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

So far, leaks have pointed out that Call of Duty would release Warzone 3 with a brand new engine in 2026, with the title supposedly called Modern Warfare 4. However, popular Call of Duty insider @TheGhostOfHope shared that Activision might cancel Warzone 3 next year if the return of Verdansk doesn't retain the current player base.

Needless to say, Warzone is in a terrible state right now, and the only hope that players have is Verdansk's return. We have seen Fortnite bringing back a chunk of its playerbase by releasing its original map, and Call of Duty seemingly wants to do the same. However, based on the game's current state, there is a very high chance that Verdansk might fail. If so, the much-awaited Warzone 3 will never see the light.

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Warzone 3 and COD 2026 new information leaked so far

As per reports, Call of Duty 2026 will be a Modern Warfare title developed by Infinity Ward. There is also a rumor of DMZ's return with the title. Fans were hoping that a new version of Warzone would come with it, and the datamined information points toward the same.

According to @TheGhostOfHope, however, things have changed. Warzone is seemingly 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.

It's not all bad news for Call of Duty fans, though. One of the most exciting pieces of information 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 stated 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 hinted at more of a traditional UI being used in the game, like older titles.

With all this information, we can expect Call of Duty to go in the right direction. However, the future of Warzone is still uncertain. If Verdansk succeeds, fans will finally get the battle royale they fell in love with back in 2020.

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Check out our other Call of Duty news and guides:

• New Verdansk leak suggests 19 POIs for the fan-favorite map in Warzone
• 5 features that should be part of Warzone when Verdansk returns
• 7 weapons that should return with Verdansk in Warzone