MW4 Beta Is Live: Modern Warfare 4 Early Access Launches Today

The MW4 beta has arrived. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4’s Early Access Weekend One went live at 11:00 AM PT on Friday, August 21, right after the Call of Duty: NEXT broadcast wrapped its reveal of maps, modes, and weapons ahead of October’s launch.

Weekend One runs through August 25 at 10:00 AM PT and is open to anyone who pre-ordered the Standard or Vault Edition, or who redeemed a code. A second, fully open weekend follows from August 28 to September 1, adding Call of Duty: Warzone Resurgence on the new Zodiac map.

What We Know So Far

Infinity Ward is leading development on Modern Warfare 4, working alongside Activision Central Design, Beenox, Demonware, Raven Software, Sledgehammer Games, Treyarch, and several other internal studios across the Call of Duty family. The game launches October 23, 2026, on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC via Battle.net and Steam, and Nintendo Switch 2, marking the series’ twenty-third mainline entry.

Weekend One gives players their first taste of the full package. For the first time in Call of Duty Beta history, the build includes a playable campaign mission called “Entrenched,” which drops players into a large-scale assault to defend a nuclear power station. Multiplayer content includes six 6v6 modes, among them the new mode Inflation, five Core maps spanning locations from New York rooftops to a South Korean shopping district, and the debut of Kill Block, a reconfigurable arena that also supports a new 10v10 Gunfight variant.

Progression during the first weekend caps at Player Level 20, unlocking Create a Class at Level 4 and five of eight total rewards, including the “Dread Tiger” Operator skin. The roster includes 21 Operators and 19 multiplayer weapons at launch, with additional weapons, Perks, Equipment, and Killstreaks arriving when the level cap rises to 30 in Weekend Two.

What This Means for Players

This is the biggest hands-on look at Modern Warfare 4 before its October release, and it’s also the first Call of Duty Beta to include a real campaign mission rather than multiplayer alone. That gives players a chance to judge the game’s pacing, weapon feel, and production values well ahead of launch day, instead of relying on trailers and press previews alone.

The new Kill Block mode and its 10v10 Gunfight variant stand out as the season’s biggest experiments. Both are built around a combat space that changes shape every two rounds, forcing players to relearn sightlines and rotations mid-match rather than settle into one fixed strategy for the whole session.

What’s Next

Weekend Two opens to everyone, no pre-order required, from August 28 through September 1. That phase raises the level cap to 30, unlocks the remaining weapons and rewards, and adds Warzone Resurgence on the Zodiac map for the first time. Campaign Early Access for digital pre-orders begins October 16, a week ahead of the full release on October 23.

MW4 Beta FAQ