We have some interesting new rumors on what’s up next for Call of Duty, and maybe even Microsoft, next year.
TheGhostof Hope shared this information on Twitter today:
“EXCLUSIVE Details for Modern Warfare IV (2026):
– No Old Gen support
– Traditional UI like the older games (More traditional than BO6)
– Engine being overhauled to address MWII problems like “visual clutter” etc.
– Being developed on Dev Kits for the Next Xbox
– No “Warzone 3” if Verdansk fails to retain current/returning players”
We discussed the rumor about Verdansk and Call of Duty Warzone 3 here.
We just reported on a rumor from CharlieIntel that this year’s Call of Duty would still be releasing on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. However, their sources also told them that the eight generation consoles are holding back these Call of Duty games from what’s possible on current generation consoles, as well as on newer PCs.
The conventional wisdom is that Activision continues to support the last generation of console players to extend the player base as much as possible. However, they don’t go as far as to keep that support going for three console generations. So, what’s implied here is that Activision’s Call of Duty studios are anticipating the arrival of a new generation of consoles, as soon as next year.
It must be said, it is possible that a next generation Xbox won’t be arriving until 2028 at the earliest, and that Activision is still making a native port of next year’s Call of Duty for that platform. That would make the 2026 and 2027 Call of Duty titles very nice games to pick up on the next generation Xbox.
But then again, we have been hearing news of a new true next generation of Xbox in 2026 since 2023. That was even before Microsoft completed their acquisition of Activision. The latest word was that that 2026 Xbox launch would come with a Day One Game Pass Call Of Duty title. If this all turns out to be true, and Microsoft and Activision manages to accomplish it, no one is going to question Microsoft’s commitment to Xbox anymore.
Even if Xbox games keep coming to PlayStation, such a move would make Xbox the Call of Duty console. And even loyal PlayStation fans will be compelled to go get that new Xbox, if they also happen to be huge into Call of Duty.
The other details Hope brings up falls in line with this as well. Of course, Activision will be able to upgrade the graphics on 2026’s Call of Duty if they’re finally dropping PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Subsequently, we reported on rumors that Microsoft has established a committee to manage development of the Call of Duty games. One of this committee’s goals is to return to a familiar classic UI, and maintain it for a sense of continuity.
The prospect of a 2026 Xbox, following the Switch 2 and launching ahead of a possible PlayStation 6, would be, as the cliché goes, a true game changer for the industry. But we’ll see how these rumors pan out.
