Modern Warfare 4 gets Fanatics Fest panel, open beta dates, and an October 23 launch

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 had a busy weekend at Fanatics Fest in New York City, with multiplayer playable on the show floor and an official panel revealing new details. Infinity Ward co-studio head Mark Grigsby and Activision marketing executive Tyler Bahl led the conversation, joined by NBA star Kevin Durant and Obsession actress Inde Navarrette, hosted by media personality Katie Nolan.

Fanatics Fest ran July 16–19 at the Javits Center. Single-day tickets started at $81.54, making it one of the earliest ways to go hands-on with MW4 multiplayer. A free open beta is also confirmed ahead of launch — preordering gets you in early. Modern Warfare 4 launches October 23 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Switch 2. Xbox Wire also confirmed open beta dates and a Serialized Weapon Camo as a pre-order bonus in a separate post following the event.

Infinity Ward is clearly not losing sleep over the GTA 6 shadow. In an interview with Destructoid, Grigsby addressed the elephant in the room directly: "I've been a fan of GTA since the top-down games back in the day. And I'm looking forward to playing it. Afraid of it? No." He added, "It's a little head-to-head, that's great." MW4's late October window is a deliberate shift from the series' usual November slot — partly to sidestep GTA 6, though Grigsby frames it as healthy competition rather than a retreat. PC Gamer's Morgan Park played multiplayer at Infinity Ward ahead of the event and came away confident it'll be the best-playing Call of Duty in years, even if it's not a dramatic leap forward — and it's already trying to walk back some of Modern Warfare 2's more controversial design choices.

Community attention will now shift to Call of Duty: NEXT, the annual pre-launch showcase where Activision typically goes deep on multiplayer modes, maps, and progression. With the open beta window now confirmed and a launch just over three months out, the MW4 marketing push is clearly in full swing.