Rumored Modern Warfare 4 Won't Be On Game Pass: Everything We Know About Call Of Duty 2026
Overview & Key Takeaways
It hasn't been announced yet, but a new Call of Duty game is expected to release later this year, and the latest rumors suggest it will be Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4. Whatever it is, Activision is surely hoping the game performs better than 2025's Black Ops 7, which had the series' worst sales year ranking since 2008.
It's still early days, but there have been leaks, rumors, and reports about the game, and in this post, we're rounding up everything we've heard so far. This post will continue to be updated as more information about the new Call of Duty is divulged. One of the newest developments came this April, when Microsoft confirmed that Game Pass will no longer get new Call of Duty games at launch, meaning the 2026 game won't be there on day one.
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When will Call of Duty 2026 be released?
Call of Duty 2026 AKA Modern Warfare 4 has not been announced, so there is no official release date. However, Activsion historically releases new entries in the annual series in October or November. That's around the time that Rockstar Games is planning to release GTA 6, prompting some to theorize that an October release may be more likely than November.
It hasn't been announced yet, but a new Call of Duty game is expected to release later this year, and the latest rumors suggest it will be Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4. Whatever it is, Activision is surely hoping the game performs better than 2025's Black Ops 7, which had the series' worst sales year ranking since 2008.
It's still early days, but there have been leaks, rumors, and reports about the game, and in this post, we're rounding up everything we've heard so far. This post will continue to be updated as more information about the new Call of Duty is divulged. One of the newest developments came this April, when Microsoft confirmed that Game Pass will no longer get new Call of Duty games at launch, meaning the 2026 game won't be there on day one.
When will Call of Duty 2026 be released?
Call of Duty 2026 AKA Modern Warfare 4 has not been announced, so there is no official release date. However, Activsion historically releases new entries in the annual series in October or November. That's around the time that Rockstar Games is planning to release GTA 6, prompting some to theorize that an October release may be more likely than November.
As for when the new Call of Duty game could be announced, Microsoft typically hosts a summer showcase around June, and that's a top candidate for when the game may be unveiled.
Again, there is no official word yet on Call of Duty 2026, but Activision has released a new entry in the series every year for more than two decades, so it's a pretty safe bet.
Who is making Call of Duty 2026?
Insider Gaming reported that Infinity Ward, which created the Modern Warfare series, is developing the 2026 game. That makes sense given the studio's history with the franchise and how the team also made 2023's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III. Activision develops new Call of Duty games in a distributed manner, with numerous teams contributing to each new annual installment, so Infinity Ward may be the lead developer, with other teams working on different parts of the experience.
Call of Duty 2026 trailers
There are no trailers yet for the new Call of Duty game. The first teaser for Black Ops 7 was released in June 2025, so if Activision goes with a similar plan, it's possible the first trailer for Call of Duty 2026 could be released around then.
Call of Duty 2026 platforms
Call of Duty 2026 is expected to release across all the major platforms, including PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. The franchise is owned by Microsoft by way of its purchase of Activision, but the company has pledged to keep putting new Call of Duty games on rival platforms. Fans are still awaiting a Call of Duty game for Switch, and while both Microsoft and Activision have promised that's still happening, it remains to be seen when, or what game it might be that comes to Nintendo's platform.
Since Microsoft Gaming CEO Asha Sharma took over for Phil Spencer recently, she has acknowledged that Xbox fans want exclusive games back. But it would be truly shocking if Microsoft abandons PS5--the largest console platform out there--for the new Call of Duty game.
Call of Duty 2026 won't be on Game Pass
All of Microsoft's first-party new releases come to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate on day one--or at least that was the case. In April this year, Microsoft announced drastic changes to Game Pass that included a price decrease and the announcement that new Call of Duty games will no longer launch into Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass. They will, however, arrive on Game Pass after about a year.
Call of Duty 2026 preorders
Call of Duty 2026 has not yet been announced, and thus there are no preorders available yet.
Call of Duty 2026 story, setting, and characters
Known leak account TheGhostofHope said the new Call of Duty game is in the works under the title "Modern Warfare 사." That is apparently a reference to how the game is rumored to feature both South Korea and North Korea in a "significant" role. The report said players will fight the seemingly unkillable Makarov, as they try to stop Makarov's Konni Group from starting World War 3.
Further, the report said the story for Call of Duty 2026 will continue from Modern Warfare III's ending where Shepherd is killed by Price and Soap is killed by Makarov.
The post said Call of Duty 2026 will feature "some" futuristic technology and weapons, but will stay "mostly modern."
The return of DMZ?
DMZ was a new mode for 2022's Modern Warfare II, and while some people enjoyed and embraced it, others said it felt like a half-baked idea. The large-scale extraction-based mode had players amassing contracts, taking on missions, and fighting enemies in a variety of settings. TheGhostofHope said DMZ will return in Call of Duty 2026 as the game's third mode, presumably alongside the expected campaign and multiplayer modes.
He's likely referencing campaign and multiplayer as the two other modes. It remains to be seen if Call of Duty 2026 would have a Zombies mode, too. Activision recently shot down rumors that it would release a standalone Zombies game, which is something fans have been wanting for years.
Not expected to outsell GTA 6
The Call of Duty franchise is a juggernaut, but Call of Duty games are not known to outsell new releases from Rockstar Games. For example, GTA 5 was the No. 1 best-selling game in the US in 2013, with Call of Duty: Ghosts ranking No. 2. In 2018, when Rockstar released Red Dead Redemption II, the open-world western outsold Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 in the US.
It doesn't take a Rockstar release to beat Call of Duty any more, though, as 2023 saw Hogwarts Legacy outsell Modern Warfare 3 and 2025 had Battlefield 6 as the No. 1 game, with Black Ops 7 all the way down to No. 5 for the year.
GTA 6 is coming to market with a seemingly unprecedented level of hype behind it, and it's unthinkable that it wouldn't be the No. 1 game of 2026.
How Call of Duty 2026 could use AI
Unlike other studios that either do not discuss AI or reject it outright, Activision has freely acknowledged that it uses generative AI to create some content in Call of Duty games. For Black Ops 7, the developer said they also used AI technologies, but also stressed, "Everything that goes into the game is touched by the team a hundred percent."
Keep checking back with GameSpot for more on Call of Duty 2026 as more information becomes available.
