Activision has announced that Modern Warfare 4 will let players jump into its single-player campaign up to one week before the full game launches. As a result, the campaign—taking place on the Korean Peninsula—could be available as early as 16th October for a limited group of players, a full seven days before the official release date of 23rd October.
To access this early-play option, you need to pre-order any edition of Modern Warfare 4 on any of the platforms it’s scheduled to launch on. This includes Nintendo Switch 2, even though that particular version doesn’t currently offer pre-orders.
That said, the early access deal applies only to digital pre-orders, not purchases made via physical retail stores.
One of the most compelling additions introduced in the 2019 Modern Warfare reboot was the chance to play the single-player campaign a week ahead of the game’s official debut. Activision kept that approach going with Modern Warfare 2 (2022) and Modern Warfare 3 (2023), though it’s notable that it didn’t show up in other releases that came out between those titles.
At first, this early access window was viewed as a strong reason to pre-order, and it has been met with broad approval for solving a number of concerns. For starters, it gives the campaign space to be spotlighted and discussed long before the complete release. More importantly, it allows a wider slice of the Call of Duty community to try—and even finish—the campaign. In the past, Call of Duty campaign completion rates have been relatively low; a quick look at achievement stats and unlocks suggests that millions of players skip the campaign entirely and jump straight into multiplayer.
The Modern Warfare 4 campaign picks up after the events of Modern Warfare 3. While the larger series storyline continues, the focus shifts, with the game centered on a South Korean soldier pulled into the middle of a crisis—when North Korea launches an invasion against its southern neighbor.
The campaign also brings back several of the remaining members of Task Force 141, including Captain Price and Ghost, with the understanding that their loyalties and priorities may have shifted since we last saw them.
Modern Warfare 4 launches on 23rd October across PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Switch 2.