Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4

The next mainline Call of Duty from Infinity Ward and the wider Activision studio machine, out October 22, 2026 on PC, PS5 and Xbox. North Korea invades, Captain Price runs a personal war from the shadows, and the open beta already ran Aug 28 to Sep 1. Pre-purchase is live on Steam.

What is Modern Warfare 4?

Infinity Ward's return to the Modern Warfare sub-line after the 2022 Modern Warfare II / 2023 Modern Warfare III back-to-back. Same basic pitch — gritty modern military, sandbox-y multiplayer, named campaign — but with a fresh setting and a darker, more serialized story. Activision's full studio network is in the credits: Infinity Ward, Raven Software, Treyarch, Sledgehammer Games, High Moon Studios, Beenox, Digital Legends, Activision Shanghai. This is the first CoD since 2019's Modern Warfare reboot to put Infinity Ward back in the lead chair for a full release.

Setting is the Korean Peninsula. A young South Korean squad fights on a collapsing front line; half a world away, Captain Price runs an off-the-books operation against the forces behind the invasion. The two timelines converge. Activision's marketing has been unusually candid about the tone: "darker and more dangerous territory, where consequence and escalation bring long-running storylines to a powerful and emotional breaking point."

What's in the box

• Campaign. Trench warfare in Korea, close-quarters combat in New York, high-octane chases through Paris, SAS night raids in Mumbai, and city-wide assaults reclaiming occupied territory. Five distinct locales per Activision's official description.
• Multiplayer. "Grounded, precise combat" with "fluid movement, player choice, and greater control." The MP trailer highlights the same lane-based + objective-based sandbox CoD has run for a decade, with a new movement tech stack on top. Full maps and modes drop with launch.
• DMZ. The off-the-books extraction mode returns. You go in as an unauthorized asset, take contracts, decide what to extract, when to get out. The Warzone-adjacent risk/reward loop that became a fan favorite in 2022-2023.
• Beta. Already wrapped — Aug 28 through Sep 1, 2026, open to everyone. The Steam page's "Beta Trailer" is the closest thing to a public playtest impression before launch.

Release date, price, and pre-order

Out worldwide October 22, 2026. Standard Edition is $69.99 on Steam with no launch discount. Console pricing matches. Pre-purchase is live on Steam, PS5 and Xbox.

Pre-order bonus breakdown: any digital edition unlocks immediate items in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 and Call of Duty: Warzone — the Hunter Killer Operator Skin, the Gilded Pearl Camo Pack (Moonlit Pearl camo at pre-order, Gilded Ruin camo unlockable after launch), and Campaign Early Access starting October 16. None of this is a discount on MW4 itself — the price is $69.99 either way.

Quick facts & FAQ

• When does it come out? October 22, 2026 worldwide. Campaign Early Access for pre-order buyers starts October 16.
• How much is it? $69.99 Standard Edition. No launch discount.
• What platforms? PC (Steam, Battle.net), PS5, Xbox Series X|S. No last-gen, no Switch.
• Is there crossplay? Yes — CoD has been crossplay-default since 2022. The Steam page lists Cross-Platform Multiplayer as a feature.
• Did the beta run? Yes, Aug 28 - Sep 1, 2026, free and open. Beta Trailer is the public-facing summary of what was tested.
• Is the Steam listing official? Yes — published by Activision, sold through Steam. PC also available on Battle.net and the Microsoft Store (Xbox on PC).
• Is it on Game Pass? Not at launch. Microsoft has put older CoDs on Game Pass but mainline entries historically don't arrive day one.