Modern Warfare 4 has achieved the best Metacritic score for a Call of Duty in 15 years – yet Activision is conspicuously silent about its sales figures. After the first full launch weekend, there's no record-breaking announcement, no comparisons to Hollywood blockbusters, nothing concrete.
Instead, Xbox CEO Asha Sharma reported that the franchise has now surpassed $40 billion in lifetime revenue. She called MW4 „one of the most acclaimed Call of Duty titles in the series' 24-year history.“ A nice milestone – but no statement about how well the shooter is actually selling. Kotaku reports this.
How Well Is Modern Warfare 4 Really Performing?
Hard data is only available from Steam: According to Kotaku, the concurrent player numbers there are below those of Black Ops 6. However, this is only a partial picture – console figures are completely missing. Additionally, a factor that skews the comparison is that, unlike last year, the game is no longer available on Game Pass on day one.
Content-wise, MW4 is being well-received. The campaign is praised, and initial impressions of DMZ and Multiplayer are predominantly positive. As we reported for the Launch of Modern Warfare 4, the game starts with 12 new 6v6 maps.
How Did Activision Used To Talk About Launch Figures?
It used to be quite different. For Modern Warfare 2 (2009), Activision reported approximately 4.7 million copies sold in 24 hours in North America and the UK alone, generating well over $310 million in revenue. Black Ops followed a year later with around $360 million. For Black Ops 3, reportedly the best-selling Call of Duty (43 million copies), Activision spoke of $550 million in revenue during its launch weekend. The Modern Warfare reboot of 2019 (around 41 million copies) more than doubled the box office opening of „Joker,“ according to company statements.
Since Black Ops 7 in 2025, communication has become significantly quieter. MW4 continues this trend.
What Does This Mean for Players?
In the short term, nothing: servers, playlists, and content operate independently of PR figures. From our perspective, however, this reluctance signals that Activision couldn't announce a clear record. This isn't proven – it's an assessment. More clarity might emerge on October 28th, when Microsoft presents its quarterly figures. Until then, it remains speculative.
The sales question is particularly interesting for the future of the brand: A strong game without record-breaking figures shows how much the business has shifted towards subscriptions, live services, and platform diversity.
Source: Kotaku
What do you think: Is Modern Warfare 4 selling better than Activision lets on? Let us know in the comments!
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