Xbox CTO Vows to Fix Review Access After Modern Warfare 4 Lacks Metacritic Score

Key points

• Modern Warfare 4 scored 89 on Switch 2, 88 on PS5, and 87 on PC, but has no official Metacritic average for Xbox due to only two critic reviews.
• Xbox CTO Scott Van Vliet stated that reviewing games on Xbox involves too many steps and that the team is working to simplify the process for press and creators.
• The current Xbox review process often requires journalists to provide a Device ID and wait for manual whitelisting, unlike the simpler code redemption on PC and PlayStation.
• This gap creates a perception that the Xbox platform is less relevant, despite Microsoft owning Activision, potentially influencing consumer purchasing decisions.

Background

Modern Warfare 4 launched on October 23, 2026, marking a critical recovery for the franchise after the underperformance of Black Ops 7. The game was praised for its gunplay and multiplayer features, with some critics noting technical inconsistencies on PC. It was also the first Call of Duty title to launch on a Nintendo console since 2013. Prior to this week, our archive noted that the game's critical success masked a structural crisis in Xbox review coverage, highlighting a long-standing issue with pre-release access on Microsoft's platform.

How outlets are covering it

Kotaku and Windows Central both emphasize the cumbersome nature of the Xbox review process, specifically the need for manual whitelisting and Device ID sharing, which discourages journalists from choosing the platform. Windows Central notes that even their own team reviewed the game on PC due to these hurdles. Insider Gaming highlights that this is not an isolated incident, citing Halo: Campaign Evolved as another first-party title with significantly fewer Xbox reviews compared to PlayStation. iXBT.games focuses on the immediate response from Xbox leadership, noting Van Vliet's commitment to resolving the code issue. While some critics like Jeff Gerstmann question if the extra steps are the primary deterrent, others argue that timing and availability of PC codes are more significant factors. However, all sources agree that the lack of an Xbox Metacritic score for a major first-party title is a significant oversight for Microsoft.

Why it matters

The absence of an Xbox Metacritic score for a flagship Microsoft-owned title undermines the platform's perceived relevance and could influence consumer purchasing decisions. It highlights a systemic issue in how Microsoft handles pre-release access for journalists, which may affect future coverage of Xbox exclusives and first-party titles. Addressing this could improve media coverage and public perception of the Xbox brand.

What to watch

Xbox has promised that the first updates to simplify the review code process are coming soon. The company is working with press and creators to streamline the redemption and play process. It remains to be seen how effective these changes will be in increasing the number of Xbox reviews for future titles.