Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 Leaks Early, Make Or Break Moment For Franchise
Topics: Call Of Duty, Infinity Ward, Activision
Featured Image Credit: Activision
Topics: Call Of Duty, Infinity Ward, Activision
It's been four years since Infinity Ward delivered Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, but after the typical cycle of Sledgehammer Games developing Modern Warfare III, and a double dose of Treyarch with Black Ops 6 and Black Ops 7, it's time for the team to polish their pistols and jump back into action.
While Call of Duty is typically the best-selling game of the year, that's probably not going to be the case thanks to Grand Theft Auto racing into action on November 19. Even though the harshest critics will say the CoDverse has had its day, even the middling Black Ops 7 still managed to top the charts.
Still, with stiff competition from Battlefield 6 and a multitude of issues that ranged from the use of AI assets to a lacklustre co-op campaign, many have called for something of a reset.
It's all change as this year's Call of Duty won't be a day one release on Xbox Game Pass, meaning players are already vexed that they'll have to stump up the price of admission. The ire around this has died down a bit, with some CoD fanatics saying this will actually be a good thing. As the military marketing machine rumbles into action, one insider claims to have given us our first real look at Modern Warfare 4 – well, whatever it ends up being called.
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It's confirmed that Infinity Ward is returning to the Modern Warfare series (sorry Ghost fans), but there's no official title just yet.
There's a war of the leakers online, with RalpsValve sharing a supposed MW4 logo. This caught the attention of billbil-kun, who added: "Too many fake leaks nowadays, and some people still believe them, even when they’ve already been proven wrong 🙄 Anyway, here’s a ‘not fake’ cover for one of Activision’s games."
Telling people to read the image description, it states, "Image blurred intentionally for legal reasons," and suggests they don't want to land on the radar of Activision's legal eagles.
There's not much to go on from this apparent cover art that looks like it's been obscured by frosted glass, but if legitimate, this could be our first real tease of the next Modern Warfare.
We were among those who were less than impressed by MWIII's disappointing campaign, so let's hope Infinity Ward can turn things around.
— Infinity Ward (@InfinityWard) May 21, 2026
This hype comes just days after Infinity Ward delivered a much-needed update on what's next for CoD. Posting on social media, the developer boasted about its own credentials for building "visceral, immersive combat experiences that hit different" and discussed a 'new chapter' for the studio.
Promising that the 2026's Call of Duty will be focused on IW's "passion, precision, obsession, and an unrelenting drive to make the best entertainment in history," the team added: "Our next game is the result of that mindset. Determined. Bold. Relentless. Built by a team pushing every detail, every system, every moment to its limit."
Infinity Ward thanked fans and concluded, "We’re proud of what we’ve been building and excited to finally start sharing it with you.”
The jury is currently out on whether Call of Duty can climb bout of the trenches, and to be honest, it'll take more than a blurred cover art reveal to turn naysayers around.
READ MORE: Call of Duty Made Unplayable For Millions As New-Gen Exclusivity Officially Confirmed