Paramount Pictures and Activision have confirmed the upcoming Call of Duty movie will take place in its long-running Modern Warfare universe.

The crew behind the upcoming video game-to-movie adaptation revealed the update as part of a Call of Duty in Culture Panel at Fanatics Fest in New York City today (via Variety). Call of Duty movie director and co-writer Peter Berg made an appearance at the event to share the news.

Berg and co-writer Taylor Sheridan's choice to set their Call of Duty movie in the Modern Warfare universe may come as much of a surprise for some fans, but it might finally give us some clues about its yet-to-be-detailed plot. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare was the first in Activision's first-person shooter series to introduce players to a, well, more modern take on the franchise when it launched in 2007. As it left behind the mid-1900s battlefields established by previous games, it also brought along new characters, such as Soap, Ghost, Captain Price, and series villain Vladimir Makarov.

On the gaming side of things, Modern Warfare has spent the last two decades attempting to reinvent itself across six mainline entries, and even a few remasters. The first three games, which arrived throughout the late 2000s and early 2010s, primarily followed Task Force 141 as they embarked on globe-trotting missions, while gaining (and losing) teammates along the way.

Activision and developer Infinity Ward took a break from the somewhat more grounded settings of Modern Warfare through the mid-2010s before delivering a full-fledged reboot with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare in 2019. It's expanded on this chapter with returning characters and new stories, with its next entry, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, set to launch for PC, Nintendo Switch 2, PS5, and Xbox Series X | S October 23, 2026.

Why Paramount and Activision opted to kick off its Call of Duty film ambitions with Modern Warfare instead of something like the Black Ops series, which recently celebrated the release of PlayStation ports for Black Ops 1 and 2, is unclear. Berg also neglected to mention whether his adaptation will retread events players may remember from the games or carve out its own corner of the universe.

The Call of Duty movie has a release date of June 30, 2028. Its plot and cast remain a mystery, for now. While we wait for udpates, you can see what Berg once said about people who play video games.

Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He's best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).

UPDATE July 18, 2026, 1:36 p.m. PT: Jennifer English has issued a statement following the news that she is stepping away from her role as Gwendolyn in Eclipse Glow Games' Tides of Annihilation.

The actress shared her thoughts on the matter with a statement published on her personal Instagram story (and shared on X/Twitter by Genki). As previously announced by the developer, English says she stepped away from the game due to health concerns, calling the move a "difficult – yet personally necessary – decision."

You can see English's full statement below:

I'm really grateful to have been part of Tides of Annihilation since the game's inception and to have worked with such a lovely team.

Recently, I've found myself needing to slow down and reassess the commitments I've taken on. After careful thought, I've realised I need to take time to rest and properly look after my mental and physical health. With that in mind, I've made the difficult – yet personally necessary – decision to step away from the project as it moves into its next phase.

During this transition, I was pleased to help introduce the Tides of Annihilation team to a very talented actor who I believe is a wonderful fit for Gwen. Having seen her passion, talent, and care for the craft, I'm excited for players to hear her interpretation of the role and can't wait for players to experience what she brings to Gwen.

(Although I'll be stepping away from the role, I'm happy to remain involved with Tides of Annihilation as an advisor, and I look forward to supporting the team and Gwen's journey in a different capacity.)

I wish the entire team nothing but success, and I'll be cheering them on as they continue bringing the game to life.

Thank you for your understanding and support.

ORIGINAL STORY: English actress Jennifer English is stepping away from her role as the protagonist in Eclipse Glow Games’ Tides of Annihilation due to health issues.

The developer announced the news on July 17, 2026, just over a year after the title was first revealed at Sony’s February 2025 State of Play.

As told in a statement on the game’s official X account, English will no longer voice its main character, Gwendolyn, due to “personal health reasons.” She will, however, continue to support the title in an advisory role.

English informed Eclipse Glow Games that she would not be able to continue in the role in early June.

“While we were, of course, saddened by her decision, we completely understood and respected Jennfier in prioritizing her well-being. We are also deeply grateful for the care and responsibility she showed throughout this process,” the studio wrote.

“During this transition, Jennifer remained incredibly supportive and, together with other members of our voice cast, helped us identify and connect with talented performers who could carry Gwendolyn forward while staying true to the character.”

Luckily, a new voice for Gwendolyn has been found, with English and other members of the game’s cast recommending this as-yet unannounced actor. Eclipse Glow Games says her recent work in the industry “left a strong impression on both Jennifer and our team—not only for the performance itself, but for the remarkable care and dedication she showed in understanding the character.”

We have some sad news to share, that Jennifer English will be stepping away from her role as the English voice of Gwendolyn, the main protagonist in Tides of Annihilation due to personal health reasons. She will continue to support the project in an advisory role.

Earlier in…

Fans will get to hear the new actor for the first time in Tides of Annihilation’s playable demo this August at Gamescom 2026, a performance that she is now recording. Her voice will also be lent to “select official updates” shared on the game’s official channels around that same time.

“We'd also like to thank Jennifer for everything she brought to the character and to the project. Her performance brought depth, strength, vulnerability, and heart to the role. We have truly enjoyed this journey together, and wish Jennifer all the very best, and most importantly, good health and happiness in whatever comes next,” the studio wrote.

Tides of Annihilation is a narrative-driven, single-player action adventure game that combines “intense, breakneck combat, an immersive narrative, and an unforgettable setting.” That setting is a modern-day London plunged into chaos by magical forces inspired by Arthurian legends, which Gwendolyn must defeat with help from "spectral" versions of the Knights of the Round Table.

Eclipse Glow Games, based out of Chengdu, China, has pushed out several trailers for the game ahead of its playable demo at Gamescom 2026, showing off cinematics, boss fights, and even technical behind-the-scenes development footage. Its release date has yet to be revealed, but in the meantime, you can check out our guide for all the games you can expect to see at Gamescom 2026.

Virginia (she/her) is IGN’s News Editor. With ten years of experience reporting on games and entertainment, she’s got a storied background in the fighting game community, influencer news, and viral online trends. Find her on Twitter at @TheeMissGlaze.

Path of Titans players are going viral for their touching in-game tribute to Sam Neill after news of the actor’s death wracked the Jurassic Park community.

Sam Neill died on July 13, 2026 in Sydney, Australia. The prolific actor was 78, leaving behind a legacy that included a swath of beloved roles in films and series like Peaky Blinders, The Piano, and of course, Steven Spielberg's original Jurassic Park.

Neill famously portrayed Dr. Alan Grant in three Jurassic Park movies, including Jurassic Park III and Jurassic World Dominion. It was perhaps his most famous role, and one that left a glaring hole in the franchise’s fanbase.

A large group of these fans gathered together on Jurassic Park MMO Path of Titans to pay their respects to Neill, choosing to avoid battling other players in favor of a peaceful parade in his honor.

As spotted by Dexerto, TikTok user ‘DizzyBlues’ uploaded footage of the memorial on July 14, showing player-controlled dinos migrating across the landscape while a piano version of the Jurassic Park theme played in the background. The short clip has gone viral, racking up over 155,000 likes and over 744,000 views in just three days.

“Yesterday was a very sad day indeed for millions of us around the world in learning that Sam Neill had passed away,” DizzyBlues wrote in the video’s caption. “And so, the EchoedArk community came together for a peaceful migration in honor of The Dinosaur Man.”

Fans were quick to praise the players on the EchoedArk server for their sweet tribute to Neill, with one remarking: “Gaming communities can suck sometimes, but moments like this, Sam Neill and Lance Reddick, really prove how truly great they can be.”

As the commenter mentioned, this is far from the first time players have gathered together to pay their respects to entertainment legends; in March 2023, Destiny 2 players flocked to the Tower to see Commander Zavala following Reddick’s death a day prior.

And in August 2021, Final Fantasy 14 players honored Berserk creator Kentaro Miura by dressing in the MMO’s Dark Knight gear to better resemble Guts and his Dragon Slayer sword.

Virginia (she/her) is IGN’s News Editor. With ten years of experience reporting on games and entertainment, she’s got a storied background in the fighting game community, influencer news, and viral online trends. Find her on Twitter at @TheeMissGlaze.