Activision and Nintendo Team Up for Call of Duty on Switch; Black Ops 7 Switch 2 Plans Unclear

Following the reveal of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, styled like a surprise blockbuster drop, Activision and Nintendo are reportedly collaborating to bring the iconic first-person shooter series to the Nintendo Switch. However, it remains uncertain whether Black Ops 7 will appear on the Switch 2.

The announcement trailer for Black Ops 7, shown below, omits platform logos, but Activision has confirmed releases for Xbox Series X and S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and PC via Xbox PC, Battle.net, and Steam. No reference was made to the Nintendo Switch 2.

Nintendo fans had reason to expect the Switch 2 among Black Ops 7’s launch platforms, tied to commitments made in 2023.

In February 2023, Microsoft secured a 10-year deal to deliver Call of Duty to Nintendo players on the same day as Xbox, ensuring full feature and content parity.

This agreement was part of Microsoft’s strategy to finalize its $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, addressing concerns from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and global regulators. Fears that Microsoft might limit Call of Duty’s availability on PlayStation or degrade its quality on competing platforms prompted the promise to expand the franchise’s reach, including to Nintendo consoles, to demonstrate accessibility for all gamers.

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Despite this, the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) initially blocked the acquisition, arguing that Nintendo’s consoles lacked the technical capacity to run Call of Duty effectively.

“Nintendo does not currently support CoD, and we have no evidence suggesting its consoles can handle a version of CoD comparable to Xbox and PlayStation in terms of gameplay quality and content,” the CMA stated at the time.

Microsoft ultimately prevailed, securing ownership of Call of Duty. So, what does this mean for the 10-year Nintendo agreement?

In a statement to IGN, Activision confirmed ongoing efforts with Nintendo to bring Call of Duty to the Switch: “We’re dedicated to delivering the franchise on Switch. Our teams are actively collaborating, and we’ll share details when available.”

A Black Ops 7 launch on the current Nintendo Switch seems improbable, but a Switch 2 release appears more feasible. Notably, Black Ops 7, slated for release later this year, will still support last-generation consoles like PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

When could a Black Ops 7 Switch 2 announcement happen? A potential Nintendo Direct might reveal confirmation. Call of Duty has been absent from Nintendo platforms since 2013’s Call of Duty: Ghosts on the Wii U.