GTA 6 Could Boost Call of Duty Says Activision CMO

Modern Warfare 4 launches 27 days before GTA 6. Activision says the queue for Vice City is good news for it too.

By Dana WhitlockPublished 15 Oct 2026Last updated 15 Oct 20264 min read

Jason in a blue shirt holding a compact submachine gun under pink sky and palm trees in an official GTA 6 image — Image: Rockstar Games. Official promotional image used for news reporting.

The short version

Activision chief marketing officer Tyler Bahl told The Game Business that GTA 6 and Call of Duty Modern Warfare 4 are the two biggest games of the year, ahead of the Zelda Ocarina of Time remake. He expects GTA 6 to bring lapsed console players back, which he says means more eyeballs for Call of Duty.

Quick answer

Does Activision think GTA 6 will hurt Call of Duty?

No. Activision chief marketing officer Tyler Bahl told The Game Business that GTA 6 and Call of Duty are the two biggest games of 2026. He expects GTA 6 to pull lapsed players back to PS5 and Xbox, and says that means more eyeballs for Call of Duty overall.

Activision has a shooter launching 27 days before GTA 6. Its marketing boss says that timing is a gift.

Tyler Bahl, chief marketing officer at Activision, made the case on The Game Business Show this week. Editor Chris Dring had called GTA 6 and Nintendo's Zelda Ocarina of Time remake this year's Barbenheimer, the 2023 cinema clash, and asked whether Call of Duty was being squeezed out. Bahl pushed back with a joke at Zelda's expense.

What did Activision say about GTA 6?

Bahl called GTA 6 and Call of Duty the two biggest games of 2026. He also said GTA 6 bringing people back to their consoles helps Activision. This is his answer as The Game Business printed it.

“Well, no offense to Zelda, but [GTA and COD] are the two biggest games of the year. And more people coming in to the dashboards, more people taking the dust off their Xbox or PlayStation and playing again, is going to be more eyeballs for us overall.”

Tyler Bahl, chief marketing officer at Activision, to The Game Business

The fuller transcript from VGC names the games inside the brackets as GTA 6 and Modern Warfare 4. Bahl added that friends playing together keeps Call of Duty going, more than the gunplay does.

The clip spread fast. Culture Crave, IGN and GameSpot all posted it on X within an hour of each other on Thursday evening.

Will GTA 6 hurt Call of Duty player numbers?

Activision says it does not know yet, and might even gain. Asked whether players will leave on 19 November, Bahl told VGC the result could go either way.

He said they “might actually see, you know, a slight uptick”, or players could take “a little of this” and “a little of that”. That is a hedge, and an honest one. Call of Duty has room to grow back. Ampere data cited by The Game Business puts its monthly players at around 40 million in 2024 and in the mid 20 millions this year.

a man in a cap aiming a scoped revolver in a dark room in an official GTA 6 image — Image: Rockstar Games. Official screenshot used for news reporting.

When does Modern Warfare 4 come out compared with GTA 6?

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 4 launches on 23 October 2026, VGC reports. GTA 6 follows on 19 November 2026 on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.

Claim or date	Status	Source
GTA 6 and CoD are "the two biggest games of the year"	Activision's opinion	Tyler Bahl, The Game Business
GTA 6 brings lapsed console players back	Activision's expectation	Tyler Bahl, The Game Business
Modern Warfare 4 launches 23 October 2026	Reported	VGC
GTA 6 launches 19 November 2026	Confirmed	Rockstar Games
MW4 purchase intent 15%, Ocarina 10.4% (US)	Survey data	Mat Piscatella, Circana, via VGC
Rockstar response	None	No statement found

That gap gives Call of Duty almost four weeks alone on the shelf. It also lands GTA 6 straight into the window when early reviews are expected, as our GTA 6 reviews report covers.

Is Modern Warfare 4 bigger than the Zelda remake?

On raw US purchase intent it is ahead, but the comparison flatters it. Circana analyst Mat Piscatella put Modern Warfare 4 at 15% and the Ocarina of Time remake at 10.4% as of August, VGC reports.

Piscatella added the catch himself. Just under 50 million PS5 and Xbox Series consoles sit in US homes, against fewer than 7 million Switch 2s. Per possible player, he says Zelda's intent is far higher.

Why is Activision talking about GTA 6 at all?

Call of Duty needs a comeback, and GTA 6 is the one release it cannot avoid. The Game Business reports last year's Black Ops 7 finished fifth in the US, the series' lowest ranking since 2008, while Battlefield 6 was the best selling shooter of 2025.

Every big shooter has to plan around Rockstar's date. GTA 6 is also eligible for this year's awards by a single day, as our Game Awards explainer shows. Activision has chosen to stand next to it rather than run from it.

Rockstar Games has said nothing about the comments. The first real test comes on 19 November, when the player counts start moving.

Frequently asked questions

What did Activision say about GTA 6?

Activision chief marketing officer Tyler Bahl told The Game Business that GTA 6 and Call of Duty are the two biggest games of 2026, and that players returning to consoles for GTA 6 mean more eyeballs for Call of Duty.

When does Call of Duty Modern Warfare 4 come out?

Modern Warfare 4 launches on 23 October 2026, according to VGC. That is 27 days before GTA 6 arrives on 19 November 2026.

Will GTA 6 hurt Call of Duty player numbers?

Activision does not expect a clear drop. Tyler Bahl told The Game Business they might see a slight uptick, or players splitting time between the two games.

Is Modern Warfare 4 more anticipated than the Zelda remake?

Circana's Mat Piscatella put US purchase intent at 15% for Modern Warfare 4 and 10.4% for the Ocarina of Time remake, but noted far fewer Americans own a Switch 2.