Early Access opens at 11:00 AM PT, followed by a free Open Beta for everyone on August 28
Call of Duty: NEXT is underway, with the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 Early Access Beta scheduled to begin immediately after the showcase.
Call of Duty: NEXT is live today, August 21, offering a closer look at Modern Warfare 4 maps, modes, weapons, progression, and gameplay systems before the Early Access Beta opens at 11:00 AM PT / 2:00 PM ET / 18:00 UTC.
That converts to 2:00 AM on August 22 in the Philippines, Singapore, and Malaysia. Early Access runs until August 25 and is available to players with an eligible preorder or Beta Code. The free Open Beta begins August 28 with no preorder required.
Modern Warfare 4 will also bring back DMZ when the full game launches. We previously included the mode in our guide to the top PS5 extraction shooters to watch in 2026.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 Beta Weekend One First Look
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What is included in Beta Weekend One?
Weekend One includes multiplayer content, a dedicated Mobility Course, player progression, unlockable rewards, and the complete campaign mission “Entrenched.” This is the first time a full campaign mission has been playable during a Call of Duty beta.
In “Entrenched,” players join infantry and armored vehicles during an assault to stop a strategically important nuclear power station from falling into enemy hands.
Multiplayer progression is capped at Level 20 during Weekend One. Players can unlock weapons, equipment, perks, Field Upgrades, Killstreaks, and the first five Beta rewards, including the “Dread Tiger” Operator Skin for Reece.
The beta also introduces the new Mobility Course, expanded movement training, Gunsmith customization, Create a Class, 6v6 multiplayer, and the changing Kill Block combat space.
The free Modern Warfare 4 Open Beta starts August 28
Weekend Two runs from August 28 at 10:00 AM PT until September 1 at 10:00 AM PT. It will be open to everyone on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2.
The second weekend increases the level cap to 30, adds more weapons and progression rewards, and brings Call of Duty: Warzone Resurgence into the beta with the new Zodiac map.
Players joining both weekends will only need to install the beta once. Updates and beta progression will carry from Weekend One into Weekend Two, while eligible cosmetic rewards will be available in the full game at launch.
PC requirements before you play
The Steam version uses RICOCHET Anti-Cheat and requires both TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot. Players must also have an Activision account, and a mobile phone number must be linked to the player’s Steam account.
The beta is installed and launched separately from the main Call of Duty application. The complete version of Modern Warfare 4 launches on October 23, 2026.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 Beta
Release: Early Access August 21–25; Open Beta August 28–September 1
Genre: Action, First-Person Shooter, Multiplayer
Developer / Publisher: Infinity Ward / Activision
Platforms: PC — Steam, Battle.net, and Xbox on PC; PS5; Xbox Series X|S; Nintendo Switch 2 during Weekend Two
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Written by Ronny Fiksdahl, Founder & Editor of Fix Gaming Channel.
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