Developers at Activision and Infinity Ward have told fans to "keep the receipts" after promising to remain grounded regarding cosmetics in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4.
Confirmation to stay "grounded and transparent" when it comes to the 2026 Call of Duty installment originally arrived in the form of an X/Twitter post that arrived in the aftermath of the game's grand reveal earlier this week. It followed years of pleas from players hoping to see the long-running shooter stray from goofy skins and collaborations that don't fall in line with its usual gritty aesthetic.
"Every aspect of Modern Warfare 4 is anchored in the game's narrative," Infinity Ward's first post said. "Every feature, every decision needs to feel authentic to what Modern Warfare is, and that includes cosmetics and collabs. We're committed to keeping it grounded and transparent, and we want to hear from you on what you'd like to see in our game."
As Fortnite has thrived with out-there collaborations through the years, games like Call of Duty have followed suit. The Activision first-person shooter has been known to dip its toes into the realm of collaborations with celebrities in the past, but it wasn't until its infamous Nicki Minaj crossover with Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone that fans started to turn against the strategy.
The years since have seen the publisher double down on similar cosmetic packs, with some of the more notable releases including a shark skin bundle, a Seth Rogen skin, and a Dave Chappelle pack, for better or worse. Even as Black Ops 6 went on to launch with Nuketown mannequin skins in late 2025, the developers behind Black Ops 7 said they would be monitoring feedback on goofy skins going forward. While there has been some debate around whether all skins – including the goofy ones – should carry forward to future Call of Duty releases, Infinity Ward is telling players they have nothing to worry about when it comes to Modern Warfare 4.
After one fan replied to the studio's post promising to "throw it at their faces" in anticipation of plans to walk back its stance, the official Call of Duty Studio Community Teams account made a promise.
"No Lady Gaga. No Omni-Man. No Teletubbies. No SpongeBob. Keep the receipts," it said.
After years of cries from fans, this seems to be the most definitive stance the Call of Duty team has ever taken. Not all players are convinced we won't see collaborations start to creep their way into Modern Warfare 4 by the time it launches later this year, but for now, they can at least rest easy with receipts to pull out if they do.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 has an October 23, 2026, release date for PC, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X | S. For more, you can check out our multiplayer first impressions, and you can see what the team had to say about its approach to skill-based matchmaking.
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).