Infinity Ward's Next Call of Duty Game Takes Place In Korea

Like it or not, the Call of Duty franchise is a yearly staple in the video game industry. Back in its heyday, it was a widely celebrated release.

For many, the Black Ops games of the past are the peak of the series. Personally, I have a lot of fond memories with the Modern Warfare games. Given that, today's cryptic teaser for the upcoming Call of Duty game, spotted by CharlieIntel, should speak to my heart.

It looks like Modern Warfare 4 will be this year's Call of Duty game and will take place in Korea. This confirms long-standing rumors that this year's Call of Duty game will take place on the Korean Peninsula.

A fan on the Call of Duty subreddit pointed out that the Korean text indicates that we'll see more on June 7th, 2026, which just happens to be the date of the Xbox Games Showcase. Given that we saw the world premiere of Black Ops 7 during last year's Xbox Games Showcase, this isn't entirely surprising. Whether or not it'll be their final "one more thing" announcement remains to be seen. Given that they've already begun the teasing process, though, I'm hoping that team Xbox has some more surprises up their sleeve.

Infinity Ward Said They're Making The "Definitive Modern Warfare"

Last week, the Call of Duty YouTube channel had a chat with Jack O'Hara and Mark Grigsby, the co-studio heads for Infinity Ward, and the topic of their next CoD game came up. When asked whether or not they're making the next Call of Duty, Grigsby confirmed that they indeed are, telling viewers to "stay tuned." O'Hara added an additional tease as well.

We're making the definitive Modern Warfare.

Those are some pretty tall standards set in place, given that Modern Warfare and Modern Warfare 2 are still some of the best FPS games ever made. Then again, it would feel weird if a studio wasn't hyping up their game that's about to be premiered on the big stage, no?

The studio also released a statement recently on their website, teasing their next project. "As a new chapter begins for this studio, we’re focused on what defines us: passion, precision, obsession, and an unrelenting drive to make the best entertainment in the industry," it reads. "Our next game is the result of that mindset."

It looks like we'll soon get a full look at that passion, precision, and obsession next week, but this year will also mark a change in how Call of Duty is released.

Modern Warfare 4 Won't Be On Game Pass At Launch

One of the most exciting parts of Microsoft's purchase of Activision Blizzard King was the inclusion of its games in the Game Pass library. For the past few years, Call of Duty has been available on Game Pass at launch, but that will all change this year. As a reminder, when Microsoft announced a change to its Game Pass pricing, lowering the cost of Game Pass Ultimate from $29.99 to $22.99 per month, it came with some caveats. One of them was that new Call of Duty games will be added to the Game Pass lineup "during the following holiday season."

For some, it's a disappointment to not have access to what's essentially a first-party game for the Xbox brand. However, given the backlash of Game Pass' former price increase, this felt like a fair compromise in the eyes of many. Personally, I'm not heartbroken over it; Call of Duty has passed me by, and data originally showed that people were still buying Call of Duty anyway.

I'd love to see them remove the Fortnite benefits myself to possibly get the cost of Game Pass Ultimate down to roughly $14.99 a month, and I know I'm not alone there. For now, though, it's wishful thinking.

This is, however, expected to be the first Call of Duty game released on the Switch 2, so it has that going for it. We've been waiting for Switch 2 ports of Xbox games for quite some time, and according to the rumors, Call of Duty, not Halo: Campaign Evolved, will lead the way.