Activision has announced that the betas for Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 will be stacked with modes, as it tries to win back players.
Call Of Duty: Black Ops 7 saw Activision’s juggernaut franchise take its biggest knock in years, as Battlefield 6 stole the spotlight in both sales and critical acclaim.
Activision doesn’t have to worry about competition from another Battlefield this year, but with all the negativity around Black Ops 7 (the publisher even sort of apologised for it), it has a lot to prove with this year’s Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 4.
Ahead of the game’s launch on October 23, 2026, developer Infinity Ward is staging several beta tests, just like previous years. However, it is going all-out this time, with the amount of modes included in an attempt to convince players the game is better than last time.
For the first time ever, the beta for Modern Warfare 4 will contain a campaign mission entitled Entrenched, Warzone’s new Zodiac Resurgence map, along with the multiplayer suite.
The first beta, which runs from August 21 to August 25, will be open to players who pre-order any edition of Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 4. It will include access to the campaign mission, along with the multiplayer maps Rooftops, Silkworm, Transit 213, Cachette, Lotus, and Kill Block. The latter is tied to a specific mode, where you play on a modular map that reconfigures its layout between matches.
Expert, exclusive gaming analysis
Sign up to the GameCentral newsletter for a unique take on the week in gaming, alongside the latest reviews and more. Delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning.
This beta contains the multiplayer modes Team Deathmatch, Domination, Hardpoint, Kill Confirmed, Inflation, Search & Destroy, Kill Block, and the Mobility Course.
Starting from August 28, anyone can dive into the open beta. This includes all the aforementioned modes and maps, along with the new Warzone Resurgence map, Zodiac. In addition, you’ll get access to Ground War, along with the multiplayer mode Hijack. This beta concludes on September 1, 2026.
You’ll be able to play the open beta on the Nintendo Switch 2, with Modern Warfare 4 being the first Call Of Duty to simultaneously launch on the console, alongside the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
It’s an incredibly stacked beta, but it is missing the DMZ mode, which is the game’s equivalent of an extraction shooter.
Activision is set to show off more from Modern Warfare 4 at the Call Of Duty Next on August 21, including a first look at the Zodiac map and gameplay from Kill Block.
Modern Warfare 4 is in an awkward position, as it’s been in development for years prior to Black Ops 7, so it can’t implement any drastic changes it perhaps needs. It’s also coming off the success of the Black Ops 1 and 2 ports on PlayStation 5 – so in many ways it’s competing against itself.
Modern Warfare 4 does have some things going for it though, with a new Korean setting, expanded movement options, and improved gunplay.
Email gamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter.
To submit Inbox letters and Reader’s Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here.
For more stories like this, check our Gaming page.