Call of Duty 2026 Drops Last-Gen Consoles, Focuses on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S: Activision Confirms

Call of Duty players worried about old hardware can relax, as this year’s release skips PlayStation 4 and, by implication, Xbox One. The official Call of Duty X account confirmed that the upcoming entry is not being developed for PS4, signalling a clear shift to current-generation consoles.

This decision ends more than a decade of cross-generation support. Every mainline Call of Duty since 2013’s Call of Duty: Ghosts has launched on the Xbox One and PS4 family. The new approach raises hopes among fans that Infinity Ward and partner studios can focus on stronger technology and features.

Call of Duty Next Game and Console Shift

Speculation about a different direction began earlier in the week, when reports claimed playtests for the next Call of Duty, widely rumoured as Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, were happening on PS4. The idea alarmed parts of the community, as PS4 will be around 13 years old when the game is expected.

Those rumours also circulated while chatter about a possible PS6 launch within one or two years continued online. Many players argue that games feel limited by last-generation consoles. Activision now appears ready to leave that hardware behind, aligning Call of Duty with newer platforms only.

Call of Duty Performance, Black Ops 7 and Sales

The shift follows a mixed year for Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, which released across both last-gen and current-gen systems. Call of Duty usually finishes first or second on annual sales charts in the United States. Black Ops 7 ranked fifth instead, the weakest position since Call of Duty: World at War in 2008.

Black Ops 7 was also overtaken by Battlefield 6, a long-standing rival series. Some observers now wonder if dropping older consoles might help future entries compete more strongly. It remains uncertain whether this year’s game will show a major visual or gameplay leap, but expectations within the community are clear.

Call of Duty Development History and Platform Plans

Activision has not explained why support for last-gen has ended. CharlieIntel co-founder Keshav Bhat said Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 development reportedly included last-gen versions until late last year, before those builds were cancelled. Call of Duty was among the final big franchises still releasing on PS4 and Xbox One.

Attention now turns to other companies that may still support older systems. Observers will watch whether remaining publishers copy Call of Duty’s decision and focus only on newer consoles. For players in India and elsewhere, this could influence upgrade plans and future multiplayer communities.

Questions also remain about Nintendo platforms. When Microsoft acquired Activision in 2021, it agreed in a 10-year legal deal to bring Call of Duty to Nintendo hardware. Activision said last year that work is ongoing. Fans now debate whether Modern Warfare 4 could appear on a possible Nintendo Switch 2, despite PS4 and Xbox One being left behind.