Modern Warfare 4 brings back campaign early access a full week before launch

Activision has confirmed that Modern Warfare 4 is bringing back campaign early access — anyone who pre-orders the game digitally can jump into the single-player campaign on October 16th, a full week before the game officially launches on October 23rd. Multiplayer stays locked until launch day.

The perk applies to both the standard digital edition and the Vault edition across PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Steam, and Nintendo Switch 2. Physical retail pre-orders don't qualify — it's digital only. The Switch 2 version doesn't have a firm release date yet, but the early access offer still applies to it. The campaign follows Private Park, a young, inexperienced South Korean soldier played by Young Mazino, best known for Beef and The Last of Us. Story-wise, it picks up after Modern Warfare 3, with North Korea launching an invasion of the South — and Task Force 141 veterans Captain Price and Ghost returning, though their allegiances may have shifted.

Campaign early access was first introduced with the 2019 Modern Warfare reboot, carried through Modern Warfare 2 in 2022 and Modern Warfare 3 in 2023, then quietly dropped for both Black Ops 6 in 2024 and Black Ops 7 in 2025. MW4 brings it back after a three-year absence. Eurogamer notes the perk has a practical upside beyond marketing: Call of Duty campaigns historically suffer low completion rates, with millions of players skipping straight to multiplayer. A dedicated week gives the campaign space to breathe and a better shot at actually being finished.

Modern Warfare 4 launches October 23rd on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. The Switch 2 version is expected sometime this year.