Call of Duty Has Bad News for Fans on Last-Gen Consoles

Contrary to previous rumors, the next Call of Duty game will not be arriving on last-gen consoles, according to a response from Activision posted on social media. Ergo, players still logging in via systems such as the PS4 and Xbox One will need to upgrade to a newer console to play future Call of Duty games moving forward.

Activision’s hit first-person shooter franchise has seen its share of rumors and speculation over the years. While rumors should be taken with a fine grain of salt, one example stated that the next CoD entry would be titled Modern Warfare 4. Following an established pattern that Call of Duty games usually launch within the last few months of a calendar year, the same rumor suggested that Call of Duty‘s 2026 title would launch in October on all supported platforms.

The Next Call of Duty Game Is Skipping Last-Gen Consoles

Though rumors about Call of Duty‘s future on PS4 began circulating on social media earlier this month, Activision responded by offering some bad news for last-gen console users. On May 4, Call of Duty‘s official Twitter feed quashed the rumor and stated that its next entry would not arrive on PS4. Though the company did not outright say it, the fact that the PS4 will not see the next Call of Duty game likely means no Xbox One launch by association. While the PS4 and Xbox One have been a popular choice for Call of Duty players for nearly 13 years, both consoles have been succeeded by the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S lineups. Ergo, CoD players looking to play the next entry in the long-running franchise, whether it is called Modern Warfare 4 or something else altogether, will have to upgrade to a current-gen system or a Windows-based PC sooner rather than later.

As of this writing, it is unclear if or when access to Call of Duty: Warzone will end for PS4 and Xbox One, so players must wait for more information. However, upgrading to a new platform to play Call of Duty in 2026 will be an expensive endeavor for some users. Due to the ongoing DRAM shortage crisis affecting the entire gaming and tech industries, Sony and Microsoft have increased the prices of all PS5 and Xbox Series X/S consoles across the board. Even refurbished PS5 consoles have been affected by the RAM crisis, as Sony recently bumped up prices on those units as well.

In the US, the price of a new PS5 console starts at $599 for the PS5 Digital Edition, and $649 for the PS5 Disc Drive Edition. By comparison, the Xbox Series X starts at $649, while the cheapest edition of the Xbox Series S sits at $399 for the 512GB model. Additionally, an active subscription to PlayStation Plus or Xbox Game Pass is required for the respective consoles.

Future Call of Duty Launch Windows Will Be Pricey Endeavors

Image via Activision

Along with the move away from last-gen consoles, Call of Duty players looking to jump right into the next entry on Xbox or PC will have to pay full price moving forward. In late April, Microsoft reduced Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscription prices, down to monthly rates of $23.99 and $13.99, respectively. However, the change came at a cost, as future Call of Duty titles will no longer be offered as Day One Game Pass titles. However, the change does not affect Black Ops 7 or previous Call of Duty games. Instead, future Call of Duty entries will be available on Xbox Game Pass one year after their initial launch.

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Given that other developers have wound down support for last-gen consoles, Activision’s move to push players to PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC is an unsurprising one. However, time will tell how many Call of Duty players will be affected by Activision’s future release plans.