Microsoft’s buyout of Activision Blizzard is meant to bring about big changes to the franchise, but will Call of Duty ever come to the Nintendo Switch?
Call of Duty is a force unlike many others. The twitchy FPS has amassed millions of fans, generated billions of dollars in revenue, and is a social juggernaut in the gaming landscape. People who don’t play video games know about Call of Duty. It’s nearly impossible to escape its reach.
One would think so much success would mean the game has been released on all three of the major home consoles, but as Switch owners likely know, they’ve been excluded from the festivities thus far. ABK seemed content with this decision, but now Microsoft is singing a much different tune.
Vice Chair & President Brad Smith made an official announcement before the buyout was even completed, and thankfully, it’s good news for fans who want to take mainline Call of Duty games on the go.
Related: When Are Call of Duty Games Coming to Xbox Game Pass?
Will Call of Duty Ever Be on Nintendo Switch?
Yes, Call of Duty is coming to Nintendo Switch relatively soon. Microsoft is locked into a 10-year deal with Nintendo that will guarantee a decade’s worth of games arrive on their platforms. While the next generation of consoles might be out by the end of this cycle, we’ve still got a few more go-rounds for games to land on the switch.
It’s a post-merger world now, but when Microsoft’s historic buyout was still ongoing, Call of Duty was at the heart of every conversation about how this change could affect the industry. Insiders and fans alike were worried about what Xbox exclusivity for all of Activision’s franchises would mean for console gamers who aren’t on Xbox.
Smith cleared the air on this, reassuring fans that more Xbox games than ever would be making their way to the Switch, and highlighted Call of Duty as one of the major points of emphasis. His initial comments were taken down, but he followed up soon after, calling the plan to debut CoD on Switch “a strong commitment.”
There are still concerns about Call of Duty’s bloated file sizes, performance issues, and other technical challenges. It won’t be easy to fit the franchise’s oversized games onto the least powerful of the three major consoles, but it will have to be done for Microsoft to make good on this deal.
When Will Call of Duty Come to Nintendo Switch?
We don’t have a timeframe for Call of Duty’s arrival just yet, but seeing as the industry-shaking buyout closed on October 13, 2023, it’s fair to say that the new management will need some time to make this happen.
Modern Warfare 3 is out November 9, 2023, so it’s far too late for a day one port to happen, but who knows what the future holds, especially thanks to the arrival of Call of Duty HQ. If each game continues to build off of the previous one, then it’ll be crucial for Switch owners to have access to older titles to be on even footing.
