New Xbox console delay reportedly affected Call of Duty game slated to compete with GTA 6

AMD recently hinted that the new Xbox console was on track to debut in 2027. A reliable Call of Duty leaker previously reported that Microsoft was targeting a late 2026 release date. TheGhostOfHope now believes the delay has impacted the launch timing of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4.

In a social media post, the insider reveals that Modern Warfare 4 was expected to debut with Microsoft’s next gaming system. While competing with GTA 6 in November is a tall task, a new shooter and hardware may have allured some buyers. With those plans disrupted, multiple Call of Duty games could now surface alongside the console.

The latest rumor details Activision’s revised efforts to support the new Xbox console. Players may see a multiplayer Call of Duty game and a standalone zombies experience, likely developed by Treyarch. Normally bundled with titles like Black Ops 7, fans have long requested a project devoted to co-op survival-themed gameplay.

How the development of Call of Duty games is changing

Responding to sluggish Black Ops 7 sales, the publisher announced in December that it was adjusting the pace of new releases. Microsoft reportedly also wants the company to move away from an annual schedule. Completing a DMZ option earlier could have capitalized on the demand for an extraction shooter.

TheGhostOfHope first referred to the new gaming machine as “Xbox Prime” in 2024. At the time, the leaker anticipated a Call of Duty title to appear when it was ready in 2026. Windows Central’s Jez Corden would later deny the claim and projected release date. Even so, there have been few sources as reliable with news about Activision’s franchise.

Xbox is in another state of transition, with Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer leaving the company. Soon after Asha Sharma took over, she stressed the importance of hardware to the brand. Regardless, storage and memory shortages could delay the rumored Magnus Xbox console/PC hybrid until after 2027.