Call of Duty Ignores Xbox in Modern Warfare 4 Review Celebration Due to Low Metacritic Count

One of the video game industry’s most glaring ironies in recent years remains the complicated dynamic between Microsoft, Xbox, and Call of Duty. While the high-profile acquisition of Activision Blizzard secured the blockbuster franchise for the tech giant, Microsoft has struggled to capitalize on the victory.

Placing the franchise on Xbox Game Pass was counterproductive, it cannot be made exclusive, and now that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 has returned the franchise to critical acclaim, Xbox is notably absent from the celebration.

A recent promotional post from the official Call of Duty social media account sparked fresh debate over Microsoft’s diminishing visibility, even on something they own.

Call of Duty Celebrates Modern Warfare 4’s Positive Reviews on PS5, Switch 2, and PC But Omits XBOX

Following a string of mixed releases, Call of Duty has surged back to top form with Modern Warfare 4, securing the franchise’s highest review scores in over a decade. While players and critics joined in on the excitement, Xbox was noticeably left out.

In a post on X, the official Call of Duty account showcased top Metacritic scores for the game across multiple platforms: Nintendo Switch 2 (89), PlayStation 5 (88), and PC (87). Xbox received no mention.

A quick look at Metacritic reveals why: the Xbox Series X|S version currently has only two top-tier reviews, falling short of the threshold required for the platform to display an aggregate score.

XBOX’s Review Process Drives Outlets Away

Despite online speculation about an industry bias against Microsoft, the issue stems from practicality. Outlets and PR agencies still offer review keys for Xbox, but the process is more difficult when compared to competing hardware.

According to a report by Windows Central, reviewing a title on Xbox Series X|S requires outlets to submit individual Console IDs to publishers to issue review codes.

By contrast, redeeming codes on PS5, Switch 2, or PC is easy and instantaneous. As such, reviewers routinely prioritize platforms that make the process easy.

The issue is widespread enough that even dedicated Xbox outlets frequently request PC review codes instead to meet publication deadlines.

For Microsoft, this process results in one of their acquisitions like Modern Warfare 4 becoming a major triumph, but XBOX being entirely absent from any recognition.

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