Call of Duty doubles down, promises "no BS" or "clowny skins" in Modern Warfare 4

Infinity Ward is determined that Modern Warfare 4's character skins will be realistic and authentic to Call of Duty, again promising that the days of "clowny skins" and bizarre collaborations are a thing of the past. Over the last few years, there have been endless complaints about skins and collabs that don't fit the aesthetic of the shooter, with players frustrated that the developers have chosen to focus on cosmetics that are either unrealistic in a war situation or are simply unrelated to the franchise.

Infinity Ward, the developer of MW4, first addressed the issue on May 28 in a post on X, writing: "Every aspect of Modern Warfare 4 is anchored in the game's narrative. 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." Perhaps unsurprisingly, Call of Duty fans were wary of this statement and remained unconvinced. Seeing the doubts, Activision and Infinity Ward have doubled down, insisting that this is its stance for the next FPS game, and it won't be going back on its promises.

In response to a post suggesting that MW4's first season would feature military skins, but the second would lean back into the over-the-top colorful skins, the official Call of Duty account was firm: "We got the feedback. No BS. This is all about staying true to Modern Warfare. No clowny skins for launch and seasons beyond."

Infinity Ward again hit back at suggestions that it would return to the bizarre skins, responding to an image of a monkey in tactical army gear by saying that the post was "looking for clicks" and that it had "stated [its] position.

It's understandable why players are hesitant to believe Activision or Infinity Ward, as CoD fans have been burned before. During Black Ops 6, Activision acknowledged that the crossovers had gone too far, admitting that it had "drifted from what made Call of Duty unique in the first place," and decided not to carry skins from BO6 into Black Ops 7 as a result. It also turned down a number of collabs for BO7, but eventually launched Fallout-themed skins to mark the launch of the second series of the Amazon show, prompting criticism from fans of the series.

For now, we can only go by what Infinity Ward is telling us, but we'll only be able to see for ourselves when Modern Warfare 4 launches on October 23, 2026.