- Microsoft and Nintendo have a ten-year agreement to release Call of Duty with content parity and simultaneous releases.
- Leaks from the Call of Duty HQ launcher and various sources point to a Switch 2 release in early 2026.
- The new Switch 2 hardware facilitates ports of main installments and Warzone, after more than a decade without COD on Nintendo consoles.
- The arrival of Call of Duty on Switch 2 fits into Microsoft's multiplatform strategy following the purchase of Activision Blizzard.
After years of rumors, promises, and somewhat awkward silences, the Call of Duty's arrival in the Nintendo ecosystem It's back in the spotlight. Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard ignited expectations among Switch players, but for months... There were hardly any official updatesThis caused some frustration among European and Spanish fans.
In recent weeks, various pieces of information have begun to fit together like the pieces of a puzzle: technical leaks, statements from specialized journalists, and references within the Call of Duty launcher itself on PC They indicate that the saga will land in the future Nintendo Switch 2with a window that clearly points to 2026 and with the commitment to offer the same content as on Xbox and PC.
From Microsoft's promise to the silence after the Activision acquisition
During the Activision Blizzard acquisition process, Microsoft publicly committed to Bringing Call of Duty to Nintendo consoles with simultaneous releases and full content parity with other platforms. That agreement, signed with Nintendo in 2023 and valid for ten years, was one of the key factors in convincing regulators in the United States, Europe, and other territories that the franchise would remain multiplatform.
The commitment didn't stop at a simple statement: The contract legally obligates Microsoft to publish Call of Duty on the Switch's successor.with the same game modes, updates, and expansion packs as on Xbox and PC. For Spanish and European players, accustomed to seeing cut-down versions or late releases on some Nintendo consoles, this explicit mention of content parity was especially relevant.
Nevertheless, once the purchase of Activision Blizzard was completed at the end of 2023, News about the supposed Call of Duty for Switch 2 practically disappeared off the mapThe absence of announcements at Nintendo events and presentations fueled doubts about whether the project was still underway, and many users began to wonder where that promised COD was.
Microsoft, for its part, maintained a low profile for months, focusing its communication on other releases and the integration of Activision's studios into its internal structure, while the issue of Call of Duty on Nintendo remained in a discreet second place.
Leaks from the Call of Duty HQ launcher point to Nintendo
The shift in the narrative has come from an unexpected front: the franchise's own PC launcher, Call of Duty HQThis application, which centralizes access to titles such as Black Ops 7 or the free battle royale Warzone, recently received an update whose internal code has been thoroughly analyzed by the datamining community.
During that inspection, the following were found new direct references to Nintendo platformsThis feature, previously unavailable in the client, is part of the latest version of the launcher. These lines suggest the software is now ready to handle a future version of Call of Duty on the Nintendo platform, presumably for the Switch 2.
The appearance of these technical references fits with what various insiders had been predicting: The COD ecosystem is adapting to include the Nintendo console as another platformAlong with Xbox, PlayStation, and PC. The fact that these clues come from an active product and not just rumors has given the information considerably more weight.
At the same time, sources close to the development say that Work on the Switch version of Call of Duty 2 is already in advanced stages.There is talk of a project that is entering its final optimization phase, with a planned launch in the first months of 2026, without ruling out a slightly longer window within that same year.
Switch 2 and the technical challenge of running Call of Duty
One of the reasons why Call of Duty has resisted coming to Nintendo in recent years has to do with the hardware itself. The original Switch, despite its success, has clear power limitations. compared to consoles like PS4, PS5, Xbox One or Xbox Series, both in CPU and memory.
Phil Spencer, head of Microsoft's video game division, already acknowledged in 2022 that Adapting a modern Call of Duty game to the Switch would require deep adjustmentsespecially in terms of performance and online multiplayer. The jump to Switch 2 significantly changes the landscape: the successor would offer performance closer to that of the previous generation consoles, opening the door to much more ambitious ports.
The new hardware would allow working with More complex graphics, advanced physics, and massive online matches without sacrificing the experience, both in handheld mode and connected to the TV. Specialized optimization studios, such as Sledgehammer Games and other internal and external teams, would be involved in ensuring that the title remains stable regardless of the play format.
The leaks suggest that The current phase of development is focused precisely on refining performance and stabilityThese are two critical aspects for a competitive first-person shooter where fluidity and latency make all the difference, especially for European players participating in leagues and ranked modes.
More than a decade without Call of Duty on Nintendo consoles
To understand the interest this announcement is generating, it's worth remembering that The last main Call of Duty installment to arrive on a Nintendo home console dates back to 2013., when the series still appeared with some regularity on Wii and Wii U. Since then, the franchise has been absent from the company's home and handheld consoles.
In earlier times, Nintendo had received versions adapted or specific to your platformsThe legendary Nintendo DS featured editions of Modern Warfare and Modern Warfare 2, while the Wii had its own World at War and a motion-controlled version of Modern Warfare Reflex Edition. There was even a Black Ops game designed for the 3DS, tailored to the console's capabilities.
That presence, although often based on cut-down ports or technical reinterpretations, allowed Nintendo players They will not be completely left out of one of the most influential shooters on the marketHowever, the combination of hardware limitations and a change in strategy by Activision led to a gradual drift away.
For more than ten years, the company focused on Sony and Microsoft platforms for major releases, leaving Nintendo out of the equation when it comes to Call of DutyThe possible arrival of the saga on Switch 2 in 2026 would therefore mean the end of an absence of more than a decade on Nintendo consoles.
Which Call of Duty game could be released on Switch 2?
The big unknown that still remains is Which title will be the first to arrive on Switch 2?Several possibilities are being considered, all of them with technical and commercial pros and cons.
The most discussed option is that the console will receive a port of the next big release in the main seriesThis has been identified in multiple leaks as Call of Duty: Black Ops 7. This approach would allow the collaboration with Nintendo to debut with a completely current release, aligned in time and content with the rest of the platforms.
Another strong alternative is an optimized version of Call of Duty: WarzoneThe popular free-to-play battle royale. Its games-as-a-service nature and focus on quick matches make it a good fit for the portable and hybrid profile of the Switch 2, and it could attract a large community in Europe thanks to the ability to play anywhere.
A hybrid approach is not entirely ruled out, where The console will receive both the main installment of the year and Warzone.integrated into the same Call of Duty HQ launcher adapted for Switch 2. However, this option would involve a significant technical effort, especially regarding the size of the downloads and the management of the console's internal and external storage.
Among the less likely possibilities is the idea of a Remastered collection of classic titles or even a game designed from the ground up with Nintendo's hardware and audience in mind. For now, none of these hypotheses have the same level of support from leaks as the Black Ops 7 or Warzone possibilities.
With everything leaked and agreed upon on the table, the emerging picture is one of a Call of Duty set to debut on Nintendo Switch 2 in 2026Backed by a ten-year contract, supported by technical changes to the Call of Duty HQ launcher, and aided by hardware that can finally handle the scale of the franchise, the official confirmation is still pending, as is the specific installment chosen. Everything points to Nintendo's next console finally breaking the franchise's long absence from its catalog and will position itself as a real option for those who want to play COD without leaving the Nintendo environment.
I am a technology enthusiast who has turned his "geek" interests into a profession. I have spent more than 10 years of my life using cutting-edge technology and tinkering with all kinds of programs out of pure curiosity. Now I have specialized in computer technology and video games. This is because for more than 5 years I have been writing for various websites on technology and video games, creating articles that seek to give you the information you need in a language that is understandable to everyone.
If you have any questions, my knowledge ranges from everything related to the Windows operating system as well as Android for mobile phones. And my commitment is to you, I am always willing to spend a few minutes and help you resolve any questions you may have in this internet world.