Call of Duty ‘at Risk’ From GTA 6, EA Set for World Cup Boost, and Switch 2 Hits UK Milestone

Why It Matters

The shifting release strategies and cultural‑event tie‑ins will reshape revenue streams for publishers, while hardware pricing and emerging regulations could redefine consumer access and longevity of games.

Key Takeaways

• Call of Duty loses half its audience in past year.
• Activision will stop rapid sequels after Modern Warfare 4.
• Nintendo Switch 2 reaches 1 million UK sales in 39 weeks.
• EA expects World Cup licensing to drive growth for FIFA‑free titles.
• Valve hikes Steam Deck prices over 40% amid component shortages.

Summary

The Game Business Show previewed Summer Game Fest 2026, highlighting major announcements such as Call of Duty Modern Warfare 4, the looming release of Grand Theft Auto 6, EA’s World Cup licensing push, and Nintendo’s Switch 2 hitting a UK sales milestone.

Ampair data shows Call of Duty’s audience halved over the last twelve months, prompting Activision to abandon its rapid‑sequel model. Modern Warfare 4 will launch Oct 23 on current‑gen consoles only, and will not appear on Xbox Game Pass at release. EA, fresh from its split with FIFA, is banking on the 2026 World Cup to fuel its new EA Sports FC ecosystem. Meanwhile, Nintendo’s Switch 2 sold one million units in the UK in just 39 weeks, outpacing the original Switch’s 82‑week climb.

Valve announced a 40%+ price increase for its Steam Deck OLED models, citing component shortages, while Xbox delayed Fable to give it breathing room. Atari’s $29 million acquisition of Hipster Whale signals a push into modern mobile titles, and California’s Protect Our Games Act could force publishers to preserve online‑dependent games after server shutdowns.

These trends suggest publishers are re‑evaluating franchise cadence, leveraging cultural events like the World Cup and GTA 6 to drive sales, and confronting hardware cost pressures. Console manufacturers must balance inventory and pricing to maintain momentum, while regulatory scrutiny may reshape how live‑service games are sustained post‑launch.

Original Description

This week on The Game Business Show:

- Amanda White and Jon Gibson of Iam8bit discuss the 'biggest yet' Summer Game Fest Play Days event, which starts on Saturday.

- Samantha Lester of ICHI Worldwide tells us all about building trailers for events like SGF.

- Our guest host is analyst Piers Harding-Rolls from Ampere, who is sharing with us a whole load of exclusive data around the impact of GTA 6 and the FIFA World Cup

- Plus, Nintendo Switch 2 hits a new UK sales milestone, and reaction to PlayStation's State of Play

00:00 Introduction

01:29 News Round-Up

08:16 Summer Game Fest reaction

09:57 Switch 2 sales

11:59 GTA and World Cup data

24:54 Summer Game Fest interview

35:19 Making game trailers