Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 Release Date, Beta Recap, Campaign Early Access and Price
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 launches on 23 October 2026 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC and Nintendo Switch 2. As of 4 October 2026, the beta is over. Players who pre-order digitally can start the campaign on 16 October. The game is not on Game Pass.
Updated 4 October 2026. We first wrote this page on 14 August, when the beta was still ahead. It now covers the finished beta, the campaign mission, the price in USD, the PC specs and what Activision has not announced yet.
In a hurry? Jump to: release date · beta details · campaign · price · Game Pass · PC requirements · not confirmed · what to do now · how we checked
Modern Warfare 4 release date, platforms and key dates
Every date below comes from Activision, Infinity Ward or the Xbox Store. Times are Pacific Time (PT) where Activision gave one. The launch is 19 days away.
| Date | What happens | Who gets it |
|---|---|---|
| 21–25 Aug 2026 | Early access beta (over) | Digital pre-orders and beta codes |
| 28 Aug–1 Sep 2026 | Open beta (over) | Everyone, including Switch 2 |
| 15 Oct, 9 a.m. PT | PC preload opens | Digital pre-purchases on PC |
| 16 Oct | Campaign Early Access | Digital pre-orders of Standard or Vault |
| 23 Oct | Full launch | Everyone who owns the game |
| After 23 Oct | Season 1 and the Warzone link-up | Date not announced |
- Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC (Steam, Battle.net and Xbox on PC) and Nintendo Switch 2. It is not on PS4 or Xbox One.
- Xbox Play Anywhere: buy it once on the Xbox Store and play on Xbox console and PC.
- Who makes it: Infinity Ward leads. Beenox works on the PC version. Digital Legends helps on Switch 2.
- PC launch time: Activision says the full game unlocks at midnight local time on 23 October.
- Modes at launch: campaign, multiplayer with 12 core 6v6 maps, and DMZ.
- Warzone: from Season 1, Warzone will use Modern Warfare 4 content and progression. Warzone then stops working on PS4 and Xbox One.
MW4 beta details: what Activision ran in August
Can you still play the Modern Warfare 4 beta? No. Both weekends are over. Activision has not announced a third one, so treat the next playable thing as the full game.
| Weekend | Dates and times | Who could play |
|---|---|---|
| One (early access) | 21 Aug, 11 a.m. PT to 25 Aug, 10 a.m. PT | Digital pre-order or beta code. PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, Steam, Battle.net |
| Two (open beta) | 28 Aug, 10 a.m. PT to 1 Sep | Everyone, no pre-order. Same platforms plus Switch 2 |
Infinity Ward later pushed the open beta end to 10 p.m. PT on 1 September and turned on double XP, as we covered at the time. GameSpot reported the same change.
What the beta had, per Activision's beta guide:
- Campaign: one mission, Entrenched, in both weekends. It was the first campaign mission in any Call of Duty beta.
- Core 6v6 maps: Cachette, Lithium, Lotus, Rooftops, Silkworm and Transit 213.
- Kill Block: Gunfight in 3v3 and a new 10v10 version.
- Ground War: Combat Outpost, 24v24, on Imjin Farmlands and Wolves Stadium.
- Modes: Team Deathmatch, Domination, Hardpoint, Kill Confirmed, Search & Destroy, and the new Hijack and Inflation.
- Warzone Resurgence: the new Zodiac map, in weekend two only.
- Level cap: 20 in weekend one, 30 in weekend two. DMZ was not part of the beta.
Do you keep beta progress? Only the cosmetics. Beta rewards stay tied to your Activision account and appear in the full game on 23 October. Player level, weapon unlocks and other beta progress do not carry over.
How access worked: a digital pre-order unlocked weekend one automatically. Physical pre-orders got a beta code at retailers. Weekend two needed nothing. Switch 2 players needed Nintendo Switch Online. The beta was a separate download on each store.
Modern Warfare 4 campaign and the Entrenched mission
You play as Private Park (Park Hyun Jun), a young South Korean soldier. North Korea launches a full-scale invasion, and his squad fights on collapsing front lines. Captain Price, now on the run, hunts a weapon that could shift the balance of power.
Activision says the story visits trench warfare in Korea, close-quarters fights in New York, chases in Paris and SAS night raids in Mumbai. Price teams up with cartel leader Valeria Garza. A villain called the Archer is after the weapon.
Entrenched was the beta mission. You join a large-scale assault to stop a nuclear power station falling to the enemy. Armored vehicles and infantry fight beside you. It showed the campaign’s weapons, movement and cinematic style.
Campaign Early Access: on 16 October, anyone who digitally pre-ordered or pre-purchased the Standard or Vault Edition can play the story. Everyone else waits for 23 October. Activision’s announcement lists Xbox, PS5, Steam, Battle.net and Switch 2.
Modern Warfare 4 price and editions in USD
The Xbox Store lists the prices below. We could not load the PlayStation, Steam or Switch 2 store prices, so check your own store before you pay.
| Edition | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Standard (digital) | $69.99 | The full game |
| Vault (digital only) | $99.99 | Game, two Operator packs, Signature Weapon Collection, one season of BlackCell, DMZ Deployment Bonus |
| Vault upgrade | $30 | Moves a digital Standard owner up to Vault |
- Pre-order bonuses: Campaign Early Access, the Hunter Killer Operator skin and the Gilded Pearl camo pack. The Inner Circuit M4 blueprint is green only on Xbox.
- Loyalty discount: 10% off Vault on a pre-order if you owned and played an earlier title, from Modern Warfare (2019) to Black Ops 7. Xbox says the offer ends 23 October.
- Physical copies: Standard discs for PS5 and Xbox Series X, plus Switch 2 at retail. There is no physical Vault and no physical PC copy.
Is Modern Warfare 4 on Game Pass?
No. Xbox’s store page says Modern Warfare 4 is not available with Game Pass at launch. You have to buy it. This is a change from recent Call of Duty games.
Game Pass still matters in two ways. Online multiplayer on Xbox needs a Game Pass Essential plan. And a copy you bought can stream through Xbox Cloud Gaming with Essential, Premium or Ultimate.
Modern Warfare 4 PC requirements
Activision posted the official specs on 29 September. Every tier needs 115GB on an SSD, a broadband connection and DirectX 12. See the full list in Activision’s PC post.
| Tier | CPU | Graphics card | RAM and VRAM |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum (Windows 10) | Ryzen 5 1400 or Core i5-6600 | RX 470, GTX 970 or 1060, Arc A580 | 8GB, 3GB |
| Recommended (Windows 11, 90 FPS on High) | Ryzen 5 3600 or Core i7-8700K | RX 6600 XT, RTX 3060 Ti, Arc B580 | 16GB, 8GB |
| Ultra (Windows 11, ray tracing, 4K upscaled) | Ryzen 7 3700X or Core i7-10700K | RX 9070 XT or RTX 5070 Ti | 32GB, 16GB |
- TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot are required. Without them you cannot play. Activision explains how to turn them on at its support page.
- Only Intel and AMD processors with AVX are supported. Intel Arc cards need Resizable BAR.
- Upscaling options are DLSS 4.5, FSR Redstone and XeSS 3. Ray tracing works in campaign, multiplayer and DMZ.
- PC preload for digital pre-purchases opens 15 October at 9 a.m. PT.
What is still not confirmed
- Console preload dates and times. We found only the PC preload date.
- The exact start time of Campaign Early Access on 16 October.
- The Season 1 date. Activision says only “shortly after” launch.
- Campaign length, mission count and co-op. None has been announced.
- Zombies. Activision’s launch descriptions list campaign, multiplayer and DMZ only.
- Early access for physical copies. Activision’s wording covers digital pre-orders.
- Console file sizes. Reports put Switch 2 near 85GB, but Activision has not posted sizes. Check your store page.
What to do before 23 October
- Decide on a digital pre-order if you want the campaign a week early. The beta is over, so it no longer helps you decide.
- On PC, check TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot now. Fixing them can take time.
- Free up space. PC needs 115GB on an SSD. Clear room on your console too.
- Preload on PC on 15 October. On console, watch your store for a preload button.
- Check the loyalty discount if you want Vault. It ends 23 October.
- Sign in with your Activision account so your beta rewards show up at launch.
How we checked
- On 4 October 2026 we read Activision’s own posts: the May announcement and pre-order guide, the June Campaign Early Access post, the July beta dates, the 21 August beta guide, both weekend intel posts, the 26 August Switch 2 post, the September campaign posts and the 29 September PC post.
- We read the Xbox Store page for prices, Game Pass and cloud rules.
- We checked news coverage for the 12-hour beta extension and read the pages that rank for these searches.
- We could not load PlayStation Store, Steam or Nintendo eShop price pages.
- We have not played the beta or the game. Everything here comes from official text.
Bottom line
Modern Warfare 4 arrives on 23 October for $69.99 or $99.99, with campaign access on 16 October for digital pre-orders. The beta is finished and Game Pass does not include the game. On PC, turn on TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot first.
More to read: the beta extension, how the beta preload worked, and Black Ops 7 Season 06 for what Warzone runs now. Our most anticipated games of 2026 list tracks other dates.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 come out?
Modern Warfare 4 launches on 23 October 2026 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC and Nintendo Switch 2. Digital pre-orders get Campaign Early Access on 16 October. It is not on PS4 or Xbox One.
Is the Modern Warfare 4 beta still live?
No. The early access weekend ran 21 to 25 August and the open beta ran 28 August to 1 September, later extended to 10 p.m. PT that day. Activision has not announced another beta weekend.
What is in the Modern Warfare 4 campaign beta?
One mission, called Entrenched. You join a large-scale assault to stop a nuclear power station falling to the enemy, with armored vehicles and infantry beside you. It was playable in both beta weekends and was a first for a Call of Duty beta.
When does Modern Warfare 4 campaign early access start?
On 16 October 2026, a week before launch. You need a digital pre-order or pre-purchase of the Standard or Vault Edition. Activision has not published an exact start time, so check your store as the date nears.
Is Modern Warfare 4 on Game Pass?
No. Xbox says it is not available with Game Pass at launch, so you must buy it. Xbox multiplayer needs Game Pass Essential, and a copy you own can stream through Xbox Cloud Gaming on Essential, Premium or Ultimate.
How much does Modern Warfare 4 cost?
The Xbox Store lists the Standard Edition at $69.99 and the Vault Edition at $99.99. Upgrading from Standard to Vault costs $30. We could not load PlayStation, Steam or Switch 2 prices, so check your own store.
What are the Modern Warfare 4 PC requirements?
Minimum is a Ryzen 5 1400 or Core i5-6600, 8GB of RAM and a GTX 970 or RX 470. Recommended is a Ryzen 5 3600, 16GB and an RTX 3060 Ti. All tiers need 115GB on an SSD, TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot.
Do I keep my Modern Warfare 4 beta progress?
Only the cosmetic rewards. They are tied to your Activision account and arrive in the full game on 23 October. Player level, weapon unlocks and other beta progress do not carry over.
Can I preload Modern Warfare 4?
On PC, digital pre-purchases can preload from 9 a.m. PT on 15 October. Activision had not announced console preload dates when we checked on 4 October 2026.
