Kit Harington is a villain in the next Call of Duty game

Kit Harington stars as Jon Snow in the TV show Game of Thrones. Photo / HBO

Game of Thrones star Kit Harington is shaving off his beard and putting down his sword to take on a more devious role in the upcoming game, Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare.

Harrington will feature as a villain in the new video game, and marks a dramatic shift for the actor and the popular character he plays in Game of Thrones, Jon Snow - who was recently brought back from the dead at the beginning of HBO's sixth season of the show.

"Kit is an amazing talent, and the consummate pro," said Taylor Kurosaki, the narrative director of Infinity Ward, the company developing the game.

A behind the scenes look at Kit Harrington in the new Call of Duty game.

"Our story is about an epic showdown of opposing forces, and Kit immersed himself into the role and truly became the embodiment of the enemy, the Settlement Defense Front.

"We can't wait for fans to see Kit play an entirely different kind of character."

Acclaimed director Guy Ritchie, who has worked with the Call of Duty franchise in the past, has teamed up Activision and Infinity Ward to help Harrington's character come to life.

"Guy Ritchie is a friend of the franchise, so it was great to have him back to work with us, assisting in bringing Kit Harington's character to life in Infinite Warfare," said the studio head of Infinity Ward, Dave Stohl.

"It meant a lot to us to develop the role into everything it could be. We're excited about the performance Kit delivered.

A behind the scenes sneak peek was given of Harington filming one of his scenes for the game on the Call of Duty Facebook page.

Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare is set for release November 4 on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

- nzherald.co.nz