Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 Season 1 starts November 6 across all platforms, adding new Multiplayer maps and modes, the X01 facility for DMZ, and integration with Call of Duty: Warzone. Activision and Infinity Ward are spreading the rollout across preseason, launch day, and a later mid-season update.
Halloween modes arrive before the main update
Following the game's October 23 launch, Shipment joined preseason on October 27 as a remaster set in a Russian harbor. Possession and Infected are also arriving during the Halloween rollout, ahead of the first season.
Possession has a particularly disruptive hook: eliminating an opponent moves you to their location and transfers their Loadout to you. Infected starts with one infected player, then moves each eliminated Survivor onto the infected team, steadily turning the remaining players into a shrinking minority.
Three launch maps and a fixed Crash layout
The initial Multiplayer lineup includes two new 6v6 maps and a reworked familiar battleground:
- Backstab: A snow-covered, war-damaged town with abandoned tanks, damaged buildings, rooftop positions, and broken walls.
- Canyon: A rocky battlefield with a river, cliff paths, caves, and elevated positions overlooking exposed ground.
- Shoot House: A reimagined version set in snowy North Korea, retaining a three-lane structure with areas including Junkyard and Containers.
Ministry, centered on a damaged embassy during a Global Peace Summit, and Overflow, built around a factory and surrounding farmland, follow at mid-season. Those additions expand the Modern Warfare 4 map roster, with further classified locations also planned.
Kill Block: Crash takes a different approach to its modular battlefield. All three slabs stay fixed between rounds, using a combination Infinity Ward selected from popular beta configurations. That setup will also appear in other Core Multiplayer playlists, including Search and Destroy.
Grind returns at season launch, asking players to collect enemy dog tags and deposit them at either of two Banks. Drop Zone brings its rotating objective and Killstreak package drops, while the Wager Match Event introduces Gauntlet 1v1: consecutive Gunfight duels where the winner stays on to face another opponent. The event uses earned trophies, with no real money or items of real-world value involved.
X01 puts pressure on the extraction plan
DMZ's new destination is a former Russian weapons facility near Hajin, now occupied by North Korean forces. X01 contains cargo bays, vehicle depots, underground laboratories, production lines, and a sealed Deep Vault, with Ghost guiding Operators through new Orders.
The exit is part of the challenge. X01 can begin sealing extraction points, forcing squads to complete required steps before they can escape. That gives teams something more pressing to coordinate than who gets first pick of the loot.
New equipment, Commander Hunts, and seasonal events accompany the facility. The Forward Operating Base also gains stations and improvements, including access to Battle Pass and BlackCell content.
Two Battle Pass guns and a premium catch-up track
The Cronen Osprey Assault Rifle and CSG-35 SMG arrive through the Season 1 Battle Pass. Later event rewards include the fully automatic JAK 12 Shotgun and ZLR Talonhawk melee axe, adding two more weapons as the season progresses.
The Battle Pass uses a linear 100-tier track. Premium owners get a catch-up system that can advance them to the reward matching the current day of the season, up to Day 50. That's a meaningful progression change for players who join late or miss the opening stretch.
BlackCell returns with XERO as its featured Operator, alongside additional skins, weapon blueprints, and DMZ benefits. Vault Edition owners receive the season's BlackCell offering.
Warzone's full roadmap arrives November 2
The Warzone integration adds Hajin and Zodiac, while Verdansk and Rebirth Island remain available. Additional modes and gameplay features are also planned for the free-to-play game.
Activision's separate Warzone briefing and full roadmap are scheduled for November 2, ahead of the seasonal launch. Until then, explore the Modern Warfare 4 guide collection for more on Multiplayer and DMZ.
