Activision has announced that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 will implement a significant change to its double XP token system at launch and beyond: these tokens will now count down only while a player is actively in a match, rather than depleting in real-world time. This addresses a long-standing community frustration across the Call of Duty franchise.
Previously, activating a double XP token would start the timer immediately. This meant that any time spent outside of a match, whether idling, customizing loadouts, or waiting for teammates, would result in wasted token duration. Players have consistently petitioned for this change with each new annual release.
The issue is not unique to Call of Duty; the Battlefield series faces similar community dissatisfaction with its XP booster system. Battlefield Studios recently experienced backlash after an in-game message suggesting a similar change was an error, a situation that occurred twice.
This adjustment for Modern Warfare 4 follows other recent announcements aimed at engaging long-term players, including a previously revealed skin toggle for Call of Duty: Warzone and a pre-order loyalty discount. Developer updates regarding the game's matchmaking algorithm have also been shared.
Modern Warfare 4 is scheduled for release on October 23rd for PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and the Nintendo Switch 2. The change to double XP tokens is among several updates designed to appeal to veteran players who may have grown disillusioned with the series.