Modern Warfare 4 Beta: Dates, Times, and How to Access It

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4's beta is live in two waves this month, ahead of an October launch. Here's the exact schedule and how to get in.

What happened

Activision opened Early Access for Modern Warfare 4's beta on August 21, with a second, fully open weekend to follow before the game's October 23 launch.

Beta schedule

• Early Access: Began 11:00 AM PT, Friday August 21, running through August 25 at 10:00 AM PT. Available to anyone on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, PlayStation 5, Steam, and Battle.net who pre-ordered or redeemed a beta code.
• Weekend Two (Open Beta): August 28 at 10:00 AM PT through September 1 at 10:00 AM PT — open to everyone, no pre-order or code required.
• Nintendo Switch 2: Joins for Weekend Two only, with pre-load opening August 26.

What's playable

Across both weekends: new Multiplayer modes, a playable campaign mission, expanded movement systems, Ground War's Combat Outpost mode, Call of Duty: Warzone Resurgence on the new Zodiac map, and full Operator/Loadout customization.

What this means

Splitting Early Access (pre-order gated) from an Open Beta weekend is the standard Call of Duty beta structure, but the Switch 2 support is new this cycle — the first time a mainline Modern Warfare beta has included Nintendo's console family, and worth watching as a signal for how seriously Activision is treating the Switch 2 as a full platform.

What's next

Modern Warfare 4 launches October 23, 2026, on all platforms including Switch 2.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to pre-order to play the beta? Only for Early Access (Aug 21–25). Weekend Two (Aug 28–Sept 1) is open to everyone.

Is the beta on Nintendo Switch 2? Yes, but only for the second, open weekend — pre-load starts August 26.

When does the full game release? October 23, 2026.

Sources: Call of Duty, Xbox Wire