former CoD: Black Ops Boss Announces New Game That Is “Outside My Comfort Zone”

Call of Duty veteran David Vonderhaar, who left Activision in 2023 after nearly two decades with the company, has announced his next project.

He is heading up a new remote-first studio called BulletFarm that is developing what’s described as an “ambitious new AAA game set in an original universe” that focuses on co-op. Chinese gaming giant NetEase Games is backing the studio from a financial perspective.

Vonderhaar was Treyarch’s studio design director and was on the leadership team at the company. His Call of Duty legacy dates back to Call of Duty 2: Big Red One, and was known more recently for the Black Ops series and for leading development on Activision’s predecessor to Warzone, Blackout.

At BulletFarm, Vonderhaar is in charge of a team building a “more intimate and relatable experience” using Unreal Engine 5. Chris Cowell, another former Call of Duty developer, followed Vonderhaar to BulletFarm and is the studio’s creative director.

“Starting this new studio has given me a chance to step out of my comfort zone and try my hand at making something entirely new and different. This is a departure from the games I’ve worked on, but one that showcases my passion for rich characters, precise mechanics, more intimate storytelling, and plenty of action,” Vonderhaar said.

BulletFarm has numerous open positions listed on its careers page, most of which start at six-figure salaries. It’s still early days for the game, however, and there is no word on platforms or a release date.

Call of Duty veteran David Vonderhaar, who left Activision in 2023 after nearly two decades with the company, has announced his next project.

He is heading up a new remote-first studio called BulletFarm that is developing what’s described as an “ambitious new AAA game set in an original universe” that focuses on co-op. Chinese gaming giant NetEase Games is backing the studio from a financial perspective.

Vonderhaar was Treyarch’s studio design director and was on the leadership team at the company. His Call of Duty legacy dates back to Call of Duty 2: Big Red One, and was known more recently for the Black Ops series and for leading development on Activision’s predecessor to Warzone, Blackout.

At BulletFarm, Vonderhaar is in charge of a team building a “more intimate and relatable experience” using Unreal Engine 5. Chris Cowell, another former Call of Duty developer, followed Vonderhaar to BulletFarm and is the studio’s creative director.

“Starting this new studio has given me a chance to step out of my comfort zone and try my hand at making something entirely new and different. This is a departure from the games I’ve worked on, but one that showcases my passion for rich characters, precise mechanics, more intimate storytelling, and plenty of action,” Vonderhaar said.

BulletFarm has numerous open positions listed on its careers page, most of which start at six-figure salaries. It’s still early days for the game, however, and there is no word on platforms or a release date.