Call of Duty Reportedly Headed to Nintendo Switch — Here’s the Timeline

Call of Duty has been MIA on Nintendo for over a decade, and yeah, Microsoft said it was coming back. After a lot of noise, some mixed signals, and zero actual releases, the picture is finally coming into focus: all signs point to 2026 for the big return.

So why has this taken so long?

Back in 2023, Microsoft inked a 10-year deal with Nintendo to bring Call of Duty to their hardware with full feature and content parity and day-and-date launches alongside Xbox. Ambitious promise, considering the Switch is, well, not exactly built for cutting-edge shooters. The skepticism was earned.

Two years later, still nothing on the original Switch or the rumored Switch 2. The holdup, according to Windows Central reporter Jez Corden, was more practical than political: developers reportedly didn’t get Switch 2 dev kits early enough to do real port work. That bottleneck now sounds cleared, and production is moving.

For what it’s worth, Activision reiterated in June 2025 that it and Microsoft were actively working to bring the franchise to Nintendo, just without committing to a public timeline. Meanwhile, the audience has noticed; as one post on Dec 21, 2025 put it, people are still waiting on that 'day one with Xbox' Switch port Microsoft promised.

'The first CoD Switch version is nearly done and launching in a few months.'

That was Corden again on Dec 22, 2025. A few months from late December puts us squarely into early-to-mid 2026, which matches what he’s also said: it’s not imminent, but it’s hitting milestones and aiming for next year.

Okay, but which Call of Duty is it?

No one is saying yet. The first Nintendo release might be a full port of Black Ops 7, a Warzone build, or even an older entry tuned for Nintendo’s hardware. Earlier hints suggested the debut wouldn’t be the bleeding-edge annual title, which tracks with how these things are usually handled.

Switch or Switch 2?

There’s a decent chance the focus shifts to Switch 2, with limited or no support for the original Switch. File size and performance are real constraints, and the power gap between the two devices is reportedly significant. It’s the kind of behind-the-scenes development detail that can quietly add months to a schedule.

Where things stand right now

• Microsoft and Nintendo signed a 10-year Call of Duty deal in 2023 promising parity and day-and-date launches with Xbox.
• No Call of Duty has shipped on the original Switch or the Switch 2 yet, despite early optimism.
• Jez Corden says the delay stemmed from late-arriving Switch 2 dev kits; that snag is resolved.
• Activision said in June 2025 it is actively working with Microsoft to bring CoD to Nintendo, but gave no public timeline.
• Corden now expects a release sometime in 2026 and says the project is hitting milestones.
• It’s still unclear which title hits first: Black Ops 7, Warzone, or an older entry optimized for Nintendo hardware.
• Switch 2 may be the priority platform; the original Switch might get limited support due to performance and storage constraints.
• Despite chatter early in 2025 that pointed to a Switch 2 release that same year, that window has come and gone.
• None of this is officially confirmed by Nintendo or Activision yet, so consider it promising but provisional.

Bottom line: the long wait looks like it’s finally nearing the end, with 2026 shaping up as the realistic target. Which Call of Duty do you want to see first on Nintendo? I’m curious whether they go safe with a polished older hit or swing for a Warzone build out of the gate.