Call of Duty: WWII is out now and doing very well, both critically and commercially, but things could have been very different. Activision CEO Eric Hirshberg has said CoD: WWII's developer, Sledgehammer, originally wanted to make a sequel to 2014's Advanced Warfare.

“Sledgehammer wanted to make Advanced Warfare 2," Hirshberg told Newsweek. It's unclear if Activision explicitly denied the developer the chance to make a sequel to Advanced Warfare, but Hirshberg did go on to say he was always confident Sledgehammer could make a great World War II game: "We knew they would become historians, that they would tackle it with authenticity, give it tremendous care, and we also knew they would capture the unspeakable scale of World War II."

Hirshberg had previously said Call of Duty: WWII is the "right game at the right time" after three futuristic Call of Duty games in a row. Hirshberg also called last year's Infinite Warfare--the last of those three futuristic games in a row that started with Advanced Warfare--"the wrong game at the wrong moment" after its underwhelming commercial performance.

It seems the decision to go back to World War II was a good one for Activision--Call of Duty: WWII's launch sales are double those of Infinite Warfare, and critical reception has been positive, too. In our Call of Duty: WWII review, critic Miguel Concepcion wrote: "As one of the most comprehensive and filler-free Call of Dutys in recent memory, Call of Duty: WWII successfully capitalizes on the series' strengths."

For more on Sledgehammer's huge title, check out our guide on how to get the Tesla Gun in Zombies Mode or take a look at the quest that rewards you for watching other players open loot boxes. You can also explore the history of Call of Duty's WWII games or see our Call of Duty: WWII multiplayer tips.