Here's your confirmed intel on how to pre-load the Open Beta right now, and the Weekend Two content waiting when the Call of Duty Open Beta begins this Friday.

• All players can preload the Open Beta starting at 9:00 AM PT on Wednesday August 26.

• Weekend Two (Open Beta): August 28 at 10:00 AM PT – September 1 at 10:00 AM PT

The Open Beta begins at 10:00 AM PT, Friday August 28 for players on Steam. The Open Beta is scheduled to end at 10:00 AM PT on Tuesday, September 1.

Here’s how to participate in the Open Beta:

• The Beta is available to all players.

• Download the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 Beta.

• No pre-order or Beta Codes are needed.

How to Access and Launch the Beta

Steam (PC)

• Preload (Available Now): Open the Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® 4 Beta page, select Play Now, and Steam will automatically add the Beta to your Library and begin downloading.

• Launch (Available at 10:00AM PT on Friday, August 28): Open your Steam Library and select Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® 4 Beta when the Beta goes live.

Progress through the Modern Warfare 4 Beta, rank up, and unlock cosmetic rewards along the way.

• Weekend Two: Start from Player Level 1, or return return to continue progressing from Weekend One, up to Level 30, unlocking all eight Beta Rewards, including the "Dread Tiger" Operator Skin for Reece, and the "Beta Forged" Weapon Blueprint for the Han 86 Assault Rifle.

These rewards can only be earned during the Modern Warfare 4 Beta and will be available in the full game at launch for players who unlock them.

Beta Rewards

• Player Level 4: "Through the Paces" Legendary Emblem

• Player Level 8: "First Served" Weapon Charm

• Player Level 12: "Meonjeo" Legendary Weapon Sticker

• Player Level 16: "Last Charge" Legendary Calling Card

• Player Level 20: "Dread Tiger" Operator Skin – Reece

• Player Level 23: "Field Tested" Epic Spray

• Player Level 26: "Beta Rights" Epic Loading Screen

• Player Level 30: "Beta Forged" Weapon Blueprint – Han 86

Additional Rewards

There's even more to unlock throughout the Modern Warfare 4 Beta. Keep an eye out for additional cosmetic rewards earned through a variety of activities, including:

• Default Items (immediately available): 3 Emblems, 3 Calling Cards, 1 Spray, and 3 Loading Screens

• Mobility Course Challenge Reward: Clockwork Charm.

• Combat Record Rewards: \[CLASSIFIED] Weapon Blueprint, Emblem, and Charm.

• \[CLASSIFIED] Challenge Reward: \[CLASSIFIED].

Twitch Drops

Modern Warfare 4 Beta Twitch Drops

These rewards are available for watching your favorite creator throughout the Modern Warfare 4 Beta.

• "Get Tactical" Emblem (for watching 15 minutes)

• "Clearing House" Calling Card (for watching 30 minutes)

• "Action Ready" Charm (for watching 45 minutes)

For further details on linking your Twitch account, click here[support.activision.com].

QUICK INTEL: Stay up to date throughout the Modern Warfare 4 Beta with the latest Patch Notes from the Infinity Ward Comms team.

Expect updates throughout the Beta covering everything from bug fixes and gameplay adjustments to new maps and modes. Visit the Modern Warfare 4 Patch Notes for the latest intel.

Everything below is available the Open Beta, giving you an early look at the Multiplayer, Campaign, and gameplay systems featured in the Modern Warfare 4.

Looking for a deeper dive? Check out the Modern Warfare 4 Open Beta: Everything You Need to Know blog[www.callofduty.com], featuring comprehensive breakdowns of every map, mode, weapon, gameplay system, progression unlock, and more.

QUICK INTEL:

• NEW: For the first time in a Call of Duty Beta, play a Campaign mission.

• Join a large-scale assault to prevent the destruction of a vital nuclear power station.

• Continue the fight with Campaign Early Access starting October 16 for digital pre-orders, ahead of the full game launch on October 23.

For the first time in Call of Duty Beta history, deploy into a complete Campaign mission before launch. In “Entrenched,” fight alongside friendly infantry and armored vehicles as you battle to prevent a strategically vital nuclear power station from falling into enemy hands.

Flex your expertise in mobility and make your way through the course as fast as possible.

QUICK INTEL:

• NEW: Enter a dedicated training facility built to teach Modern Warfare 4's expanded movement and combat systems.

• Learn every new maneuver through guided Tutorials before putting your skills to the test in timed Courses.

• Return throughout the Beta to improve your ratings, refine your movement, weapon handling, and marksmanship, and build confidence before your next Multiplayer match.

Whether you're a new recruit or a returning veteran, the Mobility Course is your proving ground for Modern Warfare 4's expanded movement and combat systems. Master new traversal techniques, sharpen your gunplay, chase faster completion times, and revisit the Courses whenever you want to fine-tune your skills between Multiplayer matches.

QUICK INTEL:

• Earn XP in Multiplayer matches to increase your Player Level and unlock new gameplay content.

• Open Beta: Progress from Levels 1-30, unlocking new weapons, Equipment, Perks, Field Upgrades, Killstreaks, and eight Beta Rewards.

• Beta Rewards earned during the Open Beta carry over to the full game at launch.

Every Multiplayer match brings you closer to your next player level and new unlock. Climb through the ranks to expand your arsenal, customize your loadouts, and unlock Create a Class at Level 4. Continue earning XP to complete your progression and unlock even more weapons, Equipment, Perks, and Beta Rewards.

QUICK INTEL:

• Build up to 12 Custom Loadouts, each with its own Operator, Weapons, Equipment, Perks, Field Upgrade, and Killstreaks.

• NEW: Operators are now assigned on a per-loadout basis, giving every Custom Loadout its own identity.

• Choose from 21 Operators during the Beta, including military specialists, iconic characters, and additional Operators available with the Vault Edition.

• Unlock Create a Class at Player Level 4 and expand your customization options as you progress.

Modern Warfare 4 streamlines Create a Class by bringing every major loadout choice together into a single menu, making it faster than ever to build specialized loadouts for every combat role. Pair a unique Operator with each Custom Loadout, customize your weapons, Equipment, Perks, Field Upgrade, and Killstreaks, then fine-tune your setup before every deployment.

Operators are now fully integrated into Create a Class, allowing each loadout to feature its own distinctive look, voice, and interchangeable Finishing Move. The Beta includes 21 Operators to choose from, including Operators available through the Vault Edition, with more arriving at launch.

QUICK INTEL:

• Deploy with 19 weapons spanning nine weapon classes, with three additional weapons becoming available through Campaign or Default Loadouts.

• Customize your arsenal using the returning Gunsmith, then test every build in the Firing Range before deployment.

• NEW: Unlock powerful Apex Attachments by fully leveling supported weapons, adding unique gameplay effects without using an attachment slot.

• NEW: Need a starting point? Gunny can instantly recommend a wide variety of Weapon builds using Attachments you've already unlocked.

• Additional Weapons arrive with the full game at launch.

The Beta features 19 Multiplayer weapons spanning nine weapon classes. Three additional weapons are accessible through specific Default Loadouts or the Campaign mission, bringing the total number of weapons available across the Beta to 22. Customize supported weapons with Gunsmith, unlock game-changing Apex Attachments by mastering supported weapons, use Gunny to recommend optimized builds, and put every setup through its paces in the Firing Range.

Note: Looking for the complete arsenal? Check out the Modern Warfare 4 Beta: Everything You Need to Know blog with the full Beta weapon roster, Gunsmith and Apex Attachment breakdowns, Gunny tips, and complete weapon intel.

QUICK INTEL:

• Build every loadout with 9 Tactical Equipment items, 11 Lethals, and 11 Field Upgrades, including new equipment in every category.

• Gather intelligence, breach defended positions, deny enemy movement, defend objectives, and support your squad with equipment tailored to every combat role.

• Additional equipment arrives with the full game at launch.

Every loadout is more than just your Primary and Secondary weapons. Choose Tactical Equipment to gather intel, disrupt enemy movement, or recover in the heat of battle; Lethal Equipment to clear defenders, deny routes, and secure eliminations; and rechargeable Field Upgrades to support your squad, defend objectives, and create new tactical opportunities.

QUICK INTEL:

• Equip up to three Killstreaks to every Custom Loadout before deploying into Multiplayer.

• Earn Killstreaks by achieving consecutive eliminations without being eliminated.

• The Beta features 17 Killstreaks.

• Additional Killstreaks arrive when Modern Warfare 4 launches.

From reconnaissance and support to devastating offensive firepower, Killstreaks are powerful combat rewards earned through aggressive play and survival. Choose from new and returning Killstreaks to build your preferred combination for each Custom Loadout, then progress throughout the Beta to unlock additional options as the Player Level cap increases to 30.

QUICK INTEL:

• Customize your Operator with the Pick 3 Perk System, equipping one Perk from each of three Perk slots.

• Choose from 18 Perks during the Beta.

• Mix and match Perks to support aggressive assaults, stealth, survivability, mobility, objective play, and tactical awareness.

• Additional Perks arrive when Modern Warfare 4 launches.

Perks are passive abilities that define how your Operator performs in combat. Modern Warfare 4's Pick 3 system enables you to build combinations that complement your preferred weapons, Equipment, and overall playstyle, whether you're leading the charge, staying off enemy radar, or supporting your squad.

QUICK INTEL:

• Deploy into seven Core 6v6 Multiplayer modes during the Open Beta.

• Play Team Deathmatch, Domination, Hardpoint, Kill Confirmed, Search and Destroy, Inflation (new mode), and Hijack (new mode).

• From classic objective modes to tactical one-life competition, every mode supports full Create a Class functionality.

• Additional Multiplayer modes become available as the Beta continues, with more modes at launch.

The Open Beta brings together Call of Duty's signature Multiplayer experiences with an all-new way to play. Alongside Team Deathmatch, Domination, Hardpoint, Kill Confirmed, and Search and Destroy, jump into Inflation, where every elimination builds your fortune while turning you into an increasingly valuable target. Also check out Hijack, where you carry, throw, or carry a Data Spike towards the enemy Comm Station, planting it to score while defenders race to defuse it. Each mode rewards a different style of play, from coordinated objective control to tactical, one-life precision.

QUICK INTEL:

• Deploy across six Core 6v6 maps, each offering its own layout, engagement ranges, and tactical opportunities.

• Fight across snow-covered rooftops, dense shopping districts, coastal villages, rail terminals, and an overgrown bus depot.

• Learn every route, flank, and vantage point before additional maps become available later in the Beta.

• More Core Multiplayer maps arrive when Modern Warfare 4 launches.

Every Modern Warfare 4 Beta map delivers a distinct combat experience:

Rooftops: Traverse the snow-covered rooftops of New York's Hotel Times West using elevated walkways and multiple routes to outmaneuver the opposition.

Silkworm: Push through a dense South Korean shopping district where storefronts, alleyways, and apartments keep engagements fast and unpredictable.

Transit 213: Navigate an overgrown Indian bus depot divided by rusting buses, concealed routes, and long sightlines.

Cachette: Fight through a secret hideout next to a French rail terminal packed with shipping containers, rooftops, and compact interiors built for constant flanking.

Lotus: Deploy into a battle-scarred Korean fishing village where narrow streets, burning buildings, and abandoned armor create varied engagements from close quarters to long sightlines.

Lithium: Fight across a damaged lithium processing facility in rural Mexico, where industrial buildings, processing equipment, interactive doors, and strong mid-range sightlines support a wide variety of combat styles.

QUICK INTEL:

• NEW: Fight across Kill Block, a dynamic combat space that reconfigures every two rounds into a new Combo of three interconnected Slabs.

• Experience Gunfight in both classic 3v3 and the 10v10 variant, exclusive to Kill Block.

• Every map Combo introduces a new randomized shared Loadout, keeping every round fresh.

• Eliminate the opposing team or capture the Overtime Flag to secure victory.

Kill Block reimagines Gunfight with an ever-changing combat space built from interconnected Slabs. Every two rounds, a new Combo and randomized shared Loadout transform the flow of the match, demanding constant adaptation. Jump into the classic intensity of 3v3 Gunfight or the new 10v10 variant, where larger teams bring an entirely different dynamic—and considerably more mayhem—to Kill Block's evolving arenas.

QUICK INTEL:

• Battle across two large-scale Combat Outpost battlegrounds set within the Haijin region.

• Fight between open countryside and dense urban terrain with infantry and vehicle combat across both maps.

• Both maps offer unique routes, landmarks, and tactical opportunities.

Combat Outpost spans two distinct large-scale theaters of conflict, each offering a different approach to Ground War combat. Whether crossing open farmland or fighting through dense urban streets, learning the terrain, major landmarks, and key routes is essential to supporting your team and maintaining control of the match.

Battle across the rural outskirts of Haijin, where open fields, waterways, scattered farms, and the large-scale mill combine with roads and rail lines to create a combat zone suited to long sightlines, vehicle maneuvering, and coordinated assaults on key strongholds.

Fight through the heart of Haijin in a dense urban environment centered on the Wolves Stadium. Multi-story buildings, transit lines, tunnels, rooftops, and surrounding hillsides create a highly versatile arena of battle where every route offers multiple ways to advance.

QUICK INTEL:

• NEW: Experience Resurgence on the all-new Zodiac map.

• Battle across the DRC Advanced Systems drone assembly headquarters.

• Stay alive while your teammates redeploy, then eliminate enemies and complete Contracts to shorten their return timer.

• Outlast every opposing squad to secure the win.

Resurgence returns with the all-new Zodiac, a compact combat zone built around the DRC Advanced Systems drone assembly and manufacturing headquarters.

Fight from the company Admin building through and beneath the central double Trackline with multiple trains, then push toward the R&D facility and shipping docks as squads battle across offices, manufacturing buildings, rooftops, tunnels, and the surrounding shoreline. Expect an explosive tank battle, legendary loot, action across the ground and air, and other surprises to find during your matches.

Every Loadout has room to dominate and are default for the Beta. Choose from AR, SMG, LMG, or Sniper Default Loadouts. Close-range Operators can weave between buildings and through the center of the facility, while longer-range Loadouts benefit from rooftops and elevated windows overlooking the facility’s points of interest. Beneath it all, an underground tunnel network offers another way to rotate, flank enemy squads, or briefly disappear before launching your next attack.

Stay frosty: We'll see you in the Beta.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 development is led by Infinity Ward and will be available globally on Steam on Friday, October 23, 2026.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 for the PC delivers a fully optimized experience, led by Infinity Ward in partnership with Beenox, for Steam.

Additional development in alphabetical order: Activision Central Design, Activision Central Technology, Activision QA, Activision Shanghai, Beenox, Demonware, High Moon Studios, Raven Software, Sledgehammer Games, and Treyarch.

Call of Duty®: NEXT brought Modern Warfare 4 Multiplayer into the spotlight, with live gameplay and new intel on modes, progression, customization, Ground War: Combat Outpost, Kill Block, Call of Duty: Warzone™, and more. Here are some of the highlights.

Modern Warfare 4 returns to the roots of Modern Warfare with boots-on-the-ground combat, grounded movement, hard-hitting weaponry, and a balance of speed and responsiveness designed to keep you in the action.

NEXT showcased the new Inflation mode, with Hijack, Arms Deal, and Frontline also joining the launch lineup. Search and Destroy is confirmed for the Beta.

• Hijack (6v6, available during the Beta): Fight for control of a Data Spike, carrying, throwing, or passing it between teammates as you advance toward the enemy Comm Station. Plant the Spike to score points over time and earn a bonus if it detonates, while defenders counterattack to defuse it before it can score.

• Arms Deal (5v5): Based on Search and Destroy, earn in-match cash through kills and objective play to purchase a limited selection of weapons and equipment each round. It’s single-life and high stakes: get eliminated and you lose your entire loadout.

• Frontline (6v6): Push the line in this team-based respawn mode where players always deploy from their team’s base. Eliminate enemies to score, earning more points for taking them down outside their base, encouraging teams to push forward while defending their own.

Smartstreaks: Killstreaks now reward both kills and objective play, giving you more ways to contribute toward earning your streaks. Kills remain the primary driver, while playing the objective also counts toward your progress, rewarding a wider range of playstyles.

The expanded Create-a-Class brings your Operator, Killstreaks, Perks, weapons, and other choices together within each loadout. Want to get into the fight faster? Gunny recommends Short Range, Long Range, and Balanced loadouts as starting points, ready to use or customize to suit your playstyle.

The majority of weapons launch with their own Apex Attachment (and occasionally more than one), offering a unique way to customize how it plays. The new Weapon Progression system cuts down on redundant unlocks, too: unlock an attachment once and build out an arsenal that gives you more options as you move from weapon to weapon.

Ready to Prestige? Choose your path. Regular Prestige returns you to Level 1 while retaining your Create-a-Class unlocks. Classic Prestige brings the traditional reset experience with additional rewards. Both feature their own rewards and milestones.

The Weapon Camo journey also spans Multiplayer, DMZ, and Call of Duty: Warzone. Progress each weapon's Camo Track across all three experiences to unlock its Mastery Camo Challenges, with three Mastery Camos to earn in each mode for nine total.

Modern Warfare 4: Prestige Mastery Camo Showcase

Modern Warfare 4: Multiplayer Mastery Camo Showcase

Modern Warfare 4: DMZ Mastery Camo Showcase

Call of Duty: Warzone™ Mastery Camo Showcase

Prepare for the next evolution of Ground War. In Combat Outpost, establish Outposts to earn resources, then put those resources to work completing further objectives. Expect large play spaces combining vehicle and infantry combat with powerful airborne Killstreaks overhead.

Two purpose-built Combat Outpost maps are coming to the Beta, both set within Hajin: Imjin Farmland and Wolves Stadium, offering distinctly different battlegrounds spanning open terrain, towering structures, and indoor objectives.

With more than 500 combinations, no two Kill Block deployments play out the same. The living map reconfigures its layout and sightlines from match to match, with weather conditions ranging from clear skies, rain to snow. Look out for Slabs featuring recognizable elements from Modern Warfare favorites including Crash, Highrise, and Shoot House, appearing in randomized placements each match.

Gunfight comes to Kill Block in the Beta, but that's just the start. Kill Block is built to support Core modes and Killstreaks, with Search and Destroy and Domination already being put through their paces and additional Core modes and map combinations planned after launch.

Modern Warfare 4 launches with 12 Core 6v6 maps, spanning locations around the world and built to give each battleground its own distinct identity.

On PC, expect deep control over performance and visual quality across a wide range of hardware, continued focus on mouse responsiveness and visual clarity, shaders prepared ahead of time, and significantly fewer “update requires restart” interruptions — all designed to get you into the action faster.

And there's more coming to Call of Duty: Warzone. Zodiac, built by Beenox, brings a new Resurgence experience with a variety of POIs, familiar features, and one particularly tactical addition: the train. The DMZ map Hajin is also coming to Battle Royale, with these two new Call of Duty: Warzone maps arriving in Season 1.

Dynamic realism in an elevated battlespace

• SUMMARY: Realism, spectacle, and player control balanced to create thrilling, fast-paced and impactful gameplay.

Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® 4 Multiplayer is built around Infinity Ward’s design philosophy: deliver a military combat experience that feels fast, grounded, and cinematic without getting in the player’s way.

That philosophy carries through the entire experience. Realism shapes how weapons behave, how environments react, and how combat unfolds moment to moment, while fluid movement, unrestricted weapon handling, and cinematic firefights keep every engagement intense, reactive, and under your control. At the same time, the experience amplifies impact, feedback, and the energy of every firefight.

The environment reacts dynamically as explosions send debris flying, potted plants shatter, hydrants burst, and nearby explosions shake your footing. But realism isn’t the goal on its own. When it risks adding friction or frustration, Infinity Ward prioritizes control and responsiveness. Movement stays fluid, interactions stay reliable, and the focus remains on the player.

The result is a Multiplayer experience that delivers grounded realism while remaining exciting, rewarding, and immediately satisfying to play.

Move Freely, Stay in Control

• SUMMARY: A refined movement system built around responsiveness, control, and expanded traversal freedom.

Movement in Modern Warfare 4 is driven by fast and fluid first-person gameplay grounded in believable combat. Every movement mechanic is designed to reduce friction between actions while expanding player freedom across the environment, creating traversal opportunities that feel unrestricted and responsive. Animation transitions have been created to allow players the ability to navigate seamlessly across horizontal and vertical spaces without sacrificing precision or control.

New traversal and combat movement options are designed to preserve momentum, reward player intent, and expand player choice, supporting a wide range of playstyles, from deliberate tactical positioning to all-out aggression. New movement systems include:

• Mantle Slide: For the first time, you can now transition from a Mantle directly into a Slide to keep the pressure on your enemies. Slide over a car hood, a planter, or low cover and transition instantly into offensive movement.

• Mantle Momentum: This preserves forward velocity until the obstacle is cleared. No hard stops, just clean mantles that will help you to pressure targets and keep routes intact.

• Mantle Steering: You never lose control while mantling obstacles. You can steer left or right mid-movement, aim down sights (ADS), or even abort the mantle after it starts. This is a system built to keep the game responsive, even in transitional states.

• Supine Slide: Push movement further without sacrificing clarity. Double-tapping crouch during a sprint triggers a longer, lower slide that ends in a supine position (on your back, with feet forward). It opens new tactical possibilities in tight spaces, letting you stay in the fight from unconventional angles.

• Pipe Climb and Fast Pipe Slide: New pipe traversal mechanics expand vertical movement options across the environment, with the ability to ascend or descend pipework attached to buildings. You can also slide into a vertical pipe while holding crouch, transitioning directly into a fast, controlled descent designed to feel intuitive immediately.

• Hang Shimmy: Move left or right while hanging from ledges to reposition before climbing, dropping, or engaging.

• Hang Lean: While hanging and aiming down sights, players can lean and rotate their operator with full 360-degree control, allowing for more deliberate positioning and target acquisition while suspended.

• Climbing Jump: Jump precisely in any direction while hanging, climbing ladders, or traversing pipes, expanding routes and allowing faster repositioning across the environment.

Let’s explore some of this in more detail:

Mantle Control and Choices

• SUMMARY: Mantling now allows early player control, unlocking advance, attack, or retreat options during the transition.

Mantling has been rebuilt to give players greater control during movement transitions. Instead of being locked into an animation, players can steer mid-mantle, Aim Down Sights while entering a space, sprint out to preserve momentum, or disengage entirely to reposition and reassess.

Mantling is now a choice, not a commitment.

Chaining Movement, Preserving Momentum

• SUMMARY: Movement actions connect seamlessly, preserving momentum while adapting dynamically to player state and environmental traversal.

Instead of interrupting the flow, actions like sprinting, sliding, mantling, climbing, and transitioning to prone can all be chained together to maintain control across a map, creating seamless paths through contested spaces.

Movement systems also adjust dynamically to player speed and state. Sprint landings adapt depending on height and momentum, mantling while sprinting preserves forward movement, and players can transition into low-profile movement to continue navigating under cover or fighting from unconventional angles.

Expect the full suite of movement mechanics to be available across Campaign, Multiplayer, DMZ, and Call of Duty: Warzone™.

Master this flow of movement actions to elevate your effectiveness at Modern Warfare 4. At launch, players can test those skills in a dedicated movement training course built around speed, movement chaining, and route mastery.

Every shot matters

• SUMMARY: A refined weapons system delivering consistent and responsive gunplay where outcomes are determined by player execution.

Modern Warfare 4’s gunplay is built around a balance between grounded realism and intuitive gameplay, combining precision aiming, physical weapon handling, enhanced visibility, and refined audio design. Bullet trajectory, weapon motion, operator stance, camera behavior, audio, FOV, and target visibility all align within a highly tuned combat fidelity system.

Many of these refinements work beneath the surface, improving how weapons look, sound, move, and respond while keeping firefights readable and intuitive, even during aggressive movement and sustained firefights. Handling, recoil, and sight clarity have all been refined for greater consistency and control, reinforcing precise gunplay where player execution determines the outcome.

The goal is simple: no bloom, no guesswork, no doubt. Every shot tells the truth.

Unified Field of View

• SUMMARY: Weapons and the environment share a unified field of view, improving clarity and creating a more realistic first-person perspective.

Weapon framing has been rebuilt to better match the player’s perspective. In previous Call of Duty titles, the weapon's field of view was rendered much lower than the environment, creating a less natural presentation.

In Modern Warfare 4, the weapon and environment are rendered in the same field of view, aligning what you see with how first-person combat should feel, and delivering a more grounded and spatially coherent first-person view. Photorealistic lens distortion (available on PC) and depth of field preserve cinematic presentation without compromising clarity.

The result is a more natural presentation where weapon movement, animation, handling and detail read clearly in frame, while feeling more grounded in motion.

Visual enhancements improve immersion, but they can interfere with gameplay when visibility breaks down. In Modern Warfare 4, visual systems are built to support both clarity and realism, ensuring the experience remains precise, readable, and authentic. Here are some examples:

Visual Clarity in Combat // Enhanced FOV (PC only)

Expanded Awareness, Preserved Target Scale

• SUMMARY: A lens-based field of view expands situational awareness without reducing perceived target size, maintaining precision while presenting a more natural first-person perspective.

Historically, field of view has always required a tradeoff. A tighter view makes targets appear larger but limits awareness, while a wider view reveals more of the environment at the cost of perceived distance and accuracy. In Modern Warfare 4, for PC players only, this balance has been reworked using a lens-based approach that expands what you can see without making targets feel smaller or further away. This creates a more natural first-person perspective that expands awareness without sacrificing precision.

Visual Clarity in Combat // VFX Masking

Clear Sight Picture Under Fire

• SUMMARY: Muzzle effects are dynamically masked at the point of aim, keeping targets visible without reducing visual intensity.

Muzzle smoke adds weight and realism to every trigger pull, but it can also obscure what matters. In Modern Warfare 4, that tradeoff has been addressed without reducing visual intensity. A masking system preserves the full impact of muzzle effects while protecting the player’s sight picture around the point of aim, ensuring targets remain visible even during sustained fire. This preserves gameplay readability while allowing for more visceral weapon effects, with masking individually tuned for every optic across the arsenal.

Visual Clarity in Combat // Depth of Field

Clearer Point of Aim

• SUMMARY: Depth of field is reworked to preserve target clarity, guiding focus without obscuring the sight picture.

Depth of field is intended to focus the player on a target, but it has often done the opposite, softening the image and obscuring the sight picture. In Modern Warfare 4, the effect as you ADS has been reworked to behave more like real-world focus and support gameplay readability. Instead of blurring into the environment, depth of field now isolates the weapon while keeping the player’s point of aim sharp and readable, making targets easier to track without sacrificing cinematic presentation. The effect now supports aiming instead of competing with it.

Natural Movement and Responsive Control

• SUMMARY: Weapon handling reflects player movement and environment, with responsive motion, adaptive stances, and more natural sprint behavior.

Weapon handling has been rebuilt to create greater freedom of movement during combat. At lower speeds, movement now feels more physical, with each step translating into subtle weapon sway instead of a smooth glide. Turning in place has also been updated, with additional input shaping how the weapon settles and shifts, resulting in more physical, grounded weapon motion.

Weapons now respond more directly to the environment. As you move near walls or take corners, the weapon adjusts position to match the space, retracting or shifting stance as needed. Weapon types also behave differently, reinforcing their weight and role across close- and mid-range engagements. Stance transitions are more fluid and adaptive, shifting naturally based on nearby threats and engagement range, prioritizing speed and readiness up close while emphasizing stability at distance.

Tactical Sprint behavior has been updated to better reflect player exertion. Instead of a fixed burst, movement now changes as stamina is depleted, with posture and stride cadence adjusting to reflect fatigue. Combined with the updated framing system, these changes keep movement, positioning, and weapon control closely aligned.

No more Bloom: Input-Aligned Ballistics

• SUMMARY: Bloom has been removed, with hipfire shots traveling where the weapon is pointed for direct, skill-based accuracy.

Modern Warfare 4 strengthens the connection between player input and weapon performance by removing Bloom from hipfire. Previous systems introduced shot variance that could send rounds off target despite correct weapon alignment. Now, hipfire shots travel where the weapon is pointed, creating a more direct relationship between player intent and shot placement.

This does not eliminate the challenge of hipfire engagements. Weapon sway, recoil, movement, and handling characteristics still influence accuracy, rewarding players who can control their weapon under pressure. Rather than relying on hidden randomness, the system places greater emphasis on player skill, weapon management, and situational awareness.

Weapon alignment has also been improved through more precise simulation of motion and convergence, helping maintain correct orientation toward the point of impact at any range. The result is a more readable and consistent gunplay experience where accuracy reflects player input and outcomes feel earned.

Readable Recoil, Consistent Motion

• SUMMARY: Recoil and weapon motion are refined for consistency and clarity, improving control and readability in sustained fire.

Weapon motion has been refined to better simulate how firearms behave under sustained fire. The motion of the weapon now directly affects where bullets go, improving control while keeping every shot readable, and allowing lasers to reflect bullet trajectory precisely with each trigger pull. The updated system delivers clearer visual quality during highlight moments like Plays of the Game, presenting authentic behavior that holds up in slow-motion replays.

Real-World Material Fidelity

• SUMMARY: Real-world materials and scan data ensure more accurate surface detail, improving visual clarity and realism across every weapon.

Every weapon surface is built to read clearly and accurately, from polymer and wood to hammer-forged steel. Using high-precision scan data and refined workflows, materials now capture fine detail — including tool marks, carbon residue, and unique patterns of wear — with greater definition and consistency. These improvements extend across the full arsenal, giving each weapon a distinct visual identity grounded in real-world reference.

Centralized Loadout Control

• SUMMARY: Customize Operators, Killstreaks, Weapons, Perks and Equipment per loadout, enabling fully specialized setups for every combat approach. Available during the Beta.

The Create-a-Class system in Modern Warfare 4 Multiplayer introduces a deeper level of loadout customization built around player identity, combat role, and a player’s approach to combat. A vertically structured Create-a-Class menu returns to a clearer, list-based layout, making loadouts faster to scan, compare, and adjust at a glance. For the first time, Operators and Killstreaks are integrated directly into each loadout, allowing every class to reflect a specific combat role and set of preferred tactics.

Build your class around a favorite Operator and adjust every part of the loadout to how you fight, combining weapons, equipment, Perks, and Killstreaks into a combat setup designed to keep you effective during a match, whether holding lanes at range, moving aggressively through objectives, or adapting between engagements. Each loadout supports a distinct combat role from top to bottom.

Extensive, Operator-Grade Assets

• SUMMARY: A wide-ranging arsenal of weapons, attachments, and equipment, delivering exceptional depth and customization. Available during the Beta.

The Create-a-Class menu allows immediate access to a wide range of weapons and equipment, as well as Perks and Killstreaks, each built around a chosen Operator:

• 33 weapons, including 24 primary, 8 secondary, and 1 melee

  • 22 weapons are available to use during the Beta

• 28 Apex Attachments and more than 500 standard attachments

  • 19 Apex Attachments are available during the Beta

• 9 Tacticals and 11 Lethals

  • 7 Tacticals and 8 Lethals are available during the Beta

• 11 Field Upgrades

  • 9 Field Upgrades are available during the Beta

• 17 Killstreaks

  • 10 Killstreaks are available during the Beta

• 18 Perks

  • 15 Perks are available during the Beta

This is the most comprehensive loadout offering Infinity Ward has ever built, granting players the freedom to create highly specialized classes built around different combat roles and tactics without sacrificing versatility. Whether your approach is aggressive, methodical, or adaptive, there are builds designed to support it.

Field Upgrades, Lethals, and Tacticals are designed to keep players in the fight longer while expanding tactical flexibility, ensuring utility and lethality work together without disrupting combat momentum. Killstreaks are built around meaningful power spikes at every threshold, from lower-cost support tools to devastating high-end rewards, ensuring every streak feels impactful.

Perks return to a streamlined Pick 3 System built around tactical readability and clear combat roles, with fan-favorite options like Ninja and Quick Fix returning at launch. The goal is simple: create loadouts that optimize tactical effectiveness and support different combat approaches.

 Optimized Attachments for your Weaponry

• SUMMARY: Instantly assemble tactically proficient weapon builds using the attachments you’ve unlocked. Available during the Beta.

Short for Gunnery Sergeant, Gunny introduces a faster, optional way to approach Gunsmith that helps players quickly assemble their attachments into effective builds for different combat roles and playstyles while still allowing full customization. Available within Create-a-Class, Gunny uses the attachments you’ve already unlocked to craft performant weapon builds, allowing players to experiment with different weapon characteristics, ranges, and combat roles without slowing down customization.

With a single input, Gunny can cycle through builds that support different playstyles such as close-range, balanced, or long-range, and these builds evolve naturally as new attachments are unlocked, supporting weapon progression from early levels through full completion.

Gunny supports both newer players looking for reliable weapon setups and experienced players experimenting with different weapon strengths, combat roles, and playstyles.

Specialized Weapon Modifications

• SUMMARY: Final weapon progression unlocks that modify weapon behavior, introducing specialized combat functionality and new tactical possibilities. Available during the Beta.

Apex Attachments expand Gunsmith with a new tier of optional weapon customization tied to weapon progression, unlocked as the final reward for maxing out a weapon. Apex Attachments are equipped separately from standard Gunsmith attachments and do not consume an attachment slot. Each Apex Attachment introduces a distinct gameplay effect that changes how the weapon performs in combat, reshaping how fully leveled weapons function in combat, creating specialized weapon identities with distinct tactical strengths. From aggressive close-range conversions to stealth-focused configurations and experimental tactical modifications, Apex Attachments introduce new ways to approach combat across the arsenal.

• The Mojave .357 revolver equips the “Outlaw”, custom single-action hammer, enabling rapid fan-firing from the hip for fast follow-up shots.

• The Oris 8.6 Marksman Rifle adds a sidesaddle with three quick-draw kunai, complementing its 8.6 Blackout configuration.

• The Sang 9mm pistol’s “9&12” attachment mounts a side-break 12-gauge shotgun to the frame, built for close-quarters aggression.

• The ISO Nightshade SMG “Trace” integrates custom-tipped ammunition with an optical display, marking enemy positions and tracking movement behind cover at the cost of velocity and penetration.

• The X-58 NYX “Void” Apex Attachment transforms the platform into a low-signature stealth configuration built to minimize firing visibility and conceal shot direction during close-quarters engagements.

• The M4 assault rifle returns with the “Hurricane” Apex conversion, chambered in 5.7x28 and fed from a P90-style magazine for a high-velocity SMG configuration.

• The Kastov 762 assault rifle platform features the “ARC”, a prototype drone countermeasure system, using a barrel-mounted focus jammer to disrupt enemy Killstreaks and equipment.

Adaptive Trap System

• SUMMARY: A throwable mine that creates dynamic explosive lines, adapting to surfaces and linking to other deployed Trip Wires. Available during the Beta.

The Trip Wire introduces a dynamic new approach to Lethal equipment based on surface placement and an auto-linking system. When deployed, the device creates an explosive tether that adapts to its environment, forming ground, wall-to-wall, or vertical traps depending on where it is placed. The system responds to the surface automatically, constructing a triggered connection without requiring precise setup.

Multiple Trip Wires (from squad mates) can be combined, linking together when placed nearby to form larger, connected traps. These explosive webs allow squads to control space, block routes, or set layered defenses that restrict enemy movement through contested areas.

Sightline Denial and Movement

• SUMMARY: A forward-deployed smoke drone that creates a navigable, volumetric smoke path to block sightlines and enable movement through contested ground. Available during the Beta.

Smoke Wall deploys a compact rocket that travels forward, leaving a dense trail of smoke in its path. The device navigates over obstacles, allowing it to function across a range of environments and engagement spaces.

At range, it can obscure long sightlines, limiting visibility for overwatch positions and enabling safer movement across exposed areas. Up close, it creates a direct path forward, allowing players to reposition and advance under cover.

The smoke utilizes Infinity Ward’s brand-new volumetric tech and fully interacts with world geometry and responds to combat. It can be disrupted by gunfire and dispersed by explosives, while remaining a dynamic tactical tool for controlling space and movement.

Area Denial System

• SUMMARY: A deployable trap that creates a dense coil of barbed wire on contact, halting movement and controlling chokepoints. Available during the Beta.

Razor Wire allows for disruption of enemy movement, particularly along advantageous routes and chokepoints. Once placed, the device deploys on enemy contact, creating a dense entanglement of barbed wire that immediately disrupts forward momentum.

Enemies who slide or run into the wire are momentarily stopped, creating a window to react and counter. The effects are clear and readable, ensuring enemies know when and why they’ve been caught.

The trap can be forced through, but doing so comes at a cost to your speed and health. Melee attacks or gunfire can clear a path, though this exposes your position. Used well, Razor Wire controls chokepoints, slows advances, and protects vulnerable angles.

Deployable Ballistic Cover

• SUMMARY: Now a Field Upgrade, this provides frontal protection, offensive melee, and deployable cover capabilities, with destructible durability. Available during the Beta.

The Riot Shield returns as a Field Upgrade, shifting from a constant loadout choice to a timed tactical tool. It can be deployed when needed, allowing you to transition from offense to defense without sacrificing your main weaponry.

In use, the shield provides frontal protection while advancing or holding a position. It can also be used offensively, with a new heavy melee attack that knocks enemies down and creates space in close quarters.

When planted, the shield becomes deployable cover, allowing you to mount behind it and hold an angle or secure an objective. This creates a strong defensive position, particularly in contested areas.

To balance its impact, the shield is now destructible. It remains durable enough to support a push or cover a retreat, but cannot be relied on indefinitely, encouraging timing and positioning over sustained use.

Direct-Control Aerial Strike

• SUMMARY: A throwable, player-controlled glider that enables high-speed aerial scouting and precision dive bombing, with improved mouse and keyboard handling. Available during the Beta.

The Bomb Glider is a low-cost Killstreak that puts you in direct control of a fast-moving handheld plane fitted with explosives. Once deployed, you pilot the glider across the map, scouting from above before committing to a dive attack on your target.

The glider moves at high speed, allowing you to reposition quickly, line up attacks, and approach from unexpected angles. It rewards precision flight control, giving players the ability to adjust their path in real time before striking.

A new mouse and keyboard control scheme improves handling over older control systems, providing analog-like turning without the need for exaggerated mouse movement. This creates a more stable, responsive flight experience while preserving room for precision and skillful control.

Classic Prestige Returns — With More Player Choice

• SUMMARY: Two distinct Prestige paths give players more freedom in how they progress, unlock rewards, and continue the grind.

Modern Warfare 4 expands player progression with two distinct Prestige paths built around player choice: Classic Prestige and Regular Prestige. Whether players prefer the traditional reset-and-rebuild structure of Classic Prestige or a more flexible progression path that preserves unlocked content, both systems deliver long-term rewards, progression milestones, and new ways to level up across Multiplayer and beyond.

• Classic Prestige delivers the traditional Prestige experience, resetting level unlocks and Create-a-Class progression in exchange for increased XP rates and exclusive Prestige rewards, and the goal of entering Prestige mastery.

• Regular Prestige allows players to restart progression from Level 1 while keeping all level unlocks and Create-a-Class content intact, offering a more flexible progression path with a subset of Prestige rewards and milestones.

• Both Prestige paths support different progression preferences and combat approaches while rewarding continued time, skill, and long-term commitment across Modern Warfare 4.

Built for Every Engagement

• SUMMARY: A globe-trotting selection of 12 Core 6v6 maps anchors a robust collection of maps and modes, alongside Gunfight arenas, large-scale battlegrounds, and the modular Kill Block locations. Expect 6 Core 6v6 maps during the Beta.

Whether you prefer fast-paced respawn combat, tactical one-life modes, or large-scale combined arms warfare, expect a broad Multiplayer offering built around distinct gameplay identities. Respawn modes like Team Deathmatch, Hardpoint, and Domination return at launch alongside new additions that include Inflation. In Inflation, every elimination drops a cash bounty. Hold on to your earnings to build your team’s total, but every death leaves part of your collected cash behind. The team with the most cash wins the match.

Search & Destroy returns alongside Gunfight and the new Gunfight 10v10 mode. Both Gunfight variants take place within the Westbridge Training Facility — codenamed Kill Block — a constantly shifting battleground that reconfigures before every match. For players who prefer large-scale battles with armored vehicles across expansive maps, Ground War’s Combat Outpost and more large player count modes deliver coordinated, combined-arms warfare.

Two classic Party Modes also arrive at launch, with additional modes coming shortly after release.

Here are the Multiplayer Modes to expect at Modern Warfare 4’s launch:

• Respawn Modes: Team Deathmatch*, Domination*, Hardpoint*, Kill Confirmed*, Free for All*, Counter Attack (New), Inflation (New), Hijack (New).

• Round-Based Tactical Modes: Search & Destroy*, Gunfight, Gunfight 10v10

• Ground War Modes: Combat Outpost (New), and other modes (New)

• Party Modes: Gun Game, Drop Zone

(* indicates a Hardcore variant game mode supported at launch)

Adaptive Live-Fire Training Environment

• SUMMARY: A modular Multiplayer battleground that reconfigures every round, challenging players to rethink routes, sightlines, and combat spaces on the fly. Available during the Beta.

Welcome to the Westbridge Training Facility — codenamed Kill Block — a modular Multiplayer battleground centered on reconfiguring combat layouts. Designed as a live-fire training environment, Kill Block reconfigures between rounds, forcing players to reassess sightlines, routes, and combat spaces.

At its core, Kill Block is assembled from three modular sections — two outer areas and one central combat space — combined into a new combat configuration each round. Each section has multiple possible variants, creating hundreds of unique layout combinations that reshape combat flow.

Some map sections are entirely new, while others draw inspiration from iconic locations across Modern Warfare history. At launch, more than 500 configurations are possible, with layouts reconfiguring between rounds to transform sightlines, routes, cover placement, and engagement pacing every match.

Kill Block supports expanded Gunfight experiences, including 3v3 and the new Gunfight 10v10 mode at launch, with future support planned for more core Multiplayer modes.

Learn the layout. Adapt when it changes.

Grounded Locations, Built for Clarity and Control

• SUMMARY: Grounded Core maps set across globally diverse locations, each built around distinct visual identities and tactical flow.

Modern Warfare 4 Multiplayer launches with a global set of grounded, visually unique environments spanning locations around the world. The 12 Core launch maps form the foundation of a broader Multiplayer offering that also includes Gunfight arenas, large-scale combat spaces, and modular battlegrounds like Kill Block. Drawing inspiration from the Campaign's global theater of operations, several maps explore familiar regions through entirely new Multiplayer experiences. Each environment is built around its own tactical identity, atmosphere, and combat pace. To further reinforce that identity, every Core map features its own custom insignia and visual branding inspired by the location, operation, or conflict surrounding the environment.

Here are the 12 Core Multiplayer maps arriving at launch, each built around distinct combat spaces, traversal opportunities, and tactical identities:

Note: The following lists information and assets currently in development.

• Cachette (Available during the Beta): On the outskirts of a French rail terminal, an abandoned wine warehouse and derelict mechanic’s garage have been converted into a covert armory.

• Coal: Fight through the remains of an old Soviet coal processing plant in a remote, mountainous area, complete with a fallen smokestack, ore chutes, and processing buildings feeding into a slurry-filled river and polluted flood plain.

• Lithium (Available during the Beta): Deep within a rural Mexican state beneath the Sierra mountains, Corporación Mexicana de Litio’s Lithium processing refinery has come under attack, transforming the site into an active combat zone.

• Lotus (Available during the Beta): A Korean fishing village in the aftermath of an amphibious assault, its market, hostel, boathouse, gardens, and residential blocks left scarred by the fight to reclaim it.

• Mumbai: A fugitive’s hideout hidden inside a dense residential district centered around a Victorian market, with a rail line cutting through tightly packed residential blocks.

• Munition: An active North Korean command facility with a large munitions depot, monitoring rooms, a linked skybridge, crane, water tower, and multiple hangars.

• Nautical: At dawn, a South Korean ferry pulls away from a major conflict zone as debris litters the decks and fires burn across the starboard side and bow.

• Reactor U92: A Korean reactor complex has gone nuclear. Electrical damage arcs across the large concave command room, while the boiling containment pool appears to be the epicenter of a massive meltdown.

• Rooftops (Available during the Beta): The snow-lined rooftops of New York’s “Hotel Times West” create combat opportunities across a rooftop greenhouse, HVAC platforms, boiler room, patio, skylights, pigeon coop, and laundry room.

• Sentry: An assault on a North Korean military base under whiteout conditions sparks firefights across the maintenance garage, generator room, and substation surrounding a central command center and partly destroyed barracks.

• Silkworm (Available during the Beta): Infiltrate a dense, urban South Korean shopping district with alley access around perimeter apartments, as the action centers on a well-stocked convenience store, gaming den, and central subway entrance.

• Transit 213 (Available during the Beta): An overgrown central parking lot in western India packed with brightly colored buses in various states of dereliction, flanked by a repair shop and small gas station and surrounded by construction projects and high-rise tenement blocks.

Players with a Beta Code or those who have pre-ordered or pre-purchased Modern Warfare 4 can drop into the Early Access Beta today: Early Access begins at 11:00 AM PT, Friday August 21 for players on Steam. 

Preorders are available now at participating retailers, in-game, on platform stores, or at https://CallofDuty.com. For more information on preordering, including Vault Edition content, rewards, and a special Loyalty Discount, consult the Preorder blog here.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 development is led by Infinity Ward and will be available globally on Steam on Friday, October 23, 2026.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 for the PC delivers a fully optimized experience, led by Infinity Ward in partnership with Beenox, for Steam.

Additional development by in alphabetical order: Activision Central Design, Activision Central Technology, Activision QA, Activision Shanghai, Beenox, Demonware, High Moon Studios, Raven Software, Sledgehammer Games, and Treyarch.

©/TM/® 2026 Activision Publishing, Inc.

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