The 2026 Call of Duty game—believed to be called Modern Warfare 4—will reportedly have multiplayer that is largely identical to the 2022 Modern Warfare 2, according to a well-known leaker. Some longtime fans may find the claim discouraging, not least because Modern Warfare 2 had one of the most polarizing multiplayer modes in recent Call of Duty history.
Every time Activision releases another entry in its long-running first-person shooter series, Call of Duty fans scrutinize things like time to kill (TTK), movement, visibility, and other aspects of the game that directly impact the overall multiplayer experience. Infinity Ward’s Modern Warfare 2 drew criticism from longtime players for its sluggish movement and short TTK, which together fostered an unusual competitive meta where jump shots became a near-necessity.
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2026 Modern Warfare 4 Is Basically Modern Warfare 2 2.0, Leaker Claims
The 2022 game’s design philosophy is now set to return next year, according to Twitter user TheGhostOfHope, who has a substantial track record of credible Call of Duty leaks. Taking to Twitter in mid-December 2025, the insider reported that Modern Warfare 4‘s multiplayer is almost “a complete copy of Modern Warfare 2,” except that its ADS and slide penalties aren’t as harsh and perks don’t have to be charged up.
With Modern Warfare 4 being expected to hit the market in late 2026, the likelihood of its developer implementing any radical design changes in the remaining 11 months appears slim. The game is reportedly in the works at Infinity Ward, the primary developer behind Modern Warfare 2. Although the 2022 installment had a strong launch—generating over $1 billion in sales within 10 days—it also recorded the weakest player retention among all the modern Call of Duty titles, reportedly losing half of its PC player base after the first month. The sharp drop may be attributable to complaints about the game’s multiplayer.
Why Many Call of Duty Veterans Disliked Modern Warfare 2
Many longtime fans took issue with Modern Warfare 2‘s multiplayer for a variety of reasons, though a large share of complaints centered on the game’s movement, which was slower compared to most entries in the series. While the reduced movement speed made the game more accessible by narrowing the traversal gap between newcomers and competitive players, some Call of Duty veterans criticized the change, arguing it lowered the game’s traditional skill ceiling. The Modern Warfare 2 minimap also drew complaints for omitting red dots to indicate unsuppressed gunfire. This was a design shift intended to promote sound-based tracking that, in turn, significantly altered the game’s pacing. Visibility issues were further compounded by pronounced muzzle flash and intense visual recoil effects, which often made it easy to lose track of targets after firing.
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The latest batch of TheGhostOfHope’s Modern Warfare 4 insights has also included a tidbit about the game’s supposed target platforms, with the leaker claiming that the shooter won’t be available on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. With both consoles now over 12 years old, there is a widespread expectation among fans that the series will drop support for them sooner rather than later.
Modern Warfare 4 may also be released on the Switch 2, which would align with Microsoft’s February 2023 commitment to bring 10 years’ worth of Call of Duty titles to Nintendo consoles. TheGhostOfHope referenced that agreement in a December 13 tweet talking about Modern Warfare 4‘s target platforms, stating that the Switch 2 “will be involved at some point,” albeit without elaborating. The next Call of Duty game will likely be revealed by mid-2026 and hit the market in the lead-up to the holiday season, based on Activision’s publishing patterns.
Source: Charlie INTEL
