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

Following the reveal of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, likened to a surprise album drop, Activision and Nintendo are collaborating to bring the iconic first-person shooter series to the Switch. However, it remains unclear if Black Ops 7 will arrive 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 high hopes for Black Ops 7 on Switch 2, fueled by commitments made in 2023.

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

This agreement supported Microsoft’s $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, countering concerns from the Federal Trade Commission and global regulators that Microsoft might limit Call of Duty’s availability on PlayStation or degrade its quality on competing platforms. Pledging Nintendo support underscored Microsoft’s intent to maximize Call of Duty’s reach.

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Despite the Nintendo deal, the UK Competition and Markets Authority initially blocked the acquisition, arguing that Nintendo consoles lacked the technical capacity to run Call of Duty.

“Nintendo does not currently support Call of Duty, and we found no evidence that its consoles could handle a version comparable to Xbox and PlayStation in gameplay and content quality,” the CMA stated.

Microsoft ultimately prevailed, securing ownership of Call of Duty. So, where does the Nintendo deal stand?

Activision told IGN that efforts to bring Call of Duty to Switch continue: “We’re dedicated to delivering the franchise to Switch. Our teams are actively collaborating, and we’ll share updates when available.”

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

When could a Black Ops 7 Switch 2 announcement occur? A Nintendo Direct might reveal confirmation soon. Call of Duty hasn’t appeared on a Nintendo platform since 2013’s Call of Duty: Ghosts on Wii U.