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'Call of Duty' to skip PlayStation 4 release for first time since 2013
Activision confirms next Call of Duty won't release on PlayStation 4, marking the first time since 2013's Ghosts that the franchise skips last-gen consoles
- PUBLISHED: Tue 5 May 2026, 1:44 PM
Activision has confirmed the next Call of Duty game won't launch on PlayStation 4, marking the first time the franchise has skipped Sony's previous-generation console since 2013's Call of Duty: Ghosts.
"Not sure where this one started, but it's not true," the official Call of Duty account posted on May 4 on X. "The next Call of Duty is not being developed for PS4."
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While Activision only specifically mentioned PlayStation 4, the statement strongly suggests Xbox One is also being left behind. The confirmation came after several days of rumours claiming the upcoming game was being playtested on last-gen consoles.
Why the shift away from last-gen?
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 still shipped on PS4 and Xbox One last year, but it was only a matter of time before developers moved on entirely. Hardware limitations were increasingly obvious, with players routinely comparing graphics between current and last-gen platforms, and the older consoles clearly struggled.
Battlefield Studios made a similar decision with Battlefield 6, stating "The vision of Battlefield 6 wouldn't have been possible on the previous generation." As gaming technology advances, older hardware simply can't keep up with what developers want to build.
What we know about 2026's Call of Duty
There's no official reveal yet, but rumours point to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 as this year's title. Whatever it's called, Microsoft has already announced the new Call of Duty won't launch directly into Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass. Instead, CoD games will arrive on Game Pass roughly a year after their initial release.
The PlayStation 4 launched in 2013, and for over a decade, Call of Duty reliably appeared on Sony's console every year. Dropping support signals the franchise is fully committed to current-gen hardware moving forward.
Players still gaming on PS4 or Xbox One will need to upgrade to PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X/S if they want to play this year's Call of Duty. For many, this announcement might finally be the push needed to make the jump to current-generation consoles.
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