Activision believes GTA 6 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 will dominate 2026, leaving even The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake behind. However, considering the recent struggles of Call of Duty, Activision might want to worry about fixing its own franchise before dismissing Nintendo’s legendary adventure.
Activision Chief Marketing Officer Tyler Bahl recently suggested that Grand Theft Auto 6 and Modern Warfare 4 are the two biggest games of 2026. His comments included the phrase “no offense to Zelda,” seemingly brushing aside Nintendo’s highly anticipated remake.
While GTA 6 is undoubtedly one of the most anticipated releases in gaming history, putting Modern Warfare 4 on the same level raises some serious questions.
Especially when Activision has spent years damaging the reputation of its own franchise.
Activision Thinks Call of Duty Can Compete With GTA 6
Grand Theft Auto 6 has generated enormous excitement since its announcement. Rockstar Games has spent years developing its next open-world adventure, and expectations are understandably high.
Industry analyst Anthony Palomba even claimed that GTA 6 generated more than $1 billion within its first hour of pre-orders. However, that figure remains an analyst claim rather than independently verified sales data.
Activision apparently believes Modern Warfare 4 belongs in the same conversation.
Bahl also suggested that GTA 6 could indirectly benefit Call of Duty. His reasoning is that Rockstar’s release might encourage players to return to their consoles, potentially increasing interest in other major games.
That argument isn’t entirely unreasonable. A massive release can bring additional attention to gaming as a whole.
However, getting players to turn on their consoles doesn’t automatically mean they will purchase another Call of Duty.
Call of Duty Has Been Losing Its Identity
For years, Call of Duty was one of the most recognizable names in gaming. Players purchased new installments for their campaigns, multiplayer experiences, and memorable characters.
Games such as the original Modern Warfare trilogy and Black Ops helped establish the franchise as a major force in the industry.
Unfortunately, Activision gradually shifted its priorities.
Instead of concentrating on delivering memorable experiences, the franchise increasingly embraced microtransactions, cosmetic bundles, seasonal content, and whatever trend happened to be popular.
Battle passes? Check.
Expensive operator bundles? Check.
Celebrity collaborations and ridiculous character skins? Check.
Constant attempts to follow the latest gaming trends? Absolutely.
Somewhere along the way, Call of Duty started looking less like a military shooter and more like a digital shopping mall with guns attached.
And that is precisely where Activision deserves criticism.
Activision Failed Call of Duty by Chasing Money and Trends
Let’s address the elephant in the room.
Activision, you helped ruin the Call of Duty franchise because chasing microtransactions and jumping on every available bandwagon became more important than protecting what made your games successful.
Players didn’t fall in love with Call of Duty because they could purchase another overpriced operator skin.
They didn’t spend countless hours playing Modern Warfare 2 because someone decided a crossover with the latest celebrity would make an excellent marketing opportunity.
They played because the games were fun.
The multiplayer was addictive, the campaigns delivered memorable moments, and the franchise had an identity.
Instead of building on those strengths, Activision increasingly treated Call of Duty as a platform for selling additional content.
Of course, companies need to make money. Nobody expects a major publisher to operate for free.
But there is a difference between making money from a successful game and designing an entire experience around squeezing more money out of its audience.
When your players start questioning whether the next update will improve gameplay or simply introduce another collection of expensive cosmetics, something has gone seriously wrong.
And no, adding another ridiculous crossover won’t magically repair that reputation.
Call of Duty doesn’t need another bandwagon. It needs to remember what Call of Duty used to be.
Recent Call of Duty Results Raise Questions
Activision’s confidence also comes at an interesting time.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 reportedly achieved record-breaking launch results, demonstrating that the franchise still commands considerable attention.
However, Black Ops 7 reportedly experienced a significantly weaker launch, with initial sales approximately 50% lower than its predecessor.
A January 2026 Circana report also placed Call of Duty at its weakest year-end position in the United States since 2008.
These figures don’t necessarily mean the franchise is finished. Call of Duty remains a major commercial property with a dedicated audience.
However, they suggest that Activision cannot simply assume every installment will become an enormous success.
Modern Warfare 4 might receive encouraging previews, but positive early impressions don’t guarantee a successful release.
Players have heard plenty of promises before.
What matters is whether Activision can finally deliver a complete and enjoyable experience without making its monetization strategy feel like the main attraction.
Dismissing Zelda Is a Strange Decision
Meanwhile, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remains one of the most celebrated games ever created.
Its original Nintendo 64 release helped redefine three-dimensional adventure games, introducing mechanics and design principles that influenced generations of developers.
The upcoming remake has enormous nostalgic appeal, especially among players who experienced the original adventure.
More importantly, Zelda and Call of Duty target different gaming experiences.
One offers an adventure built around exploration, puzzles, storytelling, and discovery. The other focuses primarily on military action and competitive multiplayer.
Comparing them purely through anticipated sales ignores why players appreciate these franchises in the first place.
A game doesn’t need to outsell GTA 6 to be considered successful.
And a remake of Ocarina of Time certainly doesn’t need Activision’s approval to justify its existence.
GTA 6 Is in a Different League
There is also a significant difference between Rockstar’s position and Activision’s.
Rockstar has built enormous anticipation around GTA 6 through years of development and the reputation of its previous releases.
Grand Theft Auto 5 became one of the most commercially successful entertainment products ever released. Red Dead Redemption 2 further strengthened Rockstar’s reputation for detailed open worlds.
That doesn’t guarantee GTA 6 will meet expectations, but it explains the extraordinary excitement surrounding its launch.
Modern Warfare 4 faces a different challenge.
It must convince players that Call of Duty still deserves their attention, particularly after years of complaints about monetization, franchise fatigue, and questionable creative decisions.
Those are not identical situations.
GTA 6 has to live up to enormous expectations.
Modern Warfare 4 has to live up to those expectations while rebuilding confidence in a franchise that Activision itself has helped weaken.
Activision Should Focus on Fixing Its Own Franchise
The gaming industry doesn’t need another argument about which publisher has the biggest release.
It needs publishers that respect their audiences.
Activision can claim that Modern Warfare 4 will stand alongside GTA 6 as one of 2026’s biggest games. That remains to be seen.
What the company cannot do is erase years of questionable decisions with another marketing statement.
Players have repeatedly criticized excessive monetization, unnecessary collaborations, and the loss of Call of Duty’s original identity.
Those concerns deserve more attention than dismissive comparisons with Zelda.
Perhaps Activision should spend less time explaining why Modern Warfare 4 is supposedly bigger than Ocarina of Time and more time proving that Call of Duty is still worth playing.
Because at this point, the franchise doesn’t need another celebrity skin, another expensive bundle, or another attempt to chase whatever happens to be trending.
It needs a genuinely great Call of Duty game.
And until Activision delivers that, its confidence sounds more like marketing than something it has earned.
