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Collateral is a new round-based Multiplayer mode in Modern Warfare 4. Teams alternate attacking and defending two bomb sites. Everyone starts with a pistol and earns cash from eliminations and the objective, then buys armor, perks, equipment and weapons between rounds. You get one life per round, your loadout is lost when you die, but your cash carries over.
Activision introduced Collateral in its Modern Warfare 4 PC blog on September 29, 2026, describing it as a mode for Search and Destroy fans and the more competitive community. Every rule and shop item below comes from that post. Activision says more detail is coming closer to launch, so anything not in the post is marked Not confirmed.
How Collateral works in Modern Warfare 4
Collateral plays like Search and Destroy with a buy phase. The core rules from Activision’s post:
- Two bomb sites. Teams alternate between attacking and defending them.
- Pistol start. All players begin with a Pistol.
- Cash from kills and objectives. You earn in-game cash by eliminating enemies and playing the objective, and spend it on upgrades between rounds.
- Death costs your gear, not your money. You lose your loadout if you die, and all earned money is kept between rounds.
- Single life. Respawns, Killstreaks, automatic health regeneration and custom loadouts are all disabled.
Custom loadouts are disabled. Activision has not explained whether weapon progression or attachments affect shop weapons.
Collateral shop: every item you can buy
Activision lists six categories. It does not give prices.
| Category | Items |
|---|---|
| Armor and Perks | Armor Vest, Battle Hardened, Lethal Reach, Fast Hands, Ghost |
| Equipment | Flash Grenade, Molotov Cocktail, Frag Grenade, Stim, Smoke Wall, Riot Shield |
| Pistols | Silenced Pistol, Revolver, Akimbo Pistols, Power Pistol |
| Standard Issue | Shotgun, Light Machine Gun, Marksman Rifle, Silenced SMG, Agile SMG |
| Tier 1 | Semi Auto Rifle, High Damage Rifle, Burst Rifle, Silenced Rifle, Sniper Rifle |
| Team Buy | UAV |
The weapons are listed by role, not by in-game name, so the actual guns behind “High Damage Rifle” or “Agile SMG” are Not confirmed. The UAV is the only team purchase.
MW4 Ranked Play BoostActivision built Collateral for Search and Destroy fans and the more competitive community.Coming soonView offerCollateral vs Search and Destroy
Both are single-life bomb modes. Based on Activision’s description, the differences are:
| Collateral | |
|---|---|
| Starting weapon | Pistol for everyone |
| Loadout | Bought each round from the shop; custom loadouts disabled |
| Economy | Cash from eliminations and objective play, kept between rounds |
| On death | Loadout lost, cash kept |
| Killstreaks and health regen | Disabled |
Activision has not said how many rounds win a match, how much cash each action pays, or the team size. Those are Not confirmed until the follow-up details arrive.
Is Collateral PC-only? Release timing
Collateral was announced in Activision’s PC blog, which is why many players read it as a PC mode. The post itself calls it “a new Multiplayer game mode” and does not say it is limited to PC. Whether console players get it is Not confirmed.
The same post says Modern Warfare 4 launches on October 23, 2026, at midnight local time on PC, with PC preload from October 15 at 9 AM PT. It does not say whether Collateral is in the playlist on day one. Our MW4 release date guide has the full launch schedule.
Modern Warfare 4 multiplayer services
If you want to be ready for competitive play when MW4 launches, these are the closest matches:
MW4 Multiplayer Bot LobbyCollateral is a new Multiplayer mode announced for Modern Warfare 4.Coming soonView offer
MW4 Rank Boost (Level 1–55)Modern Warfare 4 launches October 23, 2026, per Activision.Coming soonView offerFrequently asked questions
What is Collateral in MW4?
A round-based Multiplayer mode where teams attack and defend two bomb sites and buy gear between rounds with cash earned in the match.
Do you keep your money when you die in Collateral?
Yes. You lose your loadout, but all earned money is kept between rounds.
Can you use custom loadouts in Collateral?
No. Activision says custom loadouts, respawns, Killstreaks and automatic health regeneration are all disabled.
Is Collateral only on PC?
Not confirmed. It was announced in the PC blog, but the post does not say it is PC-only.
What can you buy in Collateral?
Armor and perks, equipment, pistols, Standard Issue weapons, Tier 1 weapons and a team UAV. The full list is in the shop table above.
How many rounds is a Collateral match?
Not confirmed. Activision says more detail will come closer to launch.
Sources and update history
- Activision: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 PC Trailer, Tech Updates, and More, September 29, 2026 (Collateral rules, shop list, PC preload and launch timing, images)
Update history: Published October 11, 2026. Facts last checked October 11, 2026 against the sources above.
