The Xbox Series X|S console family has been enigmatic from the very start, with two different models at launch, and Microsoft being seemingly indifferent about hardware sales.
Instead, the company chose to focus on Game Pass and bring other previous console-exclusives to other platforms like PC, and even PS5 and Nintendo Switch. This has left many Xbox gamers feeling scorned and disappointed, but the wait for whatever’s next may not be much longer.
New rumors suggest that the next Xbox console may launch as early as next year, and the release of an upcoming Call of Duty title may coincide with the new hardware, according to trusted CoD leaker @TheGhostofHope.
“I’m hearing that the next Xbox console is still coming in 2026 and will be called ‘Xbox Prime,’” the leaker said of the rumor that should be taken with “a huge grain of salt.” The leaker also admitted it’s “still unclear if [Xbox Prime] is a code name or the actual name. I’ve heard Infinity Ward’s next CoD is still being considered a day one release for this.”
The existence of Xbox Prime has been rumored for some time, with Hope even reporting on it as early as May 2024. With the Series X|S consoles launching on Nov. 10, 2020, that would mean about six years in between generations, which isn’t all that different from the previous generation’s length of seven years.
If Xbox Prime is real, one can only wonder if Microsoft’s console strategy will shift. The company’s current “everything is an Xbox” marketing campaign, focusing on the ability to play Game Pass on a variety of devices, has taken the focus away from Xbox consoles entirely. This may change for Xbox Prime, considering Xbox Series X|S has been massively outsold by the PS5 and Nintendo Switch in this current generation.
For CoD, meanwhile, rumors point to 2025’s title being another Black Ops sequel, with Infinity Ward likely working on the next iteration of the Modern Warfare franchise for 2026, and Sledgehammer Games presumably taking on CoD 2027.
