Call of Duty Modern Warfare 4 Open Beta Dates Revealed — Platforms, Modes, and How to Play Early

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 4 open beta dates are finally locked in, and Infinity Ward is giving players two full weekends to get their hands on the multiplayer before the game launches on October 23, 2026. Whether you’ve already put in a pre-order or you’re just waiting to try it for free, here’s everything you need to know about how and when you can jump in.

MW4 Beta Dates — Both Weekends at a Glance

There are two separate beta windows running back to back, with the first being locked behind a pre-order and the second open to everyone. Here’s the full breakdown:

Weekend One: Early Access Beta (Pre-Order Required)

• Dates: August 21 to August 25, 2026
• Platforms: Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and PC (via Battle.net, Xbox on PC, and Steam)
• Who Can Play: Anyone who has digitally pre-ordered Modern Warfare 4 on those platforms
• Nintendo Switch 2: Not included in Weekend One

Weekend Two: Open Beta (No Pre-Order Needed)

• Dates: August 28 to September 1, 2026
• Platforms: Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2
• Who Can Play: All players on all platforms, no pre-order required
• Switch 2 Pre-Orders: Open from August 26 for players who want to secure a copy ahead of launch

call of duty modern warfare 4 open beta

What Is Call of Duty NEXT and Why Does It Matter for the Beta?

Before the Early Access weekend kicks off, Infinity Ward is hosting Call of Duty NEXT on August 21 — a global event that kicks off with live gameplay, a full briefing on what’s coming to Modern Warfare 4’s multiplayer, developer insights, and new reveals. The Early Access beta goes live immediately after the NEXT broadcast wraps up, so August 21 is going to be a busy day for CoD fans from the moment the event starts.

Think of NEXT as the starting gun. It’s how Activision has handled the pre-beta showcase for the past few years, and it’s usually where the bigger multiplayer details get officially confirmed. If you’re planning to watch before you play, block out time on August 21.

What’s in the MW4 Beta?

Infinity Ward has confirmed a solid chunk of content will be available across both beta weekends. Players will have access to multiple multiplayer maps and modes, 19 different weapons to unlock and test, and a wide selection of new Operators. The scale of the beta ranges from tight 3v3 skirmishes all the way up to large tactical battles with tanks, so there’s a decent spread of playstyles to explore.

The confirmed modes heading into the beta include:

• Kill Block — the brand-new dynamic multiplayer map that reconfigures its layout between every match using modular sections called Slabs. Set in the West Bridge Advanced Military Training Facility, Kill Block has over 500 possible layout combinations and can even pull in sections from classic CoD maps. It supports 3v3 and 10v10 Gunfight formats in the beta, with more modes coming post-launch.
• Search and Destroy — the classic round-based competitive mode that’s been a staple of the franchise for years, back in the beta and as sharp as ever for players wanting something more tactical
• Training Mobility Course — a new addition that lets players get familiar with Modern Warfare 4’s movement and mechanics before dropping into live matches

Kill Block is the headliner here and the mode most people have been talking about since it was first teased. If you want a deeper breakdown of how it works before the beta goes live, check out the full Kill Block mode breakdown already up on the site.

Beyond the confirmed modes, Infinity Ward mentioned players can expect to build loadouts, unlock Tacticals, Lethals, Field Upgrades, Perks, and Killstreaks throughout the beta. The new Gunny system is also in, which gives players optional assistance with setting up builds for those who don’t want to figure it all out from scratch.

Pre-Order Perks — What Vault Edition Players Get in the Beta

Any digital pre-order on Xbox, PS5, or PC gets you into Weekend One as soon as it goes live. But if you’ve gone with the Modern Warfare 4 Vault Edition, you’re also getting early access to some operator options that standard pre-order players won’t have during the beta.

Vault Edition pre-orders unlock the Hostile Alliance Operator Pack for beta use, which includes four operators: Price, Valeria, Ghost, and Blix. Price and Valeria both come with masked and unmasked skin options that you can switch between via the emote system. The Special Forces Operator Pack is also accessible for Vault Edition players during the beta — four operators representing the UK, Germany, France, and South Korea, each with voice packs recorded in their respective local languages.

On top of that, Vault Edition players can test the base weapons and Blueprints from the Signature Weapon Collection during the beta, including the Kastov 762 Assault Rifle with the “Voltspine” Blueprint and the ISO Nightshade SMG with the “La Sombra Venenosa” Blueprint, among others.

MW4 on Nintendo Switch 2 — First CoD on Nintendo in Over a Decade

One of the biggest talking points around Modern Warfare 4 is that it’s the first Call of Duty title to land on a Nintendo platform since Call of Duty Ghosts on Wii U back in 2013. That’s a 13-year gap, and it’s happening because of Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard and the 10-year commitment to bring CoD to Nintendo platforms that came with it.

Switch 2 players don’t get Weekend One Early Access, but they’re fully included in the Weekend Two open beta from August 28 with no pre-order required — just an active Nintendo Switch Online subscription. The Switch 2 version of MW4 is being developed natively by Infinity Ward in partnership with Digital Legends, which is a solid sign that it’s not being treated as a port afterthought. The Switch 2 has already shown it can handle demanding titles without too many compromises, so expectations are reasonably high for how MW4 will run on the hardware.

MW4 Full Release Date

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 4 launches worldwide on October 23, 2026 on Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2. If you pre-order either the Standard or Vault Edition digitally, you also get Campaign Early Access starting October 16 — a full week before the game officially releases.

With two packed beta weekends lined up, this is a solid chance to get a real feel for whether MW4 is worth putting down money on before launch. The open beta starting August 28 is completely free with no strings attached, so even if you’re on the fence about pre-ordering, you don’t have to wait long to make an informed call.

While you wait for August to roll around, there’s plenty of other gaming news to dig into this week — the Palworld official card game Dawn of Palpagos just got revealed, and the Borderlands Dead ECHOs audio drama dropped today on Spotify and Apple Podcasts for free.