Activision: GTA 6 Will Help Modern Warfare 4, Not Hurt It

Ever worry that two massive games launching close together might cancel each other out? Activision isn't losing sleep over it. In fact, the company believes GTA 6 will actually give Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 a boost when both arrive this November.

Speaking to The Game Business, Activision chief marketing officer Tyler Bahl was asked about the possibility of a video game 'Barbenheimer' moment, with GTA 6 and the Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake both launching in November. Would Call of Duty get drowned out? Bahl didn't think so. "Well, no offense to Zelda, but [GTA and COD] are the two biggest games of the year," he said. He explained that more people firing up their consoles means more eyeballs for everyone. "More people coming in to the dashboards, more people taking the dust off their Xbox or PlayStation and starting to play again... is going to be more eyeballs for us overall."

Bahl also pointed to Call of Duty's social side as its secret weapon. According to Activision's research, the most exciting thing about the game isn't the combat or gunplay, but playing with friends. "My friends were there. Or, 'I'm able to spend time with my friends,'" Bahl said, quoting player feedback. With Modern Warfare 4 coming to Switch 2 for the first time, alongside PC, Xbox, and PlayStation, he sees that cross-platform community as a unique opportunity.

It's a needed positive spin after last year's Black Ops 7, which was a high-profile commercial disappointment. Bahl admitted that releasing sub-brand sequels back-to-back (Modern Warfare 2 and 3, then Black Ops 6 and 7) simply didn't work. "It was not something that our community was looking for," he said. "They wanted something new and fresh." Fans wanted a tonal shift, and Activision has already said a future title will be a new sub-franchise, with groundwork laid.

For now, all eyes are on Modern Warfare 4, which Bahl says addresses that community feedback. The game kicks off tomorrow with campaign early access. The Ocarina of Time remake arrives November 5, and GTA 6 lands November 19. Activision had already hinted that Modern Warfare 4 would end this version of the sub-brand, and Treyarch has confirmed it's moving on from Black Ops to something new, with 2027 looking set for a brand new Call of Duty sub-brand.

"Where we go with future games, we have to innovate," Bahl said. "What we heard from the audience is they want new or better or different. The landscape is changing right under our feet." It's a clear message: Activision knows it can't just keep recycling the same old formula.

So, with GTA 6 and Modern Warfare 4 both dropping in November, do you think the competition will help or hurt Call of Duty? Will you be picking up Modern Warfare 4? Let us know in the comments!