Xbox CTO Promises to Simplify Review Codes After Modern Warfare 4 Metacritic Snub

Xbox has a review problem, and one of its biggest games has exposed it. Xbox CTO Scott Van Vliet says the company is working to simplify game review codes after Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 struggled to attract enough Xbox-specific reviews.

Modern Warfare 4 exposes Xbox’s review code problem

The controversy began when Activision celebrated Modern Warfare 4 reviews across PlayStation and PC, but Xbox Series X|S was noticeably missing from the spotlight. The game had too few Xbox critic reviews to generate a Metacritic score, leaving the platform listed as “TBD.”

Windows Central’s Jez Corden stressed on the issue in his latest report, where he mentioned reviewers face additional hurdles when accessing Xbox builds. They may need to locate their Xbox Live Device ID, send it to a PR company, and wait for their console to be approved before redeeming review access.

That is a frustrating process when PC and PlayStation reviews can often begin with a straightforward code redemption. As a result, some outlets choose another platform to meet their review deadlines. The situation is awkward because Microsoft owns Activision, the publisher behind the game. Not to forget, Xbox previously acknowledged that publishing games on Xbox should be easier for developers.

Xbox CTO promises simplifying reviews code process

Scott Van Vliet directly addressed the criticism on X, saying, “Reviewing a game on XBOX takes too many steps today.” He added that press and creators should be able to redeem and play games, confirming that the team is working toward that goal.

The Xbox CTO also said the first updates are coming soon. However, he did not provide a specific rollout date or explain exactly how the revised process will work. The promised changes could make Xbox a more convenient platform for reviewing games before launch. They may also help prevent future releases from receiving extensive coverage on competing platforms while Xbox reviews remain missing.

As things stand, Xbox has only acknowledged the problem. However, knowing that CEO Asha Sharma is making some exemplary moves in the platform’s best interests, we hope the upcoming changes will help reviewers access Xbox builds without jumping through unnecessary hoops.