Activision has said that the Modern Warfare 3 countdown website that appeared online yesterday is a hoax

The publisher added that it's equally unaware of the promotional dogtags that were dispatched to the press. The dogtags referenced both the countdown website and characters from the Modern Warfare series.

"There seems to be a great deal of speculation about the next Call of Duty project. Let me be clear that we are not revealing yet," an Activision spokesperson said. "Anything indicating otherwise is a hoax."

Fresh rumours suggest that Activision's competitor, EA, is actually the publisher behind the hoax. The countdown website points to the moment EA and DICE are due to showcase Battlefield 3 at GDC. EA's refused to comment.