Modern Warfare 4 campaign first playable Oct. 16 for pre-orders

Xbox and Activision will provide early access to the campaign for digital pre-orders of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 (Standard Digital or Vault editions) starting Oct. 16. The offer covers purchases on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, PlayStation 5, Battle.net, Steam and Nintendo Switch 2. Activision said in a statement that qualifying players who digitally pre-ordered or pre-purchased those editions will be able to play the campaign beginning Oct. 16.

The full game is due Oct. 23. The title will not be part of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass at launch. The early-access window applies only to the campaign and does not include multiplayer or other game modes.

The campaign follows Private Park, a young South Korean soldier who encounters live combat after North Korea launches a full-scale invasion. The narrative also follows Captain Price, who is operating outside formal channels and pursues a personal vendetta that draws him toward a powerful weapon and off-book operations.

Developers describe the campaign as including large-scale battles, covert missions, combined-arms engagements and cinematic set pieces, with an emphasis on grounded combat and varied gameplay across multiple conflicts.

Players who want the early campaign should ensure they hold a digital pre-order or pre-purchase of the Standard Digital or Vault edition on one of the listed platforms before Oct. 16.