IT News on October 16th: Activision believes that the release of GTA 6 is expected to boost the performance of the Call of Duty series, rather than squeezing its market share.
Taylor Barr, Activision's Chief Marketing Officer ( Tyler Bahl ), stated that " GTA 6 " and "Call of Duty" will be among the two largest games in 2026. The player return and increased attention to the gaming industry brought about by the former are expected to create more opportunities for "Modern Warfare 4".
On October 15th local time in Bar, during an interview with The Game Business, when asked whether the release of GTA 6 and the remastered version of "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time" in the same period in November would squeeze the market and distract players from "Call of Duty,"
Bal stated that the attention brought by " GTA 6" may not necessarily have a negative impact on "Call of Duty." He believes that this will encourage more players to turn on their " Xbox " or " PlayStation " consoles again and start playing games once more, which will bring more attention to the entire gaming industry and also give "Call of Duty" more exposure.
He also pointed out that the long-term competitiveness of "Call of Duty" comes not only from its combat system and gunplay, but also from the social experience among players. According to Activision's user surveys, playing games with friends and using game time to spend time together with them is one of the experiences that players value most. Bal believes that the series' support for cross-platform online play with friends is also an advantage that sets it apart from other games.
According to The Game Business, Bar also stated that if more people discuss games and media coverage of the gaming industry increases, the entire industry will benefit, not just Activision. Regarding concerns that the number of Call of Duty players may decline after the release of GTA 6, he did not give a definitive judgment, suggesting that players might even play both games simultaneously, which could lead to a slight increase in the number of Call of Duty players.
As mentioned by The Game Business, "Call of Duty: Black Ops 7," released in 2025 as part of the "Call of Duty" series, failed to meet expectations. Its initial sales in the European market were 50% lower than those of its predecessors, and its annual sales ranking in the United States also dropped to the lowest level for the series since 2008. Activision needs to win back market confidence and players through "Modern Warfare 4."
Barr admitted that Activision's previous strategy of continuously releasing sequels to the same sub-series did not meet players' expectations. The company released "Modern Warfare II" in 2022 and "Modern Warfare III" in 2023, followed by "Call of Duty: Black Ops 6" and "Call of Duty: Black Ops 7" in 2024 and 2025 respectively. He stated that although these games differ in their setting, gameplay, and features, players still desire a fresher experience.
Bal stated that in the future, the "Call of Duty" series will launch a brand-new sub-series, and relevant work has already begun on this. He also mentioned that "Modern Warfare 4" will make adjustments based on player feedback to meet the community's demand for freshness and changes in style.
Related Reading:
- Following "Modern Warfare" and "Black Ops": Activision confirms that "Call of Duty" will launch a brand-new sub-series, with game development already underway
- 〈GTA 6〉 is alleged to have shown a preference for pre-orders of Sony products over PS5; Microsoft XBOX executives respond, "We are very satisfied"
