Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 Not Launching On Last-Gen Consoles
Activision has unveiled the next title in the Call Of Duty series – Modern Warfare 4. The Infinity Ward title will be set during a fictional Korean conflict and sees the return of characters Price and Ghost, as well as Valeria and Park. The game is set for an October launch, after Black Ops 7 features in this year’s Esports World Cup. But Activision has said it won’t launch on last-gen consoles, enabling developers to offer improved graphics and gameplay.
The news also means Warzone will become unplayable on PS4 and Xbox One when season 1 launches soon after the game’s main launch.
Nintendo fans do have reason to rejoice, however, as MW4 will be the first COD to launch on any Switch device. It will be available on Switch 2 on launch date.
On the one hand, it makes sense that developers move away from last-gen consoles. It means they no longer have to work within the confines of older hardware, so they can produce better-looking and, hopefully, more immersive games.
However, estimates suggest between 30% and 50% of players still rock a PS4 or Xbox One and haven’t made the move to new-gen rigs. The move could potentially alienate a fairly big portion of the user base.
Ignoring last-gen devices isn’t specific to Call of Duty, though, with a lot of blockbuster AAA titles making similar moves.
Activision can make up for some of the player base loss with Nintendo gamers, though. When Microsoft bought Activision Blizzard in 2023, it promised regulators it would make future Call of Duty games available on Nintendo consoles. It was intended to appease anti-monopoly decision-makers, but the move will open the franchise to another potential audience.
No More Nikki Minaj
One area where previous Call Of Duty titles have come under fire is in the launch of crossover skins.
The franchise has long promised to keep multiplayer cosmetics as authentic to the original game as possible, but a lot of commentators have pointed out that similar promises have been broken.
Across all Call of Duty games, we’ve had Nikki Minaj, Beavis and Butthead, The Boys, and a ton more.
While the skins obviously sell, and presumably make Activision extra money, a lot of players dislike them.
In a post on X, developers said: “We’re committed to keeping it grounded and transparent” before going on to reply to one user that there would be “No Lady Gaga. No Omni-Man. No Teletubbies. No SpongeBob. Keep the receipts.”
UI Changes
The “new” UI has also gotten some airtime. MW4 reverts to a cleaner design, ditching the horizontal tabs and minimising clutter.
The redesign has received mostly positive feedback. That’s especially true of the fact that individual classes can be customised with their own killstreaks.
The Prestige System
Finally, another change comes in the prestige system. As well as the traditional “Classic” prestige system, which resets rank class creation in exchange for a 20% XP boost and exclusive rewards, players can opt for a “Regular” prestige.
You still receive the emblems and milestones, but you lose the XP boost. Crucially, you don’t lose your class progression.
You can see the official reveal trailer for the game here, or on the Call Of Duty YouTube channel.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 is being developed by Infinity Ward and Digital Legends. It is being published by Activision.
MW4 is slated for a full global launch on October 23. It is coming to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC.
No. Developers have decided to focus their efforts on current-gen systems to offer improved graphics and gameplay.
