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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 is scheduled to launch worldwide on October 23, 2026 for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 and PC through Steam. The published support plan promises substantial multiplayer content on day one, then adds Shipment on October 27, Possession on October 29 and the returning Infection mode before Halloween. Season 1 starts November 6.
Release date, platforms and early access
Infinity Ward is leading Modern Warfare 4, with Beenox responsible for the Steam PC version. The announced platforms are Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 and Steam on PC; the plan does not list Xbox One, PlayStation 4 or other platforms.
The global release date is October 23, 2026. Customers who pre-order can begin the campaign before that date through campaign early access. An updated DMZ mode also opens in early access on October 20, three days before the full launch.
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| Date | What becomes available |
|---|---|
| Before October 23 | Campaign early access for eligible pre-order customers |
| October 20 | Updated DMZ enters early access |
| October 23 | Full game release on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 and Steam PC; launch multiplayer content goes live |
| October 27 | Shipment map added during the pre-season period |
| October 29 | Possession mode added |
| Before October 31 | Infection mode returns before Halloween |
| November 6 | Season 1 begins; detailed contents had not yet been announced |
What is available on day one?
The support plan describes a substantial multiplayer offering at launch rather than a minimal starter package. It does not publish a definitive map count, mode count or complete launch roster, so those figures should not be inferred from the announcement. The plan does, however, identify additional named content arriving within the following week.
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- BONUS 2X OFFER — Purchase Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 at Amazon and receive 5 hours of Double XP.**
- PRE-ORDER BONUS — Pre-order and unlock the Hunter Killer Operator Skin and the Gilded Pearl Camo Pack.*
- GLOBE‑SPANNING CAMPAIGN — Fight across the Korean Peninsula, New York, Paris, and Mumbai in a high‑stakes narrative where global conflict escalates and survival depends on tactical precision.
- MULTIPLAYER BUILT ON CONTROL — Engage in grounded, precise combat where fluid movement, player choice, and refined mechanics give you greater control in every firefight.
- TACTICAL DMZ OPERATIONS — Deploy behind enemy lines as an off‑the‑books asset, making high‑risk decisions on objectives and extraction in a dynamic mode where every run counts.
Shipment arrives October 27
Shipment is scheduled for October 27, four days after launch. That makes it the first explicitly named post-launch multiplayer map in the pre-season schedule.
Possession follows on October 29
Possession is scheduled to become playable on October 29. The announcement identifies it as a mode, but does not provide its rules or player-count details.
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- Game is playable on October 23, 2026. Digital code will be available on September 25th to redeem.
- BONUS 2X OFFER — Purchase Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 at Amazon and receive 5 hours of Double XP.**
- PRE-ORDER BONUS — Pre-order and unlock the Hunter Killer Operator Skin and the Gilded Pearl Camo Pack.*
- GLOBE‑SPANNING CAMPAIGN — Fight across the Korean Peninsula, New York, Paris, and Mumbai in a high‑stakes narrative where global conflict escalates and survival depends on tactical precision.
- MULTIPLAYER BUILT ON CONTROL — Engage in grounded, precise combat where fluid movement, player choice, and refined mechanics give you greater control in every firefight.
Infection returns before Halloween
Infection is slated to return before Halloween. The plan gives no more precise date than that window, so players should treat October 31 as the latest indicated timing rather than a confirmed launch day.
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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchSeason 1 starts November 6
The first post-release support season begins November 6, 2026, less than two weeks after the October 23 launch. The report confirms the start date but not the season’s maps, weapons, operators, challenges or other features. Those details remain to be announced, so the October pre-season additions are the only specifically named content in the current roadmap.
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- Game is playable on October 23, 2026. Digital code will be available on September 25th to redeem.
- VAULT EDITION CONTENT — Includes the full base game, Hostile Alliance Operator Pack, Special Forces Operator Pack, Signature Weapon Collection, BlackCell (1 Season), and DMZ Deployment Bonus, delivering expanded content from day one.
- BONUS 2X OFFER — Purchase Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 at Amazon and receive 5 hours of Double XP.**
- PRE-ORDER BONUS — Pre-order and unlock the Hunter Killer Operator Skin and the Gilded Pearl Camo Pack.*
- GLOBE‑SPANNING CAMPAIGN — Fight across the Korean Peninsula, New York, Paris, and Mumbai in a high‑stakes narrative where global conflict escalates and survival depends on tactical precision.
PC beta requirements and security checks
The official beta guidance lists separate minimum and recommended specifications. These are beta requirements, not a guarantee of final performance across every configuration. Both tiers require an SSD, DirectX 12 and broadband internet.
| Component | Minimum beta specification | Recommended beta specification |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | Windows 10 64-bit | Windows 11 |
| Processor | AMD Ryzen 5 1600 or Intel Core i5-8400 | AMD Ryzen 5 3600 or Intel Core i7-8700 |
| Memory | 12 GB RAM | 16 GB RAM |
| Graphics | AMD Radeon RX 470, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 or GTX 1060, or Intel Arc A580 | AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, or Intel Arc B580 |
| Video memory | 3 GB | 8 GB |
| Storage | SSD required; capacity not stated | SSD required; capacity not stated |
| API and connection | DirectX 12 and broadband internet | DirectX 12 and broadband internet |
TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot are required for online beta play
Online beta access requires both TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot. These are firmware and operating-system security features, separate from the CPU and GPU requirements.
Rank #4
- BONUS 2X OFFER — Purchase Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 at Amazon and receive 5 hours of Double XP.**
- PRE-ORDER BONUS — Pre-order and unlock the Hunter Killer Operator Skin and the Gilded Pearl Camo Pack.*
- GLOBE‑SPANNING CAMPAIGN — Fight across the Korean Peninsula, New York, Paris, and Mumbai in a high‑stakes narrative where global conflict escalates and survival depends on tactical precision.
- MULTIPLAYER BUILT ON CONTROL — Engage in grounded, precise combat where fluid movement, player choice, and refined mechanics give you greater control in every firefight.
- TACTICAL DMZ OPERATIONS — Deploy behind enemy lines as an off‑the‑books asset, making high‑risk decisions on objectives and extraction in a dynamic mode where every run counts.
- Check Windows compatibility: press
Win+R, entertpm.msc, and confirm that a TPM is present and ready. In Windows Security, open Device security and look for the Secure Boot status under firmware security. - Verify UEFI mode: Secure Boot normally requires UEFI firmware rather than legacy BIOS/CSM mode. If the status is unavailable, check your motherboard or system manufacturer’s firmware instructions before changing settings.
- Enable the features in firmware: restart into UEFI setup and enable TPM 2.0 (which may be labeled a platform-trust option) and Secure Boot. Save changes and confirm the status again in Windows.
- Install the game on an SSD: the beta guidance requires solid-state storage. Keep additional free space for updates even though the announcement does not state an installation size.
Shader preloading and Steam updates
Shader preloading prepares shaders before launch. Its purpose is to reduce shader-related stutter and the amount of time spent waiting before the first match. Allow the preload to finish rather than cancelling it if you want the intended benefit.
Most Steam data patches are designed not to require a restart. A restart may still be needed when a patch arrives while the game is running, so close and relaunch the client if an update does not apply immediately.
Best Value
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 - Standard Edition
What the roadmap means for buyers
- Choose pre-order access only for timing: the documented advantages are campaign early access and earlier DMZ access; the announcement does not list additional launch maps or modes tied to a pre-order.
- Plan for current-generation hardware: console support is limited to Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5, while PC players need an SSD and the stated Windows, graphics and memory baseline.
- Expect a rapid opening schedule: launch content is followed by Shipment four days later, Possession six days later, Infection before Halloween and Season 1 on November 6.
- Do not assume undisclosed details: exact launch counts, Season 1 features, Infection’s precise date and the beta’s storage capacity have not been published in the current plan.
The Bottom Line
Modern Warfare 4’s announced schedule provides a substantial launch multiplayer package, two named additions in its first week, Infection before Halloween and Season 1 on November 6. The full release is set for October 23, 2026, while PC beta participants should prepare Windows 10/11, an SSD, DirectX 12, broadband internet, TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot.
Quick Recap
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