Modern Warfare 4 Release Date, Launch Times and Preload

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 releases Friday, October 23, 2026, on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC and Switch 2. Activision says PC unlocks at midnight local time; it has not posted a console hour, and Steam lists October 22. Campaign Early Access opened October 16 and DMZ Early Access October 20. Multiplayer has no early access, and Season 1 starts November 6.

Modern Warfare 4 release date and every date Activision has confirmed

The date has been the same since the reveal. Activision’s announcement post on May 28, 2026 said the game “will launch on October 23, 2026,” and Activision’s October 16 Campaign Early Access post, linked below, still calls October 23 “the official launch date.” The launch hour and the PC preload date come from Activision’s PC trailer and specs blog of September 29, 2026.

The October 20 to November 6 dates come from the launch roadmap the official Call of Duty account posted on October 14, 2026, which gives dates but no hours. Everything below separates what Activision has actually stated from what it has left open. Where there is no official answer, this guide says so rather than guessing.

Is Modern Warfare 4 out on October 23 or October 28?

October 23. There is no official October 28 date for Modern Warfare 4 anywhere in Activision’s material; October 28 was the launch date of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II in 2022, which may explain some of the confusion. Microsoft’s Xbox store listing also states “Available October 23, 2026.”

One storefront does show something different. The Steam store page still listed the release date as October 22, 2026 when we checked it again on October 22, 2026, while Activision’s PC blog, which covers Steam, states October 23 at midnight local time. The discrepancy has not been explained. This guide follows Activision’s October 23.

Modern Warfare 4 early access: Campaign October 16, DMZ October 20

Early access is already running. The full Campaign opened a week before launch for people who bought a digital copy in advance, and Activision’s Campaign Early Access Now Live post went up at 10 AM PT on October 16. DMZ followed on October 20, when Activision’s Steam announcement said “DMZ Early Access is live now.”

The rules were set out in advance. Activision’s support article on Modern Warfare 4 editions puts it plainly: “Preorder or prepurchase any digital edition of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 on any platform and get Early Access to the full Campaign, starting Friday, October 16 (PT).”

Three details matter here. It covers all digital editions, so the Digital Standard Edition qualifies as well as the Vault Edition. It does not cover physical discs. And the same page carries a footnote that “actual platform availability and start date subject to change,” so the October 16 date was never a contract.

Game Pass is not an option for early access or launch day: Activision’s October 15, 2026 post says the game is a standalone release that will not be included with Game Pass until Holiday 2027. More in Is MW4 on Game Pass?

If you are still deciding which version to buy, the differences are set out in our guide to the Standard vs Vault Edition.

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What unlocks on October 23 that early access does not include

Campaign Early Access opened October 16, followed by DMZ Early Access on October 20. Multiplayer opens with the full release on October 23, the date Sony’s PlayStation Blog post gave from the start for Campaign, Multiplayer and DMZ. There is no Multiplayer early access.

The campaign itself has 16 missions and takes about eight hours on normal difficulty, according to GameSpot; see our MW4 campaign length guide. Finishing missions unlocks the MW4 campaign rewards, usable in Multiplayer and DMZ from launch.

Activision’s Maps and Modes Confirmed post of October 21 locks in the launch line-up: 12 Core 6v6 maps, three 32v32 Ground War maps, four 2v2 Gunfight maps and the Kill Block training facility, with Shipment following on October 27. See MW4 maps at launch for the list, and our guide to the MW4 new modes for how Inflation, Hijack and Combat Outpost work. Rewards you earned in the August Beta also land in the full game at launch rather than before it. For what does and does not come with you from Black Ops 7, see what carries forward from Black Ops 7.

Modern Warfare 4 launch time: midnight local on PC, consoles unconfirmed

Activision has now put an hour on launch day for PC. The September 29 PC blog states that “the full game releases on October 23 at midnight local time.” A local-midnight release means there is no single worldwide moment to convert: the game unlocks when the clock reaches 12:00 AM on October 23 where you are, on PC.

Two limits apply to that sentence. It appears in a blog written for Xbox on PC, Battle.net and Steam, and as of October 22 Activision still has not published a launch-hour post for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S or Nintendo Switch 2. Activision also has not said how “local” is defined in countries with several time zones.

Media reports fill the gap, but they do not agree on North America. Game Rant (October 20) lists midnight local time for most regions but 12 AM ET for North America, which is 9 PM PT on October 22. Insider Gaming (October 21) says midnight local time in every region. Neither cites an Activision post for it.

The editions footnote is worth reading before you plan a late night around launch: play time is “subject to possible outages and applicable time zone differences.” Our MW4 pre-order bonus guide lists everything else a digital pre-order unlocks.

Modern Warfare 4 preload: PC opens October 15 at 9 AM PT

PC is the only platform with a confirmed preload. Activision’s PC blog says players who pre-purchase digitally on PC can preload ahead of launch, and that “preloading on PC only begins October 15 at 9AM PT.” That is one day before Campaign Early Access.

Only the Pacific row is Activision’s; the others are our conversions from 9 AM PT.

Console preload is not confirmed. Activision has not published a preload date for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S or Nintendo Switch 2, and the wording “on PC only” in the blog means the October 15 time should not be read across to consoles.

The install itself is large. The same blog lists 115 GB on an SSD for every PC spec tier and adds that mandatory updates may need more space. Modern Warfare 4 also stays part of the connected Call of Duty experience alongside Warzone, as Activision said in its August pre-Beta blog.

How to get ready before Modern Warfare 4 unlocks on October 23

PC players have the clearest homework. Activision’s September 29 PC blog lists an SSD with 115 GB of available space for the minimum, recommended and ray tracing tiers, and requires TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot to be switched on. That replaces the 70 GB figure from the August Beta table. The full tables are in our Modern Warfare 4 system requirements guide.

• Free the space early. Activision lists 115 GB on an SSD for PC and says updates may need more.
• Check TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot now if you are on PC. Both are required, and both live in your motherboard firmware rather than in the game.
• Bank your 2XP. Double XP earned from the promotion covered in our Monster Energy rewards guide sits in your account until you spend it, so there is no need to burn tokens before launch.
• Check where your rewards land. Several pre-order items unlocked in Black Ops 7 first; Black Ops 7 Season 6 is the season running into the Modern Warfare 4 launch.

What changed for launch is summarised in our MW4 launch patch notes guide, and open launch issues are in MW4 known issues.

Modern Warfare 4 launch-day services

If you would rather have the tokens and levels sorted before the game unlocks, these are the Modern Warfare 4 products we list.

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The next big date after launch is Season 1. Our MW4 Season 1 release date guide covers it and the Battle Pass.

Frequently asked questions

What time does Modern Warfare 4 unlock on October 23?

On PC, midnight local time, according to Activision’s September 29, 2026 PC blog. Activision has not confirmed a console hour; media reports say midnight local time, with North America possibly unlocking together at 12 AM ET (9 PM PT on October 22).

Is there Modern Warfare 4 Multiplayer early access?

No. Early access covered the Campaign (from October 16) and DMZ (from October 20) for digital pre-orders. Multiplayer opens for everyone with the full release on October 23.

When can I preload Modern Warfare 4?

On PC, from October 15, 2026 at 9 AM PT if you pre-purchased digitally. Console preload dates are not confirmed.

Did everyone get the Campaign on October 16?

No. Campaign Early Access was limited to digital pre-orders and pre-purchases on any platform. Physical disc copies were not included, and everyone else gets the Campaign on October 23.

Is Modern Warfare 4 coming to PlayStation 4 or Xbox One?

No. Activision confirmed at the reveal that the game is on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC and Nintendo Switch 2 only.

How much space does Modern Warfare 4 need?

115 GB on an SSD on PC, and Activision says mandatory updates may need more. Console install sizes have not been published.

When does Season 1 start?

Friday, November 6, 2026, for both Modern Warfare 4 and Warzone, according to Activision’s October 14 roadmap. No start hour has been given.

Is Modern Warfare 4 on Game Pass?

Not at launch. Activision says it will not be included with Game Pass until Holiday 2027.

Sources and update history

• Call of Duty blog: Announcing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 (May 28, 2026)
• Call of Duty blog: Modern Warfare 4: The Story So Far (September 16, 2026)
• Call of Duty blog: Call of Duty: NEXT and Modern Warfare 4: Early Intel, PC Specs, Pre-loading, and More (August 19, 2026; Beta specifications)
• Call of Duty blog: Modern Warfare 4 PC Trailer, Tech Updates, and More (September 29, 2026)
• Call of Duty on X: MW4 launch roadmap (October 14, 2026)
• Call of Duty blog: Modern Warfare 4: Campaign Early Access Now Live (October 16, 2026)
• Call of Duty on Steam: DMZ Early Access Deployment to Hajin Is Live (October 20, 2026)
• Call of Duty blog: Modern Warfare 4: Maps and Modes Confirmed (October 21, 2026)
• Game Rant: Modern Warfare 4 global release times (October 20, 2026; media report)
• Insider Gaming: Modern Warfare 4 multiplayer release date and start time (October 21, 2026; media report)
• Call of Duty blog: Modern Warfare 4 Launches October 23 as a Standalone Release (October 15, 2026)
• Activision Support: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 Editions (updated October 13, 2026)
• Activision Support: PC System Requirements for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 (updated August 20, 2026; Beta specifications)
• PlayStation Blog: Campaign, Multiplayer, and DMZ launches October 23 (May 28, 2026)
• Xbox store: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 (checked September 17, 2026)
• Steam store: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 (checked October 22, 2026)

Update history: Published September 17, 2026. Updated October 7, 2026: added the PC launch hour (midnight local time), the October 15 PC preload and the 115 GB PC install size from Activision’s September 29 PC blog; replaced the 70 GB Beta figure. Updated October 16, 2026: added DMZ Early Access (October 20), Shipment (October 27), Possession and Infected (October 29 and 30) and the Season 1 date (November 6) from Activision’s October 14 roadmap, and the Game Pass position from its October 15 post. Updated October 22, 2026: marked Campaign and DMZ Early Access as live, added the October 21 maps-and-modes confirmation, the conflicting media reports on the console launch hour (Activision has still not posted one), and a re-check of the Steam date.

Facts last checked October 22, 2026.