This Week in Gaming: MW4 Revealed, Fable Delayed Again, and Rockstar Workers Unionize
Call of Duty goes next-gen only, Microsoft dodges GTA VI, CD Projekt reveals Witcher 3 hit 65 million sales, and Rockstar devs take a stand.
It's been one of those weeks where every major publisher decided to drop news simultaneously. Call of Duty finally goes next-gen only, Fable gets pushed back (again), and the Witcher franchise refuses to stay quiet. Oh, and Rockstar's workers just publicly unionized while in a legal battle with their employer. Let's get into it.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 Officially Revealed
Infinity Ward has pulled back the curtain on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 — and yes, that's a different game from Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. We know. The naming is absurd.
The new entry drops last-gen consoles entirely, launching October 23, 2026 on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC, and notably, Nintendo Switch 2. That makes it the first Call of Duty to ship day-and-date on a Nintendo platform alongside PlayStation and Xbox.
The campaign is set during a fictional North Korean invasion of South Korea, and according to Eurogamer, it's single-player only — no co-op campaign this time. Infinity Ward seems focused on delivering a tight, cinematic experience rather than splitting attention.
As Rock Paper Shotgun noted, the series is now a "sick experiment testing the limits of mass deja vu." Hard to argue with that assessment.
Fable Delayed to 2027 — GTA VI Gets the Blame
Microsoft has pushed Playground Games' Fable reboot from autumn 2026 to February 2027. The reason? The Verge reports it's to avoid launching alongside Grand Theft Auto VI, which is expected in the same window.
Eurogamer confirmed the delay, noting Microsoft described 2026 as "packed with incredible games." That's corporate speak for "we'd get destroyed in the sales charts."
Microsoft promises a "new look" at the game during the Xbox Games Showcase on June 7th. We'll see if the extra development time translates to a better game or if this is just calendar chess.
Rockstar Workers Publicly Form Union
In arguably the most significant industry story this week, developers at Rockstar Games have publicly launched the Rockstar Game Workers Union (RGWU) under the Independent Workers' Union of Great Britain.
This comes as the IWGB prepares to take the GTA 6 maker to court over the firing of 31 staff members. Rockstar claimed those firings were due to game leaks; the union says it was retaliation for organizing. "We're determined to win justice for the 31 fired workers," the union stated.
Whatever side you fall on, this is a landmark moment. A AAA studio's workforce publicly organizing while in active litigation with their employer? That takes conviction.
Quick Hits
- Witcher 3 — Songs of the Past: CD Projekt confirmed a third expansion arriving 2027, originally planned for 2026. The game has now sold 65 million copies — explaining why they're still expanding it 11 years later.
- Planet Zoo 2: Frontier Developments revealed a proper sequel coming later this year, adding aquatic animals.
- Rayman Origins Remaster: Leaked on Xbox Store with a placeholder price of $2,000. Classic Ubisoft.
- Minecraft Live: Mojang announced Minecraft Dungeons 2 and A Minecraft Movie Squared during their May showcase.
- Destiny 2 — Monument of Triumph: Bungie's final major content update is being called potentially the "best singular update in years."
The Takeaway
This week crystallized something we've been feeling for a while: the industry is simultaneously consolidating and fracturing. Microsoft delays games to dodge Rockstar's shadow. Rockstar's own workers are suing them. Meanwhile, CD Projekt proves that a single-player game from 2015 can still justify new content in 2027 if you built something people genuinely love.
The labor story is the one to watch. If RGWU's legal challenge succeeds, it sets precedent for every AAA studio with crunch culture. If it fails, it sends a chilling message to anyone else thinking about organizing. Either way, the outcome will shape this industry for years.
Sources
- Digital Foundry — MW4 First to Ship Day-and-Date on Switch 2
- Eurogamer — Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 Reveal
- Rock Paper Shotgun — MW4 Sees North Korea Invade South Korea
- The Verge — Microsoft Delays Fable to Avoid GTA VI
- Eurogamer — Fable Delayed Amid GTA 6 Worries
- Eurogamer — Rockstar Workers Publicly Launch Union
- Rock Paper Shotgun — Rockstar Devs Form Union with IWGB
- Eurogamer — Witcher 3 Songs of the Past Details
- Eurogamer — Witcher 3 Hits 65 Million Sales
- Rock Paper Shotgun — Planet Zoo 2 Revealed
- IGN — Rayman Origins Remaster Leak
- IGN — Minecraft Live May 2026
- IGN — Destiny 2 Monument of Triumph