Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4: what to know before the October 23 launch

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 launches on Friday, October 23, 2026 on PS5, Xbox Series, Nintendo Switch 2 and PC (Battle.net, Steam and the Xbox app). The campaign opens a week earlier, from Friday, October 16, for players who pre-ordered the game digitally.

Campaign early access

Early access is limited to digital pre-orders and pre-purchases of the Standard and Vault Editions, on every platform including Switch 2: a physical pre-order won't get you in. During that week only the campaign is playable; multiplayer and DMZ arrive with the full game on October 23. Activision hasn't given an unlock time and warns that it may vary by time zone.

The campaign

You play as Private Park, a young South Korean soldier facing combat for the first time with his squad as North Korea launches a full-scale invasion. Meanwhile Captain Price, now an outlaw, is operating outside the system he once served, hunting a weapon powerful enough to shift the balance of power. Expect large-scale battles, covert missions and fights that mix infantry and vehicles.

Platforms: what to know

No PS4 or Xbox One version.
The game is not in Game Pass at launch.
On Xbox, one purchase covers both console and PC (Xbox Play Anywhere).
The Switch 2 version is being built by Infinity Ward with studio Digital Legends.
Online play may require a platform subscription, sold separately. On PC, TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot are required.

Editions

The game comes in a Standard Edition, digital or physical (consoles only: PS5, Xbox Series X and Switch 2), and a digital-only Vault Edition, which adds:

two four-Operator packs, including Price and Ghost, plus France's COM SFT with French voice lines;
five Signature weapons with their attachments;
one season of BlackCell (the premium battle pass);
a DMZ Deployment Bonus.

If you've played a premium Call of Duty since Modern Warfare (2019), the Vault Edition is 10% off as a pre-order, on the same platform and account, until October 23. A digital Standard Edition can be upgraded to Vault later for $30, without that discount.