Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 arriving Nov. 13?

Source: A supposed Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 box art photo posted to the unofficial Modern Warfare 3 Twitter account.

What we heard: Gamers will have a new Call of Duty game to play this year. That's a certainty. New evidence today suggests that game will be Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, and will arrive on store shelves on November 13, 2012.

Is Black Ops 2 coming November 13? Photo credit @MW3Updates.

The box art appears to be for a European version of the unannounced game, but if the past serves as precedent, November 13, 2012 is likely an all-regions launch date. The most recent Call of Duty games Modern Warfare 3 and the original Black Ops shipped in most major regions on the same day.

A November 13, 2012 release date for Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 wouldn't be a stretch, as new Call of Duty games have shipped on the second Tuesday in November since Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare.

The image is muddied by a lens flare, which blocks out the gun-toting character's face, and the box itself appears to be a standard DVD case instead of the 360's signature green plastic. Additionally, the font for "Call of Duty" appears to be slightly dissimilar to materials used to promote past games.

Despite these issues, the character adorning the box art appears to be a crisper version of the figure highlighted on the Black Ops 2 rumored poster as well as the official GameStop teaser website.

Over the weekend, Activision updated the Call of Duty website with news that the next Call of Duty title will be revealed on May 1 during the NBA playoffs on TNT. Two Call of Duty titles have been confirmed thus far for release this year: a new console installment and a PlayStation Vita game.

The official story: As of press time, Activision had not responded to GameSpot's request for comment.

Bogus or not bogus?: Looking not bogus. A mid-November 2012 release date for Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 is a foregone conclusion at this point, with November 13 being a likely candidate for the game's actual ship date.