Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 launches on October 23, but part of it opens this week. Players who have pre-ordered get the campaign on October 16, seven days before everything else, according to the details announced by Activision and Infinity Ward and reported by Upcomer and Nintendo Everything.
Who gets early access
Early access covers the campaign only. Multiplayer and the DMZ extraction mode arrive with the full launch on October 23. It applies to pre-orders of the Standard Digital Edition and the Vault Edition on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, PlayStation 5, Battle.net and Steam, Upcomer reports.
Nintendo Switch 2 gets the game on the same day, October 23. The announcement said the bonus applies to all platforms, so it should include Nintendo’s console as well; check the eShop page if that is where you plan to play.
Not on Game Pass at launch
According to Upcomer, Modern Warfare 4 will not be on Xbox Game Pass on day one: new Call of Duty releases now join the subscription some time after launch. That means the early campaign is only available to those who buy the game.
It is the first time a Call of Duty campaign has opened early since Modern Warfare 3 in 2023. The two Black Ops games released in between did not offer it.
What the campaign is about
The story starts with a full-scale North Korean invasion of the South. You play Private Park, a young South Korean soldier, in missions that move between the Korean Peninsula, New York, Paris and Mumbai. Captain Price returns with a personal mission of his own. Infinity Ward is the developer.
The three modes
- Campaign: the single-player story, playable from October 16 with a pre-order.
- Multiplayer: from October 23.
- DMZ: the extraction mode, in which you operate behind enemy lines and have to get out with what you find. Also from October 23.
This article was written with AI assistance from the sources linked above.
