Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 may be released cross-gen, according to the most recent rumors. While this makes financial sense, it still disappoints fans who are hoping for a true next-generation Call of Duty game. Four years have passed since the release of the PS5 and Xbox Series X consoles, but many of the most well-known gaming franchises have chosen to continue releasing cross-gen games that also come out on PS4 and Xbox One instead of deciding to release PS5 and Xbox Series X-only titles. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is reportedly one of these cross-gen titles.

This strategy has advantages and disadvantages. For those who haven't upgraded to the newest systems, PS4 and Xbox One owners, this is fantastic news on the one hand. Additionally, it enables game publishers to fully benefit from the enormous install base of the legacy systems. The drawback is that it prevents the games from fully utilizing the updated hardware, so holding them back. Because of this, the current generation is locked in the past. Although things are starting to change, there is still little incentive for fans to buy the newer hardware because many popular games are still being launched as cross-gen releases.

The most recent reports indicate that Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 will be a cross-generation game that also launches for PS4 and Xbox One, which is unfortunate news for fans of the franchise who were hoped the series would finally move on from outdated technology. This is really sensible from a business standpoint, but artistically speaking, it means the game won't be able to push the boundaries both mechanically and aesthetically the way it could have if it had been designed with the PS5 and Xbox Series X in mind.

It's unfortunate that Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is apparently still being released on older hardware for individuals who have already purchased PS5 and Xbox Series X consoles. This means that, four years into the generation, we still won't have a legitimate ninth generation Call of Duty game. Nevertheless, it's difficult to contest the sense of releasing new Call of Duty games for different generations. This is especially true for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, which will launch on the first day of Xbox Game Pass. 

Even yet, it's difficult to remain optimistic about Call of Duty's future beyond the PS4 and Xbox One with Black Ops 6, which is due out in 2024. Even though it might sound strange today, Call of Duty was originally a leading pioneer in the first-person shooter genre. While a Call of Duty game released cross-platform can still be innovative, the series' refusal to concentrate only on more powerful technology is surely wasting some potential.

The older generation was left behind when Call of Duty 2 was released in 2005 because it was only available on the PC and Xbox 360. The end result was a game with music and graphics that were revolutionary for the genre at the time. Call of Duty held onto the PS3 and Xbox 360 for a few titles after the release of the PS4 and Xbox One, but with the release of Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare in 2016, the series finally moved past those systems.

Till now, four Call of Duty games have been released for the PS4, Xbox One, PS5, and Xbox Series X as cross-gen titles. Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War launched it in 2020, and Modern Warfare 3 followed in 2023. Although definitive details are still pending, it appears like Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 will also be cross-gen, giving fans at least another year before the franchise fully moves on and concentrates only on newer hardware. Cross-generation Call of Duty games, however, might not actually have an end in sight.