Activision has announced that the upcoming Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 beta will include more than just its traditional multiplayer offerings. Players will gain access to the campaign mission "Entrenched" and the new Warzone mode, "Resurgence Zodiac," during the beta period. This marks a significant departure from previous Call of Duty betas, which have historically been limited to multiplayer content.
The beta will commence with an early access period from August 21 to August 25 for players who have preordered the game. This will be followed by an open beta for all players from August 28 to September 1. Notably, the early access beta will not be available on the Nintendo Switch 2, as preorders for that version are set to begin on August 28.
Modern Warfare 4 is scheduled for release on October 23 for PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and the Nintendo Switch 2. Preordering the game will grant players access to the campaign a week before the official launch.
The inclusion of the Switch 2 in the release roster is a notable point, as it represents the franchise's return to a Nintendo platform for the first time since 2013's Call of Duty: Ghosts. Modern Warfare 4 will also follow in Ghosts' footsteps by skipping the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles, being the first entry since 2013 to do so.
Development for Modern Warfare 4 is being led by Infinity Ward. This entry comes after a series of Black Ops titles, the most recent of which, Black Ops 7, reportedly experienced the lowest sales ranking in the US since 2008. Unlike its immediate predecessors, Black Ops 6 and Black Ops 7, Modern Warfare 4 will not be available on Xbox Game Pass at launch.