Call of Duty Developer Urges Caution on Modern Warfare 4 Speculations

Infinity Ward, the team behind the beloved Call of Duty: Modern Warfare series, has advised fans to “not believe everything you read on the internet” in light of recent rumors about next year’s installment. In a social media update, the studio extended holiday wishes to the community and hinted at exciting discussions coming soon. They cautioned fans to be skeptical of online claims, which may refer to a recent report suggesting that Infinity Ward is developing the 2026 Call of Duty title, speculated to be Modern Warfare 4, with multiplayer features allegedly mirroring those of Modern Warfare 2.

On December 13, a well-known leaker shared that “Modern Warfare 4 Multiplayer in its current state is currently a complete copy of Modern Warfare II except for no perk charging system and less ADS/slide penalties…” While this has yet to be officially confirmed, Infinity Ward’s latest post concluded with a promise: “See you in 2026.” The most recent entry in the franchise, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, reportedly underperformed compared to 2024’s Black Ops 6. Activision has announced a shift in strategy, stating it will avoid releasing entries in the same Call of Duty series in consecutive years.

Despite the reported sales dip for Black Ops 7, the franchise continues to thrive on Xbox Game Pass. There have been ongoing discussions about whether Activision can maintain the annual release schedule for Call of Duty while keeping the franchise vibrant and popular. Recently, Matt Booty, Head of Xbox Game Studios, acknowledged the challenges of delivering new Call of Duty titles each year. Meanwhile, Battlefield 6 has emerged as the top-selling game in the US for 2025 so far. On December 17, we’ll get insights from Circana regarding Black Ops 7’s US sales, although its presence on Game Pass may complicate the sales narrative.