Activision Isn't Afraid of GTA VI: It Believes Modern Warfare 4 Will Share the 2026 Throne

Activision doesn't see GTA VI as a threat, but as an unexpected ally. As reported by IGN Spain, based on an interview published by The Game Business, the company believes Rockstar's return will benefit Call of Duty rather than pull players away from it. It is also confident that Modern Warfare 4 and GTA VI will end up being the two biggest video games of 2026.

The statement comes at a delicate moment for the shooter franchise, which is still dealing with the stumble of Black Ops 7. It's no coincidence that Activision is staking its claim so confidently. This year's release calendar revolves around a giant, and the series needs to prove it still holds its own ground on consoles, in tournaments and on streaming platforms, which is exactly where the game that matters to those of us who live off competition and content is being played.

What You Need to Know

• Activision believes GTA VI will help Call of Duty rather than hurt it.
• The company expects Modern Warfare 4 and GTA VI to be the two biggest games of 2026.
• The comments come from an interview by The Game Business with Activision's Tyler Bahl.
• The message arrives after the stumble of Black Ops 7, which puts all the pressure on the next instalment.
• The stance is summed up in one line from the interview: with all due respect to Zelda, GTA and Call of Duty would be the two biggest video games of the year.

Context: Two Giants in the Same Year

For years, the industry has treated major releases as a zero-sum game. When a monster launches, everyone else clears out of the calendar to avoid being buried. Activision proposes the opposite reading: a phenomenon like GTA VI doesn't just attract its longtime fans, it also brings back a lot of people who hadn't turned on their console in a while. That wave of returning players, according to the company's logic, ends up being spread across the year's biggest names, and Call of Duty aims to claim a significant share of it.

There are some interesting nuances here. GTA VI and Call of Duty aren't exactly competing for the same thing. One is an open world designed to get lost in for weeks; the other is an annual ritual of quick matches, weapon progression and competitive multiplayer. Plenty of people play both, and that's precisely Activision's bet: it isn't asking you to choose, it's asking you to make room.

The Weight of Black Ops 7

The source mentions a stumble by Black Ops 7, and that changes the tone of the whole message. Flexing after a resounding success is one thing; doing it when the latest instalment has fallen short of expectations is something else entirely. In that context, putting Modern Warfare 4 on the same level as GTA VI sounds as much like a message to reassure the community and investors as it does market analysis.

Our Take

Here at Underworld Lordz, we only buy half of the argument. It's true that a release like GTA VI shakes up the entire market and can bring a lot of people back to their consoles. But playtime doesn't multiply: the hours someone spends exploring Rockstar's map are hours they aren't spending in ranked. For competitive players, Call of Duty is still a daily routine; for casual players, however, GTA VI could become the only game of their season.

For content creators, the outlook is even more demanding. When a phenomenon like this launches, the algorithm and the audience follow it for weeks. If Modern Warfare 4 wants to share the throne, simply existing won't be enough: it will need solid multiplayer from day one, clear competitive support and reasons for people to want to watch it live, not just play it. After Black Ops 7, the margin for error is minimal.

That said, we appreciate that Activision isn't hiding. Getting out of Rockstar's way would have been an admission of weakness. Now it has to prove with the game itself, not with headlines, that its confidence is justified.

What Do You Think?

Do you think GTA VI will pull more people toward Call of Duty, or will it steal playtime and viewers on Twitch? Do you think Modern Warfare 4 has a real chance to redeem the series after Black Ops 7? Tell us where you stand in the team chat or on our Discord: are you going to split your time between the two, or do you already know which one is getting all your hours?