Activision CMO says Zelda can’t sit with GTA 6 and Modern Warfare 4

Nintendo fans just got a very polite brush-off from Activision.

In an interview with The Game Business, Activision CMO Tyler Bahl was asked about GTA 6 and the Ocarina of Time Remake being the hot releases of the moment. His answer was blunt. “No offense to Zelda,” he said, but GTA and Call of Duty are the two biggest games of the year.

I get why people want a Barbieheimer-style showdown here. Two huge launches landing in the same stretch of 2026 is a fun story. But Bahl clearly isn’t buying it, and when you’re selling Modern Warfare 4, I wouldn’t expect him to say anything else. That’s corporate gaming for ya.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 trailer

Why Activision wants GTA 6 to win

The more interesting part is that Bahl isn’t treating GTA 6 as a rival. He expects it to help Modern Warfare 4. A game that big should pull people back to their Xbox and PlayStation consoles, and push new buyers onto them too. More people on those consoles means more potential Call of Duty players. It’s a smart way to look at it, and probably the most honest bit of the whole interview.

He also said Activision’s research found that players care less about the gunplay than about “actually spending time with friends.” I reckon that explains the series’ staying power better than any trailer could.

Zelda may not be in Activision’s top two, but I doubt Nintendo is losing sleep over it.