Activision believes the release of Grand Theft Auto VI could benefit Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, rather than merely taking players away from it. Tyler Bahl, the company’s head of marketing, suggested that interest in Rockstar’s game could prompt more people to turn on their consoles again and expand the audience available to both titles.
The executive named GTA VI and Modern Warfare 4 as the two biggest games of 2026, ranking them even above the remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. This is his assessment of upcoming releases, not a ranking based on sales or a commercial result that has already been achieved.
His argument centers on Call of Duty’s social aspect. Bahl said that one of the main reasons people keep playing is spending time with friends, beyond the combat or shooting mechanics. From that perspective, someone who returns to Xbox or PlayStation for GTA VI might also spend time playing Activision’s multiplayer game.
The comparison comes ahead of the releases of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Remake, scheduled for 5 in November, and GTA VI, scheduled for 19 in November. Bahl expects the conversation around these releases to benefit video games in general; a possible increase in Call of Duty’s audience remains an expectation.
