The next chapter in the Call of Duty franchise is shaping up to be a major turning point for the series. Reports surrounding the rumored Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 suggest the game will officially abandon last-generation consoles, marking the end of an era for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One players.
Recent speculation online claimed the upcoming title was still being tested on PS4 hardware, but Activision quickly shut those rumors down. In a statement posted through the official Call of Duty social media account, the publisher confirmed that “the next Call of Duty is not being developed for PS4,” strongly signaling that Xbox One support is also ending.
While Activision has not formally revealed the game’s title, multiple industry reports and insider leaks point toward the next installment being Modern Warfare 4, developed by Infinity Ward. The rumored 2026 release is expected to continue the rebooted Modern Warfare storyline and potentially introduce a more advanced engine focused on current-generation hardware.
The move away from last-gen consoles has been expected by many fans. The PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S are now nearly six years into their lifecycle, yet Call of Duty continued releasing cross-generation titles longer than most major franchises. Last year’s release still launched on PS4 and Xbox One, but critics argued the older hardware limited the franchise’s ability to fully evolve visually and technically.
By dropping support for aging consoles, Infinity Ward could finally push larger multiplayer environments, stronger AI systems, faster load times, and improved graphics without being held back by decade-old hardware. Many longtime players see the shift as overdue, especially as competitors continue focusing solely on current-gen systems and PC.
Although Activision has yet to officially unveil the 2026 Call of Duty title, the company’s latest comments make one thing clear: the franchise is preparing to fully embrace the current generation of gaming hardware.
