Activision says GTA 6 and Modern Warfare 4 lead year's biggest releases
Activision chief marketing officer Tyler Bahl has named Grand Theft Auto 6 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 as the two biggest games of the year, adding "no offense to Zelda".
He made the remark in an interview with The Game Business, as reported by Video Games Chronicle. The interview was published on 15 October 2026. Bahl leads marketing at Activision, the publisher behind Call of Duty.
The calendar is tight. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 is scheduled to launch worldwide on 23 October 2026, according to Activision Support. Grand Theft Auto 6 is scheduled for release on 19 November 2026. That puts three weeks between the two launches.
Bahl also set out where Modern Warfare 4 will be sold. He said the game will be available on Switch 2, PC, Xbox and PlayStation. Switch 2 is a new platform for Call of Duty, which has not previously appeared on Nintendo's current console generation.
The Zelda reference points to a busy season for Nintendo as well. The Game Business editor Chris Dring described GTA 6 and the Ocarina of Time remake as this year's video game equivalent of 'Barbenheimer', the nickname used when two major releases arrive close together. Bahl did not dispute the strength of that competition. His phrase was a nod to it.
Modern Warfare 4 is a first-person shooter, a game played from the character's point of view. Activision has confirmed the game for PlayStation 5 in its announcement post. Preorders are available on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox on PC, according to Activision Support.
For fans, this means a crowded few weeks. Three large releases are landing close together across different publishers and platforms. Each will compete for attention, shelf space and playing time.
