Activision Says It’s Working With Nintendo to Get Call of Duty on Switch, but Will Black Ops 7 Be on Switch 2?

Following the surprise-style announcement of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7—reminiscent of a Beyoncé album drop—reports indicate that both Activision and Nintendo are collaborating to bring this long-running first-person shooter franchise to the Switch platform. However, does this guarantee an appearance on the upcoming Switch 2?

The reveal trailer for Black Ops 7, shown below, omits launch platform logos. Nevertheless, Activision has confirmed releases across Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and PC via “Xbox Play Anywhere,” Battle.net, and Steam. Notably, there is no mention of the Nintendo Switch 2 in these details.

In February 2023, Microsoft entered a decade-long pact to deliver Call of Duty titles to Nintendo players “on day one alongside Xbox,” ensuring complete feature and content parity.

This deal was instrumental in securing regulatory approval for Microsoft’s $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, particularly amid pushback from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and international authorities. Regulators feared Microsoft might withdraw Call of Duty from PlayStation or degrade its quality on rival systems. The promise to bring titles to Nintendo consoles was intended to demonstrate Microsoft’s dedication to maximizing accessibility for gamers worldwide.

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However, months after the Nintendo agreement was announced, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) temporarily blocked the acquisition. The CMA argued that Nintendo consoles were not technically equipped to run Call of Duty at a comparable standard.

“Nintendo does not currently offer CoD, and we have seen no evidence to suggest that its consoles would be technically capable of running a version of CoD that is similar to those in Xbox and PlayStation in terms of quality of gameplay and content,” the CMA stated at the time.

Ultimately, Microsoft prevailed, securing ownership of Call of Duty. So, what happens with that 10-year Nintendo commitment?

In a statement provided to IGN, Activision confirmed ongoing efforts to bring the franchise to Switch: "We’re committed to getting the franchise on Switch. Both teams are working on it. Will share details when ready."

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While a launch on the original Nintendo Switch appears unlikely, a release for Switch 2 seems more probable. After all, Black Ops 7, arriving later this year, will still support previous-generation consoles like PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

When might news break regarding Black Ops 7 on Switch 2? Nintendo may have an announcement prepared for its next Direct presentation, where the title could finally be confirmed. Call of Duty has not appeared on a Nintendo console since 2013’s Call of Duty: Ghosts for Wii U.