The Modern Warfare 4 Open Beta has official dates: August 28 through September 1, free to play for everyone on every platform, no pre-order required. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare fans have been waiting for this moment since the game was announced, and now the full picture is coming into focus.
Two weekends, two ways in
The beta runs across two separate weekends in August. Weekend One is an Early Access period starting August 21, reserved for players who have pre-ordered on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, or PC. That window closes August 25.
Weekend Two is where things open up. Starting August 28, anyone can jump in, including Nintendo Switch 2 players, who are joining the Call of Duty beta experience for the first time on their platform. Nintendo Switch Online is required for Switch 2 players to participate, but no pre-order is needed.
Here's the lowdown on the full schedule:
What you'll actually be playing
The beta isn't a stripped-down demo. Infinity Ward is putting up to 19 weapons in players' hands, spanning loadout builds across multiple Multiplayer maps and modes. The scale ranges from tight 3v3 skirmishes all the way up to large-scale tactical battles with tanks on the field.
Mode variety is real here. Returning favorites like Search & Destroy sit alongside the brand-new Kill Block, the 10v10 Gunfight mode that debuted publicly at Fanatics Fest in New York this past weekend. Kill Block is set inside the West Bridge Advanced Military Training Facility, a close-quarters environment built around constant tactical adaptation.
Movement and ballistics are getting their first wide public test too. Gunny, an optional loadout assistant, will be available for players who want help building their kit from scratch.
Vault Edition players get more operators at the start
Pre-ordering the Vault Edition unlocks access to eight Operators for the beta period. The Hostile Alliance Operator Pack includes Price, Valeria, Ghost, and Blix, with Price and Valeria offering masked and unmasked variants through the emote system. The Special Forces Operator Pack adds four more: COM SFT (France), KSK Amphibious (Germany), SK Special Forces (South Korea), and SAS (United Kingdom), each with voice packs in their local language.
Vault Edition players also get immediate access to five weapon blueprints from the Signature Weapons Collection, including the Kastov 762 Assault Rifle with the "Voltspine" Blueprint and the ISO Nightshade SMG with the "La Sombra Venenosa" Blueprint, among others.
Call of Duty: NEXT lands the same day the beta starts
The timing here is deliberate. Call of Duty: NEXT broadcasts on August 21, and the Early Access Beta kicks off immediately after. That's a first for the franchise: a global reveal event that flows directly into playable content the same day. Expect live gameplay, developer briefings from Infinity Ward, and new reveals during the broadcast.
The serialized camo race is already live
Separate from the beta, there's a pre-order incentive running right now with a genuinely competitive twist. Players who digitally pre-ordered Modern Warfare 4 before July 23 received the Gilded Pearl Weapon Camo Pack, which includes the "Moonlit Pearl" Universal Camo immediately and a challenge to earn "Gilded Ruin" starting July 23 at 12PM PT.
The key here is the serialization mechanic. The first 100,000 players to earn Gilded Ruin get a uniquely numbered version of the camo, with their individual serialization number engraved directly onto the weapon surface. The faster you complete the challenge, the lower your number. After 100,000 slots fill, the standard non-serialized version is still earnable, but the numbered variant is gone.
The challenge requires earning 5,000 Skulls in Black Ops 7 across Endgame, Multiplayer, Zombies, or Warzone, with Warzone eliminations worth the most at 30 Skulls each.
Both camos carry over to Modern Warfare 4 at launch on October 23.
Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders open August 26
For Switch 2 players specifically, pre-orders for Modern Warfare 4 go live on August 26, two days before the Open Beta begins. Modern Warfare 4 on Nintendo Switch 2 is being developed natively by Infinity Ward in partnership with Digital Legends, and more platform-specific details are expected closer to that pre-order date.
Modern Warfare 4 launches globally on October 23, 2026 across Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, PC (Battle.net, Xbox on PC, Steam), and Nintendo Switch 2. For prep reading ahead of the beta, check out the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare strategy guides and the broader gaming guides hub to sharpen up before Weekend One drops.
