When is the Modern Warfare 4 campaign early access?

A promotional image from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 showing two soldiers in the door of a helicopter. — Here's how you get into the Modern Warfare 4 early access period and when you can play. (Image credit: Activision)

When does the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 campaign early access period start?

The early access period for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 begins on Friday, October 16, 2026.

The early access period is open to players on Xbox Series X|S, PS5, Xbox on PC, Steam, Battle.net, and Nintendo Switch.

We've already had the Modern Warfare 4 beta weekends at the time of writing this post, so the next chance for anyone to play will be the early access period.

During this window, only the campaign will be playable. Anyone hoping to get a head start on the multiplayer camo grind will have to wait until the general release date.

The early access period does at least give players a chance to clear the campaign before full release. though, leaving the floor clear to jump right into multiplayer and DMZ.

How do I qualify for the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 campaign early access?

There's only one way to get in on the campaign early access period for Modern Warfare 4, and that's by digitally pre-ordering the game before launch.

Pre-ordering a physical copy from a retailer such as Amazon won't get you in, as the discs won't be shipped until the general release date.

To play the campaign early, you'll need to pre-order from your chosen platform's store. Early access applies to both the standard edition and the upgraded Vault Edition.

When can I play multiplayer and DMZ on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4

All other content in Modern Warfare 4, that is, the multiplayer mode and the returning DMZ, will be available a week later on Friday, October 23, 2026.

Additionally, Warzone will not be integrated with Modern Warfare 4 until some point after October 23. This is expected to take place with the launch of Season 1, which will come in the weeks after launch.

Current guesses put this around the November 12 timeframe, but Activision has not confirmed anything at this time.

It's also worth a reminder that unlike Black Ops 6 and Black Ops 7, Modern Warfare 4 will not be on Xbox Game Pass at launch. The only way to play early is to pre-order. Modern Warfare 4 isn't currently expected in Game Pass until October 2027 at the earliest.

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Richard Devine is the Managing Editor at Windows Central, where he combines a deep love for the open-source community with expert-level technical coverage. Whether he’s hunting for the next big project on GitHub, fine-tuning a WSL workflow, or breaking down the latest meta in Call of Duty, Forza, and The Division 2, Richard focuses on making complex tech accessible to every kind of user. If it’s happening in the world of Windows or PC gaming, he’s probably already knee-deep in the code (or the lobbies). Follow him on X and Mastodon.