Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 is rolling out in stages: campaign early access began October 16, DMZ early access is scheduled for October 20, and the full game—including multiplayer—launches October 23, 2026. Digital pre-orders of the Standard or Vault edition qualify for campaign access ahead of release.
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Modern Warfare 4 launch dates and times
| Milestone |
Schedule |
What to know |
| Campaign early access |
October 16 |
Available to eligible digital Standard and Vault edition pre-orders or pre-purchases. 11 15 |
| DMZ early access |
October 20 |
Release-schedule coverage lists a 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET start. 9 |
| Full release, including multiplayer |
October 23 |
Launch guides report a midnight local-time unlock. 2 9 |
The campaign date is confirmed in Activision’s eligibility information, but the exact early-access hour is less settled: a schedule report lists 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET, while a Forbes report published October 14 said the hour had not yet been announced. Treat that clock time as reported rather than definitively confirmed.
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Who gets campaign early access?
Activision lists campaign early access for players who digitally pre-order or pre-purchase the Standard Digital Edition or Vault Edition. The offer covers PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, PlayStation, Battle.net, Steam and Nintendo Switch 2.
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Because the published eligibility terms specify digital editions, don’t assume a physical copy qualifies for early access without checking its retailer or the publisher’s terms. The full release is listed for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC and Nintendo Switch 2.
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Editions, PC preload and Game Pass
The Standard Digital Edition is listed at $69.99 and the Vault Edition at $99.99. Vault Edition listings describe extras including operator packs, a weapon collection and one season of BlackCell; check the store listing for the full package details.
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A launch report said PC preload began October 15 at 9 a.m. PT.
19 Activision’s official site says Modern Warfare 4 requires a separate purchase and is not available on Game Pass at launch.
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What to expect on Nintendo Switch 2
Nintendo Switch 2 is included among the platforms listed for the October 23 launch.
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51 In a hands-on preview after playing campaign missions, IGN described the result as a pleasant technical surprise and reported that the campaign ran at 30 fps. That is an early preview, not a substitute for testing the released game.
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The official campaign description sets the story against a North Korean invasion of South Korea and names locations including Korea, New York, Paris and Mumbai.
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53 More specific claims about campaign length, cross-platform progression or unconfirmed plot details aren’t established by the cited release information.