You’re sitting there, scrolling through your digital library, and you see it. The gritty, mud-stained cover of Call of Duty: WWII. It’s a classic, honestly. Sledgehammer Games really captured something special with that boots-on-the-ground feel after years of jetpacks and wall-running. You want to hop back into a match of War mode—maybe storm the beaches of Normandy—but your best friend is on PlayStation and you’re rocking a PC or an Xbox. Naturally, the big question hits: is Call of Duty WWII cross platform in 2026?
The short answer? No. It’s not.
It sucks, I know. We’ve become so spoiled by the modern era of Warzone, Modern Warfare III, and Black Ops 6 where everyone plays together regardless of their plastic box of choice. But back in 2017, the gaming landscape was a series of walled gardens. Sony and Microsoft weren't exactly shaking hands and sharing player bases back then. If you bought the game on PS4, you were stuck playing with PS4 users. Same goes for the Xbox One crowd and the PC community on Steam.
The Harsh Reality of 2017 Tech
When Sledgehammer released this title, the industry was in a weird transition phase. Cross-play was a pipe dream for most AAA developers. Sony, in particular, was notorious for blocking cross-platform capabilities, citing "player safety" and brand integrity. It wasn't until Fortnite basically forced the industry's hand a year later that the walls started coming down.
Because Call of Duty: WWII was built on an older architecture that didn't account for unified accounts or cross-input matchmaking, it basically stays frozen in time. Activision hasn't gone back to patch it in, and honestly, they probably never will. They want you playing the newer titles. That's the business model. It's frustrating because the player count on PC is significantly lower than on consoles, making it harder to find matches for DLC maps or specific modes like Gridiron or Hardpoint if you aren't on a PlayStation.
👉 See also: When Was Monopoly Invented: The Truth About Lizzie Magie and the Parker Brothers
Why the "Cross-Gen" Confusion Happens
Sometimes you'll hear people say, "Wait, I played with my friend on a different console!" They are usually talking about cross-generation play, not cross-platform.
If you are playing the Xbox One version of WWII on an Xbox Series X through backward compatibility, you can still play with your friends who are still using an original Xbox One. The same applies to the PlayStation ecosystem. PS5 owners can download the PS4 version and jump into lobbies with people still clinging to their 2013 hardware.
But a bridge between Sony and Microsoft? It doesn't exist here.
And let's talk about PC for a second. The PC port of WWII is its own isolated island. Even if you're using a controller on your PC, you won't be matched with console players. This is actually a major pain point for the "Master Race" crowd because the PC version has historically struggled with a smaller player base and, unfortunately, the occasional cheater that console players never have to see.
✨ Don't miss: Blox Fruit Current Stock: What Most People Get Wrong
What About the "Cross-Progression" Myth?
There is another layer to the is Call of Duty WWII cross platform mystery: your stats.
In modern CoD titles, you can log into your Activision account on a PC and all your weapon levels, skins, and prestige ranks follow you from your Xbox. In WWII, your progress is tied strictly to your platform's network ID (PSN or Xbox Live). If you decided to switch platforms today, you would be starting from Level 1. No heroic weapon variants. No social score. Nothing. You're a private again.
It’s a stark reminder of how far the industry has come. We take for granted that we can buy a Battle Pass on one device and level it up on another. In the world of 2017's WWII, everything was siloed.
The State of Multiplayer and Zombies in 2026
If you're looking to jump back in, you need to know where the people are. PlayStation has the largest remaining player base, mostly because the game was a "Free Monthly Game" on PlayStation Plus years ago, which injected hundreds of thousands of new players into the ecosystem. You can still find Team Deathmatch games almost instantly there.
🔗 Read more: Why the Yakuza 0 Miracle in Maharaja Quest is the Peak of Sega Storytelling
Xbox is a bit quieter but still very much alive, thanks to the robust backward compatibility. PC is the toughest sell. Unless you're playing during peak hours in North America or Europe, you might find yourself staring at "Searching for Games" for a long time.
Nazi Zombies: The Lone Bright Spot?
Now, if you’re a Zombies fan, the lack of cross-play is less of a death sentence but still a bummer. The Final Reich is one of the most atmospheric maps ever made. It’s scary. It’s dark. It feels like a horror movie. While you can't play with friends on other systems, the community still organizes "Easter Egg runs" on Discord servers dedicated to the mode. If you're looking for a crew, you have to find people on your specific platform. There’s no "Invite Activision ID" button here.
How to Handle the Lack of Cross-Play
So, what do you do if you really want to play WWII with friends but you're on different systems?
Honestly, you're out of luck unless someone is willing to buy a second copy on a matching console. The good news is that the game is frequently on sale for under $20, and used physical copies are practically dirt cheap at local game shops.
But if you’re looking for that unified experience, you have to look at the titles that came after Black Ops 4. Starting with Modern Warfare (2019), every single Call of Duty has featured full cross-platform play and cross-progression. That was the turning point. WWII just missed the cut.
Actionable Steps for Returning Players
- Check the Platform: If you have the choice, play on PlayStation. The player pool is objectively larger, making it easier to find matches outside of standard TDM.
- Avoid the DLC Traps: Unless you have a full party of four, don't necessarily count on finding DLC map matches. The matchmaking pool prioritizes people who have the same map packs, which often results in longer wait times because most people only have the base game.
- Disable "Headquarters" if Loading is Slow: The social space (Headquarters) is cool, but it can occasionally cause hang-ups on older hardware. You can bypass the social aspects to jump straight into menus if you're just trying to grind.
- Use Discord for Zombies: Don't rely on public matchmaking for Zombies Easter Eggs. Use the Call of Duty or Zombies subreddits to find specific platform-based groups.
- Verify Your NAT Type: Since this game uses older networking protocols, having an "Open" NAT type is way more important here than in the newer games for finding stable lobbies.
The dream of a unified World War II experience across all platforms just isn't happening for this specific entry. It remains a relic of a time when the console wars were still fought with locked ecosystems and exclusive player bases. It's a fantastic game—maybe one of the most underrated in the franchise—but it's a lonely one if your friends aren't on the same side of the fence.