Activision has revealed what players can expect from the upcoming Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 Beta, and this year’s test will be much larger than a traditional Call of Duty beta.
Instead of limiting players to a handful of multiplayer maps and modes, Modern Warfare 4 will offer campaign, multiplayer, and Warzone content during its Beta periods. It marks the first time a Call of Duty beta has offered players access to all three major parts of the experience.
Modern Warfare 4 launches on October 23, 2026, but players will get their first opportunity to jump into the game beginning August 21.
Modern Warfare 4 Beta Dates
Activision will split the Modern Warfare 4 Beta into two periods.
Early Access Beta
- August 21 – August 25
- Available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC
- Available to eligible players with Early Access, including pre-orders
Open Beta
- August 28 – September 1
- Free for all players
- PlayStation 5
- Xbox Series X/S
- PC
- Nintendo Switch 2
Nintendo Switch 2 players will therefore have to wait until the Open Beta before they can participate.
Modern Warfare 4 Beta Multiplayer Modes
Players will have access to a substantial selection of traditional multiplayer modes alongside several less conventional additions.
Confirmed modes and activities include:
- Team Deathmatch
- Domination
- Hardpoint
- Kill Confirmed
- Search & Destroy
- Inflation
- 10v10
- 3v3
- Mobility Course
The selection gives Infinity Ward an opportunity to test everything from smaller 3v3 encounters to larger battles before launch.
Search & Destroy, Team Deathmatch, Domination, and Hardpoint should immediately feel familiar to longtime Call of Duty players. However, the Beta will also give players a chance to experiment with some of Modern Warfare 4’s newer ideas.
Several Multiplayer Maps Will Be Available
The Beta will also include a selection of maps designed around different multiplayer experiences.
Confirmed multiplayer locations include:
- Rooftops
- Silkworm
- Transit 213
- Cachette
- Lithium
- Kill Block
Large-scale Ground War battles are also expected to take place across Imjin Farmland and Wolves Stadium.
That should provide a much broader test of Modern Warfare 4’s multiplayer systems than simply offering a few standard 6v6 maps.
Modern Warfare 4 Beta Includes a Campaign Mission
Perhaps the biggest surprise is that Activision isn’t keeping the Modern Warfare 4 campaign completely locked away until release.
Players will be able to experience an exclusive campaign mission called Entrenched during the Beta.
Including a playable single-player mission is a major departure from previous Call of Duty beta tests, which traditionally focus almost entirely on multiplayer.
It also gives players an opportunity to see how Infinity Ward is approaching Modern Warfare 4’s campaign before deciding whether to purchase the full game.
Warzone Is Joining the Beta Too
Warzone will also be part of the Modern Warfare 4 Beta.
Players will be able to experience Warzone Resurgence on Zodiac, giving Activision an opportunity to test the integration between Modern Warfare 4 and Warzone before the game’s full release.
Warzone appearing alongside the campaign and traditional multiplayer makes this Beta considerably different from previous Call of Duty testing periods.
Rather than functioning purely as a multiplayer stress test, Activision appears to be treating the Beta as an early showcase for the wider Modern Warfare 4 ecosystem.
Modern Warfare 4 Takes the Fight to Korea
Modern Warfare 4 is a direct continuation of the rebooted Modern Warfare series and follows the events of 2023’s Modern Warfare 3.
This time, the conflict centers on the Korean Peninsula, where North Korea launches a large-scale invasion that threatens to destabilize the region.
The campaign follows young South Korean soldiers fighting on the collapsing front lines while Captain Price becomes involved in his own conflict elsewhere.
Infinity Ward therefore appears to be expanding the scope of the story considerably compared with previous Modern Warfare campaigns.
A Much Bigger Call of Duty Beta
Call of Duty betas have traditionally allowed Activision and its developers to test multiplayer balancing, servers, weapons, maps, and matchmaking shortly before launch.
Modern Warfare 4 is taking that concept considerably further.
Between traditional multiplayer, Ground War, Warzone Resurgence, the Mobility Course, and the Entrenched campaign mission, players should have considerably more to experiment with this time around.
The Early Access Beta begins August 21, followed by the free Open Beta on August 28.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 launches October 23, 2026, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2.
