Activision today officially announced Call of Duty Elite, Elite is being developed by Beachhead studio.

In the press release Activision said:

Call of Duty Elite offers cutting-edge features that significantly enhance the franchises’ multiplayer experience and deliver a new level of social engagement that will unite more than 30 million players worldwide. Additionally, the service will offer exclusive, high-production value, original entertainment programming designed exclusively for the Call of Dutycommunity.

Call of Duty Elite is supposed to connect users with their friends and allow them to share videos, create clans and more.

The press release outlines 3 ways Elite engages with the community:

• Connect : Call of Duty Elite gives players unprecedented control over their multiplayer experience, transforming it into a true social network. Players can compete against friends, players of similar skill levels and players with similar interests, join groups, join clans, and play in organised tournaments. They can also track the performance, progress and activity of their entire network, both in the game itself, as well as through mobile and web interfaces.  Elite will be an “always on” way for players to connect with the Call of Duty community.
• Compete: Call of Duty Elite establishes the most exciting, competitive environment in a multiplayer game.  Players will have available a constant stream of events and competitions, tiered to group them with those with similar abilities . Both in-game and real-world prizes will be rewarded to all skill levels.
• Improve: Call of Duty Elite is like having a personal online coach. It provides players with a dynamic strategy guide that tracks their statistics and performances down to the most minute details.  It can show gamers how they stack up against their friends or others in the community. Tools and information are provided so players can learn and up their game.

Call of Duty Elite is to be accessible on a number platforms which include via web browsers, mobile devices, through game consoles and in the games itself.

So after all that stuff here is the part that people will care about and that is will it cost money and the answer is yes and no. Yes you can pay money to access more features but there are features available to non subscribers.

From the press release:

Many key features of Call of Duty Elite will be available to Call of Dutyplayers free of charge.  Additionally, for players who want to up their game,Call of Duty Elite will offer a premium membership with a wide range of state-of-the-art services, exclusive entertainment programming and all-inclusive game content for less than the cost of any comparable online entertainment service currently in the market.

To go with the press release Activision released a trailer about it and to be honest it gets the message across but you feel embarrassed to watch it. But if you watch it wait until the end for a nice surprise.

Call of Duty Elite will launch this autumn with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. However, to test the scale of the service, Activision will hold a public beta this summer for Elite with Call of Duty®: Black Ops.  For more information, go to www.callofduty.com.

Also they are holding a beta test for the new service and you can apply for it by clicking this link http://www.callofduty.com/elite