- Primary Subject: Call of Duty (2026)
- Key Update: Report claims the next Call of Duty is being tested on PS4
- Status: Rumored (leaker report, not officially confirmed)
- Last Verified: May 4, 2026
- Quick Answer: A known leaker claims the next Call of Duty is being tested on PS4, suggesting Activision may still consider a cross-gen release, though this remains unconfirmed and does not guarantee the game will launch on last-gen hardware.
Reports around the next Call of Duty have sparked a lot of discussion after claims surfaced that the upcoming entry, widely rumored to be Modern Warfare 4, is being tested on PlayStation 4.
The claim reportedly comes from Call of Duty leaker @HeyImAlaix, who is known in the community for sharing information related to skins, datamined content, and other franchise updates.
For now, Activision and Infinity Ward have not officially confirmed the game’s title, platforms, or release date, so this should still be treated as a rumor rather than a confirmed announcement.
Why Is a 2026 Call of Duty Being Tested on PS4?
The idea of a 2026 Call of Duty being tested on PS4 sounds surprising at first, especially since the console launched back in 2013.
However, the move makes more sense when you look at the bigger picture, as the PS4 still has a large active player base and many players have not upgraded to the PS5 due to pricing, earlier availability issues, or the fact that major games are still being released on older hardware.
For a franchise as commercially massive as Call of Duty, leaving behind millions of potential players could mean giving up a huge audience.
A common point in these discussions is that this generation feels different, with the PS3-to-PS4 jump seen as a major step forward, while the PS4-to-PS5 shift has been more subtle.
Since many current-gen games still share design similarities with last-gen releases, some players do not feel enough pressure to upgrade.
Others argue that as long as major franchises continue supporting PS4 and Xbox One, the incentive to buy a newer console becomes even weaker.
Does Testing on PS4 Confirm a Last-Gen Release?
Testing the game on PS4 doesn’t necessarily confirm a release on the platform, as developers often experiment with multiple builds before finalizing where the game will launch.
Still, if this report is accurate, it suggests Activision may at least be considering another cross-gen release. That could mean the next Call of Duty launches on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S, while also possibly targeting newer platforms depending on Microsoft’s broader strategy.
The rumored 2026 entry is also believed to be connected to the Modern Warfare subseries. Earlier leaks claimed that the next game could continue the story after Modern Warfare 3, with Makarov and the Konni Group possibly remaining central to the conflict.
Other rumors have suggested a Korean peninsula setting, a possible October 2026 release window, and the return of DMZ with new maps designed for that mode.
There have also been claims that multiplayer may not bring huge gameplay changes, which could make it easier for the game to scale across older and newer hardware.
What Are the Concerns About PS4 Support?
The main concern among fans is that supporting PS4 might limit the game, as many feel last-gen consoles are already struggling with newer Call of Duty releases, particularly in texture loading, storage speed, frame rate, and visual quality.
The PS4’s older CPU and hard drive are often seen as major limits compared to the SSD-based design of the PS5.
As a result, some fans fear development time will be spent supporting outdated hardware instead of pushing current-gen performance further.
However, there’s another perspective, as some players argue that Call of Duty has always prioritized scalability over pushing technical limits.
Given that the series already supports multiple hardware setups, especially PCs with varying performance levels, a PS4 release doesn’t necessarily affect the PS5 version.
Supporters of cross-gen releases argue that the older version can simply receive lower-resolution textures, weaker visual settings, longer loading times, or reduced performance targets while newer consoles still get the better experience.
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