CALL OF DUTY – MODERN WARFARE 4 – PRE-LAUNCH INTEL HUB
Infinity Ward is back, Captain Price is a wanted man, and war erupts on the Korean Peninsula. Here’s everything confirmed about Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 – release date, beta, campaign, multiplayer, DMZ’s return and more – updated as Activision reveals it, so you’re ready before the first lobby fills on October 23, 2026.
MW4 in 30 Seconds
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 launches Friday, October 23, 2026 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC (Battle.net, Steam, Xbox on PC) and Nintendo Switch 2 – and skips PS4/Xbox One entirely. Development is led by Infinity Ward, and the tagline says it all: Warfare Without Limits.
The campaign throws you into a full-scale North Korean invasion of South Korea as rookie Private Park, while a hunted Captain Price wages a shadow war of his own. Multiplayer ships with 12 core 6v6 maps, the modular Kill Block battleground, Ground War, and two Prestige paths – and DMZ returns as a full extraction mode in the Hajin Exclusion Zone. Pre-orders get the beta early, plus Campaign Early Access from October 16.
MW4 Release Date and Road to Launch
Every official date between now and launch day
May 28, 2026 – Official Reveal
Activision and Infinity Ward announce Modern Warfare 4 with the reveal trailer, confirming the Korea campaign, Captain Price’s return, and the October launch.
August 21-25 – Beta Early Access
Pre-order players deploy first. Hit level 20 and 30 during the beta to unlock an Operator Skin and a Weapon Blueprint that carry to launch.
August 28 – September 1 – Open Beta
The beta opens to everyone, no pre-order needed – including Nintendo Switch 2 players, with multiplayer maps, the campaign mission Entrenched, and Warzone content in the mix.
October 16 – Campaign Early Access
Digital pre-orders (Standard or Vault) unlock the full campaign a week early on every platform – a full week of story before the multiplayer crowds arrive.
October 23, 2026 – Worldwide Launch
Modern Warfare 4 goes live on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC and Nintendo Switch 2. The grind begins: 12 maps, Kill Block, Ground War, DMZ, and two Prestige paths from day one.
The MW4 Campaign: War on the Korean Peninsula
Two wars, two perspectives – the biggest campaign swing since the 2019 reboot
Frontline Story
Private Park and the Invasion
You fight as Private Park, a young South Korean soldier facing live combat for the first time when North Korea launches a full-scale invasion. Park’s squad – Jae, Cho and Moon – fights through collapsing cities alongside American Marines West and Dunn, in a “Big War” of massive armies the series hasn’t attempted at this scale before.
Shadow War
Captain Price, Hunted
Half a world away, Captain Price – still wanted for the murder of General Shepherd – wages a personal, off-book war from the shadows, staying one step ahead of the people hunting him. When his mission collides with the forces behind the invasion, the war spreads beyond anyone’s control, pushing long-running MW storylines to a breaking point.
Confirmed campaign set pieces: trench warfare in Korea, close-quarters combat in New York, high-octane chases through Paris, SAS night raids in Mumbai, and city-wide assaults to reclaim occupied territory.
MULTIPLAYER SPOTLIGHT
12 Maps, Kill Block, Ground War And Nukes
MW4 launches with 12 core 6v6 maps (no shipment at launch – the small train-yard Transit 213 is the closest thing), large-scale Ground War, and the headline innovation: Kill Block, a modular battleground inside the West Bridge Advanced Military Training Facility that reshapes its layout between rounds – it debuted publicly as fast 10v10 Gunfight at Fanatics Fest. Add overhauled movement and weapon handling, the new Apex Attachments system, returning nukes, and full Warzone integration, and this is the biggest multiplayer package Infinity Ward has shipped.
Prestige, DMZ, Warzone and Editions
The four systems that will define your grind
Progression
Two Prestige Paths
Classic Prestige resets your Create-a-Class for faster XP and exclusive rewards – the old-school badge of honor. Regular Prestige lets you keep your unlocked loadouts while still climbing Prestige levels. Two grinds, your choice – and the Classic path is where the launch-week flexes will live.
Extraction
DMZ Returns – The Hajin Exclusion Zone
Billed as “the definitive Call of Duty extraction shooter,” DMZ returns after 4-5 years of development. You’ll deploy into Hajin, a sprawling Exclusion Zone forged by the aftermath of the MW4 campaign, where every operation mixes exploration, survival and the ever-present risk of escalation.
Ecosystem
Warzone Integration and Platforms
MW4 integrates fully with Warzone – and support for Warzone on PS4/Xbox One ends with it. The game is current-gen only: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC (TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot required) and a native Nintendo Switch 2 version with Joy-Con 2 mouse controls.
Editions
Standard, Vault and Pre-Order Perks
Three editions: Digital Standard, Physical Standard and Digital Vault. Any pre-order gets beta Early Access, the Hunter Killer Operator Skin, the Gilded Pearl Camo Pack and Campaign Early Access from October 16 – plus a 10% Vault Edition loyalty discount for anyone who owns a COD title from 2019 onward.
How to Get Ahead Before Launch
What smart players are doing between now and October 23
Before Launch
At Launch
MW4 Quick Answers
The three questions everyone is asking
Is MW4 coming to PS4 or Xbox One?
No. Modern Warfare 4 is current-gen only: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC and Nintendo Switch 2. It’s the first mainline COD to leave last-gen behind entirely – and Warzone support on those consoles ends alongside it.
Is Shipment in MW4?
Not at launch. Infinity Ward has confirmed 12 core 6v6 maps and Shipment isn’t among them – the small train-yard map Transit 213 is the closest equivalent. COD has added Shipment post-launch before, so a seasonal return is possible but unannounced.
What’s the earliest way to play MW4?
Right now: the Open Beta runs August 28 – September 1 for everyone, free. After that, digital pre-orders unlock Campaign Early Access on October 16, a full week before the worldwide launch on October 23.
October 23 is coming fast. Bookmark this page – we update it with every official MW4 reveal between now and launch.
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