Call of Duty might scrap Warzone 3 in 2026 if Verdansk fails this year

Modified Mar 04, 2025 00:22 GMT

Warzone Verdansk — Warzone 3 might get cancelled (Image via Activision)

So far, leaks were pointing out Call of Duty will release Warzone 3 with a brand new engine in 2026 with the rumored title Modern Warfare 4. However, popular Call of Duty insider @TheGhostOfHope has revealed some new information that might shock the Warzone players. Activision might cancel Warzone 3 next year if the return of Verdansk doesn't retain the current playerbase.

Needless to say, Warzone is in a terrible state right now, and the only hope that players have is Verdansk coming back. We have seen Fortnite bringing back a large number of players by releasing its original map, and Call of Duty wants to do the same. However, based on the state the game is in right now, there is a very high chance that Verdansk might fail. In that case, the much-awaited Warzone 3 will never see the light.

Warzone 3 and COD 2026 new information leaked so far

It's not news that Call of Duty 2026 will reportedly be a Modern Warfare title, and it is being developed by Infinity Ward. There is also the rumor of DMZ coming back with the same title. However, fans were also hoping that a new version of Warzone would come with it. So far, the datamined information pointed towards the same.

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However, according to @TheGhostOfHope, things have changed. Warzone is failing, and the current game is still running on the Warzone 2 engine, which was heavily criticized. Based on the leaks, Infinity Ward doesn't want to make the same mistake that they did with Warzone 2 and Modern Warfare 2. Hence, if Verdansk fails, we might not see another Warzone again.

Although, it's not all bad news for Call of Duty fans. One of the most exciting pieces of news is that the upcoming title will no longer support last-gen consoles, which indicates that Call of Duty can finally move on and create a game solely for newer devices. Furthermore, the leaker has also notified that the game engine is being overhauled to reduce visual clutter, which was a big issue in Modern Warfare 2. This suggests a potentially clean Call of Duty experience in 2026. The leaker also hints at more of a traditional UI being used in the game, like older titles.

With all this information, we can expect that Call of Duty is going towards the right direction. However, the future of Warzone is still uncertain. The only thing we can hope is that Verdansk will succeed and fans will finally get the battle royale that they fell in love with back in 2020.

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Edited by Debabrata Naiya