Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 is rumored to be released in October of this year.

The Call of Duty fan community has begun its familiar discussion about the potential release date for the next installment, with one leaker suggesting a strong possibility of an October launch.

Call of Duty 2026 could be Modern Warfare 4, launching in October.

For a long-standing FPS franchise like this, a new game in 2026 isn't entirely surprising. However, specific details like the game's reveal or release date remain uncertain. While the series is known for its predictability, maintaining a consistent annual release schedule and similar gameplay across installments, rumors of major upcoming changes are still circulating.

There was once a leak suggesting that Call of Duty would likely abandon its annual release model, possibly even turning the Zombie mode into a standalone game. None of these rumors have been confirmed, and Activision has denied some of them. But of course, that wasn't enough to stop speculation about the release date of the next project.

Recently, the Twitter account CharlieIntel, known for accurately leaking much news related to COD, claimed that Modern Warfare 4 will be released in October of this year. When asked for more specifics, the leaker only said that it would be on one of five Fridays in October – which is quite normal, as most AAA games choose this timeframe. 

Numerous other rumors circulate about the next Call of Duty game.

Currently, Take-Two Interactive is sticking to its November release date, and both the gaming community and industry experts expect this to be one of the biggest, perhaps even the biggest, launches of the year. Therefore, it's not surprising that they're aiming for an October release, instead of November like Black Ops 7 last year. However, this difference isn't too significant.

While launching GTA 6 a month earlier might offer some advantages over releasing it a month later, giving players only a few weeks to enjoy the game before Rockstar's bomb explodes on the market also carries certain risks. Of course, there's no guarantee that CharlieIntel's October release date is entirely accurate.

The few weeks leading up to GTA 6's release might be enough time for Activision to secure initial revenue before the community gets distracted. But if rumors about the game reviving the hugely popular multiplayer mode of Modern Warfare 2 are true, it's worth seeing how things play out with GTA's shadow looming.

Beyond the release date, rumors suggest Modern Warfare 4 will be set on the Korean Peninsula, potentially involving the conflict between North and South Korea. A DMZ mode is also rumored to be included, understandable given the recent boom in Extraction shooters. Overall, the next Call of Duty project presents a mix of exciting developments and potential disappointments, so fans should continue to watch closely.