Overview
- Infinity Ward announced on May 21 that it is building what it calls the “definitive Modern Warfare,” with new co‑studio heads Mark Grigsby and Jack O’Hara framing the project as a “new chapter.”
- Activision has confirmed the 2026 Call of Duty will skip previous‑generation consoles, meaning development will focus on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S builds.
- Microsoft has said future Call of Duty releases will not arrive on Xbox Game Pass at launch and will appear on the service roughly a year after retail release.
- Press outlets and Call of Duty podcasts report a formal public reveal is expected in early June, with June 4’s NBA Finals and the Xbox Games Showcase on June 7 named as likely windows.
- The moves are presented as part of a broader franchise reset after recent underperformance, with Activision pledging to end back‑to‑back subseries releases so teams can deliver more distinct, technically ambitious entries.