Call Of Duty: WWII Xbox One X Support Up To Activision, Microsoft Says

Call Of Duty: WWII is one of the biggest game releases of the year, which would presumably make it a prime candidate for Microsoft’s upcoming high-end console, the Xbox One X. In a new interview with Eurogamer, however, the platform holder shifted the responsibility to Activision to add the appropriate enhancements.

The statement arrived as part of a larger discussion with Microsoft’s corporate VP of gaming, Mike Ybarra. While key third-party titles like Shadow Of War and Assassin's Creed Origins have aligned themselves with the One X via marketing partnerships, Activision’s flagships, like Destiny 2 and Call Of Duty: WWII, have advertised allegiance to Sony. As such, there’s been no clear statement from the publisher as to how, or even if, those titles will support the competitor’s latest machine. When reminded of that reality, here’s what Ybarra said:

“I'd say we are working with all developers, including the ones you named to make sure the best versions are on Xbox One X and it's up to them when they want to actually talk about what, if anything, they are doing…

“We work with those developers all the time. We want to align with their messaging and what they want to say, when they want to say it… I can't comment on any limitations they might have.”

Of course, the assumption from the cynical gamer in all of us is that Sony has stifled that communication by contractually obligating its partners to not discuss the Xbox One X in any capacity. Ybarra claimed to have “no direct knowledge” of such tactics.

Especially for a franchise like Call Of Duty, which enjoyed a thriving history with the Xbox brand from 2007 through 2014, the obvious silence around Xbox One enhancements will likely disappoint those who supported the series during that era. Microsoft has just designed the world’s most powerful console in the Xbox One X. How can one of the world’s most popular franchises not take proper advantage of that hardware? The headliners of Activision’s fall catalog intend to push graphics engines and visuals to their absolute limits, but the system to match that ambition seemingly won’t be offering the premier gameplay experience.

That being said, limited marketing and exclusivity partnerships are the nature of the industry these days, and Call Of Duty: WWII isn’t the only high-profile title to be negatively impacted from a messaging perspective. Earlier in the week, the developers behind PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds caused widespread confusion with their exclusive Microsoft publishing partnership for the game’s Xbox One version. It’s still not entirely clear if the game will ever release on PS4 because official statements never mentioned the console by name.

The reality is that Call Of Duty: WWII and Destiny 2 remain Sony-centric games. As such, their messaging will abide by whatever contractual agreements that association requires. Sony may look like the bad guy in this particular case, but it’s just one example of a larger, messy industry trend.

Call Of Duty: WWII is in beta now on PS4 and comes to PS4, Xbox One and PC Nov. 3.

What are your thoughts on Call Of Duty: WWII and the Xbox One X? Tell us in the comments section!