Call of Duty's next mainline entry, Modern Warfare 4, is set for October 23, 2026 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2, following an August beta. The series also spans older titles, with Treyarch's Black Ops and Black Ops II ports selling in large numbers, and franchises operations under new leadership at Treyarch.
The Call of Duty series now runs on two tracks. Modern Warfare 4, developed by Infinity Ward, is the next mainline entry and is scheduled for October 23, 2026 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2. Infinity Ward presented the campaign and the DMZ extraction mode at a Tokyo media session in September, ahead of Tokyo Game Show 2026. The campaign follows Park, a South Korean soldier, across the Korean Peninsula, New York, Paris, and Mumbai, with John Price as a deserter. DMZ returns from its beta as a retail mode.
Older titles are part of the current picture too. Treyarch's Black Ops and Black Ops II came to PS5 and PS4 on July 10, 2026, handled by Iron Galaxy. Both ports include campaign, multiplayer, and Zombies. Black Ops II reached first place in the July PlayStation Store rankings on both PS5 and PS4, and Alinea Analytics estimated the two ports sold over 11 million copies combined in about a month. Cheaters have since forced other players to maximum level in the Black Ops II port.
Behind the releases, Treyarch changed leadership in June: studio head Mark Gordon stepped down after 22 years, and Kevin Hendrickson and Yale Miller became co-studio heads. Activision's anti-cheat unit Team RICOCHET reported disrupting more than 375 resale operations and supporting the shutdown of 31 major cheat vendors, and Activision delivered a cease-and-desist to the Elocarry team in August. The beta for Modern Warfare 4 ran in two windows in August, and the game is playable at Tokyo Game Show 2026 through Happinet's booth.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the cited Yomimono stories below, each itself sourced, then editorially reviewed. Every fact links the story it came from.
Structured graph also available as JSON at /public/entities/call-of-duty.
CC BY 4.0.
Activision and Infinity Ward announced "Collateral" for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, a round-based mode with two bomb sites, attackers and defenders, and a buy menu between rounds. All players start with a pistol, earn money from kills and objectives, and spend it on armor, perks, grenades, pistols, rifles, and a team UAV. Killstreaks, respawns, health regen, and custom loadouts are off.
Activision announced on October 2 that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 will use "Server Culling" to counter wallhacks. Positional data for opponents the player cannot see is not sent to the client, so a cheat that reads that data finds nothing. Occlusion layers on buildings and objects block both line of sight and information. The game launches October 23.
Brasil Game Show 2026 runs October 9 to 12 at Distrito Anhembi in São Paulo, with five EXPO halls. Activision brings a playable Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 through Monster Energy, using 36 PlayStation consoles ahead of the game's October 23 release. Square Enix shows a Latin America demo of FINAL FANTASY VII REVELATION plus a Final Fantasy Resonance boss demo. Sega lists five titles, and Nintendo has confirmed its exhibition.
Microsoft held a Tokyo media presentation and joint interview for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, set for release on October 23. Infinity Ward narrative director Jeff Negus and studio multiplayer creative director Jeff Smith both appeared. Negus said gameplay comes first and that the campaign splits across a three-act structure: South Korean private Park's patrol upended by a North Korean attack, John Price acting alone on a revenge hunt for a figure called Archer and allying with cartel leader Valeria, and a North Korean side led by Ri, sister of a new supreme leader, and her adjutant Ko. Settings extend past the Korean Peninsula to Mumbai, New York, Paris, and Russia. Graves and Makarov return among hostile forces. New footage ended with Mads Mikkelsen appearing. Smith described multiplayer as polished and grounded, with reactive map objects and faster movement. He presented DMZ as a game within a game, set in the irradiated town of Hajin.
Activision's anti-cheat unit Team RICOCHET published a blog report on September 18 describing the structure of the game cheating market and the results of its enforcement. Citing research from the threat intelligence platform Intorqa, the team put annual revenue from cheat tool subscriptions across 15 surveyed game titles at about 3.5 billion dollars, or roughly 551.7 billion yen. When peripheral services such as account trading, boosting and hardware ban evasion tools are included, the total cheating economy is estimated at about 8.5 billion dollars, or roughly 1.34 trillion yen per year. Team RICOCHET said the market has a pyramid shape: a small number of developers at the top, major vendors distributing products below them, and a wide layer of resellers who sell the same tools under different names. Against that structure, the team reported disrupting more than 375 resale operations, issuing more than 80 cease-and-desist orders, and supporting the shutdown of 31 major cheat vendors.
Developer Luckey Faraday said he rebuilt the "Hijacked" map from Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 so it runs natively inside Minecraft, with GPT-6 Astra instructed to rewrite the whole project in Java as a Fabric mod covering the map, collision, bots, navmesh, weapons and rendering. A posted video shows the map running full-screen at around 45fps. Faraday said many issues remain.
Infinity Ward held a joint media developer session in Tokyo for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, the fourth entry in the rebooted Modern Warfare line, timed to Tokyo Game Show 2026. Multiplayer creative director Geoff Smith and narrative director Jeff Negus presented the campaign structure and the DMZ extraction mode. The campaign follows Park, a young South Korean soldier, through three acts that move between the Korean Peninsula, New York, Paris, and Mumbai, with John Price now a deserter pursuing Makarov and a figure called Archer. DMZ returns from its earlier beta as a retail mode set in Haji, a restricted zone with regions of varying threat level, dynamic weather, AI enemies, bosses, a stealth meter, and a trade tree that preserves operator growth after a failed run. The game is scheduled for release on October 23, 2026 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2.
Happinet's booth at Tokyo Game Show 2026 gathers the upcoming Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare alongside Beast of Reincarnation, Star Wars: Galactic Racer, and Terranigma, all playable on the show floor. Visitors can also try an additional SD card for the Egret II mini retro console, and Nippon Ichi Software, a partner company, brought a Prinny to the venue. The show runs from September 17 to September 21 at Makuhari Messe and TKP Tokyo Bay Makuhari Hall. The booth's demo lineup is broad enough that trying each title in sequence takes considerable time. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, the latest entry in the series, is set for release on October 23, priced at 9,800 yen for the standard edition and 13,200 yen for the premium edition, and a multiplayer demo is playable at the booth. The booth also includes a niche stop for retro hardware fans.
Microsoft has revealed the Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass lineup running from September 16 to October 6, 2026, a slate of 13 titles. Four arrive on day one: Kernel Hearts on September 17, Well Dweller on September 22, Minecraft Dungeons II on September 29, and Gears of War: E-Day on October 6. Rematch joins the Essential plan catalog on September 25.
Microsoft detailed the games joining Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass between September 1 and September 15, 2026. Seven titles enter the library, headlined by the full release of the co-op survival craft RuneScape: Dragonwilds and the Day 1 addition of SpeedRunners 2: King of Speed. Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War and Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. World Stage also join, alongside the TCG Card Shop Simulator 1.0 release, an EA Sports NHL 27 trial, and an Animo subscriber bonus.
Game Spark played the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 beta ahead of its October 23, 2026 release. The report covers the fast time-to-kill gunplay, the round-based Kill Block mode that changes maps and loadouts every two rounds, and Inflation, a cash-collection mode where dropped money can be picked up by either team.
Activision releases Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 on October 23, 2026, for PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2. The Steam store page includes a note stating the developer uses generative AI tools to develop some game assets. Overseas gamers are debating whether in-game truck and gacha machine artwork is AI-generated, with reactions split between those demanding human artists and those who say it does not affect gameplay.
Activision released a video on August 29 showing lawyers delivering a cease-and-desist order to cheat-creating team Elocarry, reportedly in Ohio. The company also reported blocking over 375 cheat-selling agents, filing more than 80 injunction requests, and forcing over 30 sellers to shut down. It announced anti-cheat results for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4's early beta.
In the latest Steam sales ranking for Japan, as of August 24, 2026, Electronic Arts' Apex Legends took 1st place again. New titles include Dazed Games' How to Fish at 2nd, Cygames' Umamusume: Pretty Derby at 3rd, Activision's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 debuting at 8th, and KONAMI's METAL GEAR SOLID: MASTER COLLECTION Vol.2 at 10th.
The Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 early access beta ran August 22 to 26 for pre-order customers across PC, Nintendo Switch 2, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and ARCADE. An open beta follows August 29 to September 2. The title launches October 23. The play report notes health returns to 100 from Modern Warfare III's 150, restoring faster kill times, while movement continues the MW lineage without the Omnimovement of Black Ops 6 and 7.
GAME Watch tested the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 early access beta, which runs until August 26 at 2:00 a.m. The campaign places players as Private Park, a South Korean soldier defending a nuclear power plant from North Korean sabotage. The report notes realistic controls with equipment weight, distinct from the Black Ops line's mobility.
Early access to the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 beta begins August 22 at 3:00 AM and runs through August 26 at 2:00 AM for those who pre-ordered. An open beta without conditions follows August 29 to September 2. The beta includes the campaign mission Trenches, a training facility, and six 6v6 multiplayer modes including the new Inflation.
Discord Nitro subscribers can claim a code for the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 early access beta, normally reserved for pre-order customers. The reward is available through the Nitro home page until the beta ends August 25. Nitro Basic and Nitro Classic subscribers are excluded from the offer.
Sony Interactive Entertainment published the July 2026 PlayStation Store download rankings on August 14, 2026. The 2012 title Call of Duty: Black Ops II took first place in both the PS5 and PS4 categories. The game became playable on current platforms on July 10, 2026, through a surprise release developed by Treyarch and Iron Galaxy Studios. On PS5, Palworld ranked second and Pro Baseball Spirits 2026 third. On PS4, Powerful Pro Baseball 2026-2027 placed second and Monster Hunter: World third. The PS VR2 category was led by Beat Saber, while eFootball topped the free-to-play list for another month. The rankings also cover the US and Canada, where Black Ops II also reached first place on both PS5 and PS4. The PS4 chart featured several older titles, including Dragon Quest XI S, FINAL FANTASY IX, FINAL FANTASY VI, SEKIRO: SHADOWS DIE TWICE, and Bloodborne. The original Call of Duty: Black Ops appeared at fifth and twentieth on PS4. The port is priced at 5,900 yen, with a 2,950 yen price for PS Plus subscribers.
Alinea Analytics estimates the PS5 and PS4 ports of Call of Duty: Black Ops and Black Ops II sold over 11 million copies combined in about a month. Black Ops II accounts for 8.2 million, Black Ops for 3 million, with over 93 percent of sales on PS5. The ports generated an estimated $435 million in revenue.
Activision released PS5/PS4 ports of Call of Duty: Black Ops and Black Ops II on July 10. Cheaters have been forcibly changing other players' levels to the maximum of 55 and altering custom class names, with some accounts reaching a non-existent Prestige 16, causing crashes and disrupting multiplayer.
Microsoft announced on July 28 that it will bring an Xbox booth to gamescom 2026, held in Cologne, Germany from August 26 to 30. The booth, located in Hall 7 at A-0.61, will feature 25 upcoming games across 140 playable stations. Attendees can get hands-on time with early builds of 'Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4,' 'Fable,' 'Minecraft Dungeons II,' 'Gears of War: E-Day,' 'METRO 2039,' 'STRANGER THAN HEAVEN,' and 'Alien: Isolation 2,' among others. The booth will also host the first public playable demo of the 'Gears of War: E-Day' campaign, ahead of its October 6 release, and a live demo theater presentation for 'Fable' by developer Playground Games. From 23:00 Japan time on August 26, the community event 'Xbox FanFest' will be streamed on YouTube and Twitch, featuring developer interviews, first looks at gameplay, and new trailers. The stream will include American Sign Language and English audio description support. The booth is wheelchair accessible, with adaptive controllers available on request, and quiet rooms for users who prefer reduced sensory stimulation.
Activision announced the beta schedule for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, the latest entry in the FPS series developed by Infinity Ward. The game is set for release on October 23, 2026, on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2. The beta runs over two weekends. Early access for players who pre-ordered on PC, PS5, or Xbox Series X|S runs from August 21 to August 25. An open beta for all players on all platforms, including Switch 2, runs from August 28 to September 1. The open beta includes the new multiplayer mode Kill Block and 19 unlockable weapons. Pre-orders for the Switch 2 version begin on August 26. A livestream event called Call of Duty: NEXT is scheduled for August 30. Pre-order bonuses include limited serial-number weapon camos Moonlit Pearl and Gilded Ruin, earned through challenges in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7. A hands-on demo of Kill Block is also planned at Fanatics Fest in New York starting July 16.
A user named mike wing created a website that streams Call of Duty lobby voice chat 24 hours a day, presenting it as sleep BGM. The site, called 'Call of Duty Ambience,' plays audio from games like Black Ops II, Black Ops, and Modern Warfare 2. The creator said he falls asleep to the sound of adults arguing in CoD lobbies. The writer of the report could only listen for three minutes.
Glen Schofield, the creator of Dead Space and a veteran game developer with a 35-year career, announced his retirement from day-to-day game development on July 14, 2026. In a video posted to his LinkedIn account, Schofield expressed gratitude to his family, friends, colleagues, and fans. He reflected that the past few decades have been the greatest era for video games and that he was fortunate to work with talented people. Schofield began his career in 1991 at Absolute Entertainment, later working at Crystal Dynamics on titles like Gex and Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver. He joined Electronic Arts and led the creation of Dead Space in 2008. He co-founded Sledgehammer Games and served as co-director on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Advanced Warfare, and WWII. He then founded Striking Distance Studios and released The Callisto Protocol in 2022. After leaving the studio in 2023 following its poor performance, he attempted to pitch a new horror project but could not secure funding. At age 64, he plans to shift to art activities.
The official Call of Duty PR account confirmed that Season Pass ownership does not affect matchmaking in the recently released PS5/PS4 ports of Black Ops and Black Ops 2. The announcement came after player complaints, though many users on X criticized the lack of backfill for players leaving mid-match, as well as graphics and pricing issues. The ports have received high ratings despite the backlash.
Activision released PS5 and PS4 ports of Call of Duty: Black Ops and Call of Duty: Black Ops II on July 10, 2026, without prior fanfare. Each game is priced at 5,900 yen including tax, and PlayStation Plus subscribers can purchase them at 50 percent off until August 7, bringing the price to 2,950 yen. The ports include the single-player campaign, competitive multiplayer, and the Zombies horde mode. They are straight ports, not remasters, and were handled by Iron Galaxy, the studio known for Switch ports of Skyrim and Overwatch and work on The Last of Us Part II Remastered. The original games launched in 2010 and 2012, respectively. According to reviews cited by Game Spark, the ports run well with fast loading and matchmaking, but the standard $40 price drew criticism, with some suggesting the discounted PS Plus price should have been the baseline. The PS5/PS4 versions do not support cross-play and require a PlayStation Plus subscription for multiplayer. Certain features from the originals, such as Wager Match and Theater Mode in Black Ops, have been removed. The games are also available on PC and Xbox platforms.
After scoring two goals to lead Norway past Brazil in the World Cup, Erling Haaland's gaming habits drew attention. A video showed his Xbox Mini Fridge, top three games (Minecraft, GTA, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2), hopes for Xbox sponsorship, and excitement for GTA6.
Sony Interactive Entertainment announced the July 2026 PlayStation Plus free games lineup on July 2. The three titles are Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III - Cross-Gen Bundle, For the King II, and CrossCode. All are available to all PlayStation Plus subscribers from July 7 to August 3.
Sony Interactive Entertainment announced the July 2026 free game lineup for PlayStation Plus subscribers on July 2. The three titles available from July 7 to August 3 are Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III - Cross-Gen Bundle, For the King II, and CrossCode. All three are playable on PS5 and PS4. The lineup is for the overseas version of the service; the Japanese free game lineup may differ. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III is the third game in the rebooted Modern Warfare series, featuring a campaign that continues the story of Task Force 141 against Vladimir Makarov, multiplayer with returning maps, and a cooperative Zombies mode. For the King II is a turn-based roguelite RPG sequel set in the kingdom of Fahrul, supporting solo or four-player online co-op. CrossCode is a 2D action RPG with pixel art graphics, set inside a fictional MMO called CrossWorlds, where players control the amnesiac protagonist Lea. The June free games remain available until July 6.
At a California Senate hearing on the 'Protect Our Games Act,' ESA Vice President Jennifer Gibbons interrupted a lawmaker to state that community servers for 'Minecraft' and 'Call of Duty' are 'illegal' and constitute piracy. The bill, which aimed to keep games playable after service termination, passed the Assembly but failed in the Senate. The ESA later clarified its position on private servers in an email to Kotaku.
Activision announced on June 23 that Nicolas Cage will appear in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 as a new operator in the Season 04 Reloaded update launching June 26. He is the face of the Summer of Action event and is obtained through a premium event pass track that includes an exclusive skin, emote, and finishing move. The update also adds a Japanese-style zombie map, a new multiplayer map, and a remastered map.
Treyarch announced on June 18 that the first two games in the Black Ops series, Call of Duty: Black Ops and Call of Duty: Black Ops II, will be ported to current PlayStation hardware in July 2026. The ports are being handled in partnership with Iron Galaxy. Both titles will include all three modes: Campaign, Multiplayer, and Zombies. The original Black Ops, released in 2010, is set during the Cold War and follows CIA operatives including Alex Mason. It introduced the iconic map Nuketown, which became a series staple. The sequel, Black Ops II, released in 2012, spans two time periods, the 1980s and 2025, and features the series' first multiple-ending campaign based on player choices. Specific details about which PlayStation hardware (such as PS5 or PS4) will be supported and pricing have not been disclosed.
Mark Gordon, the head of Call of Duty: Black Ops developer Treyarch, has stepped down after 22 years at the studio. The announcement was made via official social media channels. Gordon had led the studio since May 2005, overseeing the development of numerous Call of Duty titles including Call of Duty 2: Big Red One, Call of Duty 3, Call of Duty: World at War, and the entire Black Ops series. Under his leadership, Treyarch introduced technical innovations such as the Super Terrain system in 2018's Black Ops 4, which supported up to 100 players on a single map, and the OmniMovement system in 2024's Black Ops 6, which enabled smooth movement in all directions. The studio's new leadership will be co-studio heads Kevin Hendrickson and Yale Miller, both longtime Treyarch veterans with over a decade of experience as Chief Operating Officer and Production Director, respectively. The studio's message thanked Gordon for his leadership and friendship. As of the time of reporting, Gordon's LinkedIn profile still lists him as Treyarch studio head, and his next role has not been disclosed.
Activision and Infinity Ward have revealed full details on the new DMZ mode in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, scheduled for release on October 23, 2026, for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2. The mode, set after the campaign on the Korean Peninsula, takes place in a radioactive quarantine zone called Hajin. It introduces three play styles: Story Missions with set objectives, Dynamic Operations with randomized goals, and Free Roam for unrestricted exploration. A persistent inventory and player progression system are new additions, with a Forward Operating Base (FOB) or Hub where players craft equipment and upgrade operators. A Living World system causes weather to worsen and enemy reinforcements to intensify as players defeat more foes. A bounty system tracks aggressive PvP players, placing bounties that others can claim. A tourniquet system acts as an extra life, and players who die can pay in-game currency to rescue their operator. A playtest is scheduled for July 16 to 19.
Infinity Ward has stated that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 will not feature clowny skins at launch or in subsequent seasons. The policy responds to criticism about cosmetic items breaking the game's world. The title launches October 23 on PC, Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch 2.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 was announced, set on the modern-day Korean Peninsula with a campaign following two storylines: a North Korean invasion of the South and Captain Price's pursuit of Makarov's backer. The game is developed by Infinity Ward and launches October 23 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2.
Activision and Infinity Ward announced Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 on May 29, 2026, with a release date of October 23, 2026. The game is set on the Korean Peninsula, where a full-scale North Korean invasion triggers a global crisis. The campaign follows a young South Korean soldier named Park and his unit as they fight for survival, while a parallel story follows Captain John Price, now a fugitive operating outside Task Force 141. The multiplayer mode removes hip-fire bloom, a system where bullets randomly scatter during hip-fire, and introduces the Ballistic Authority system for more realistic weapon handling. A new dynamic map mode called Kill Block features over 500 layout patterns that change during matches. The game will launch on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2, with no previous-generation console versions. The extraction mode DMZ returns, with details to be revealed on June 7. Pre-orders are open, with a Vault Edition available at a discount for returning players.