Activision has announced a free-to-play, online-only game in the Call of Duty series called, appropriately enough, Call of Duty Online. Great! So when will you be able to play it? Well, if you live in China the answer is soon, as Activision has partnered with Chinese gaming company Tencent to make the project happen. As for the rest of us? The outlook isn't quite so clear. After all, Activision wouldn't want to shoot its own European and North American best seller in the foot by releasing a free counterpart.

Of course, free-to-play doesn't necessarily mean truly free, and Activision will naturally be taking advantage of the format's potential for monetization with new weapons, load outs, perks, etc. Expect more news regarding Call of Duty Online, such as potential for its release outside of China, sometime in the near future. Just don't expect to be replacing your copy of Black Ops 2 or your Elite subscription with a free-to-play game anytime soon.