- 16 October
- Campaign Early Access for digital pre-orders of the Standard Digital or Vault edition.
- 23 October
- Full launch on all four platforms — Multiplayer and DMZ included.
- Betas
- 21–25 August (early access) and 28 August–1 September (open). Both are over.
- Season 1
- Shortly after launch. Activision has not given a date.
- Ending
- Warzone on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One stops working when Season 1 begins.
The dates, in order
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| 28 May 2026 | Announcement, editions post and pre-orders opening on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, PlayStation 5, Battle.net and Steam. |
| 4 June 2026 | Warzone stops being available for new downloads on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. |
| 6 June 2026 | The DMZ deep dive, detailing Hajin. |
| 12 June 2026 | Campaign Early Access confirmed for 16 October. |
| 25 June 2026 | The in-game store for Warzone on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One is removed. |
| 23 July 2026 | The editions post is updated with the serialized camo pre-order bonus. |
| 20 August 2026, 9:00 AM PT | Early Access beta preload opens on every platform except Switch 2. Activision publishes the PC requirements the same day. |
| 21 August 2026, 11:00 AM PT | Call of Duty: NEXT, then the Early Access beta weekend begins. |
| 25 August 2026, 10:00 AM PT | Early Access beta ends. |
| 26 August 2026, 9:00 AM PT | Open Beta preload opens on every platform, and Switch 2 pre-orders go live at the eShop and at retail. |
| 28 August 2026, 10:00 AM PT | Open Beta begins on all platforms including Switch 2, with no pre-order or code needed. |
| 1 September 2026, 10:00 AM PT | Open Beta ends. |
| 16 September 2026 | The Story So Far recap of the previous three Modern Warfare games. |
| 17 September 2026 | The Campaign trailer debuts at Tokyo Game Show. |
| 15 October 2026, 9:00 AM PT | PC preload opens for digital pre-purchases. |
| 16 October 2026 | Campaign Early Access — the full Campaign, digital pre-orders only. |
| 23 October 2026 | Launch on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC and Nintendo Switch 2, with Multiplayer and DMZ — at midnight local time on PC. The C.O.D.E. Valor Pack arrives the same day. |
| Season 1, date not announced | Warzone integration and BlackCell access begin; Zodiac and Hajin join Warzone; Warzone on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One stops being playable. |
| 23 October 2027 | Deadline for redeeming pre-order and edition rewards. |
The two beta weekends, as they ran
Weekend One — early access, 21 to 25 August
Started at 11:00 AM PT on Friday 21 August, immediately after the Call of Duty: NEXT broadcast, and ended at 10:00 AM PT on Tuesday 25 August. Available on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, PlayStation 5, Steam and Battle.net — not on Switch 2. Access needed a pre-order, a pre-purchase or a Beta Code. The level cap was 20 and the first five beta rewards were reachable. Playing it also earned Black Ops 7 Season 05 Battle Pass progress, plus the Season 05 Battle Pass free, or 10 tier skips for existing owners.
Weekend Two — open, 28 August to 1 September
Started at 10:00 AM PT on Friday 28 August and ended at 10:00 AM PT on Tuesday 1 September, on every platform including Nintendo Switch 2 for the first time, with no pre-order and no code. The level cap rose to 30, unlocking the remaining gameplay items and all eight beta rewards. Warzone Resurgence on Zodiac was added this weekend, and every Switch 2 player could temporarily use Vault Edition content for free.
What carried over, and what did not
The eight cosmetic rewards — from the Through the Paces emblem at Level 4 up to the Beta Forged weapon blueprint at Level 30 (Activision's Open Beta guide names it for the Han 86 assault rifle in one place and the ISO Nightshade SMG in its reward list; the beta progression guide says ISO Nightshade, and Vandal's coverage of the open beta says Han 86) — are tied to your Activision account and become available at launch on 23 October, along with Twitch drops earned by watching. Player level, weapon unlocks and all other in-beta progression were wiped when the beta closed.
What the beta contained
- Six of the twelve Core 6v6 maps: Cachette, Lithium, Lotus, Rooftops, Silkworm and Transit 213.
- Core modes — Team Deathmatch, Domination, Hardpoint, Kill Confirmed and Search and Destroy — plus the new Hijack and Inflation.
- Gunfight on Kill Block at 3v3 and the new 10v10.
- Ground War: Combat Outpost at 24v24 on two maps built inside Hajin, Imjin Farmland and Wolves Stadium.
- The Campaign mission "Entrenched" — the first time a Call of Duty beta has included a Campaign mission.
- Warzone Resurgence on the new Zodiac map, in the second weekend.
- The Mobility Course, with tutorials, timed runs and ratings from C-minus to S.
- 22 weapons, per the PlayStation Blog, with Gunsmith, Apex Attachments and Gunny's recommended builds.
- Activision added a map and a mode during the beta via patch, and Infinity Ward reportedly responded to complaints about footstep noise and weapon lethality — which is why beta reports of the time to kill differ between the two weekends.