Two CoDs Ducked It, but MW4's Campaign Ships a Week Early

Campaign early access is back for Call of Duty. After both Black Ops 6 and Black Ops 7 skipped the perk entirely, Activision confirmed via a blog post that Modern Warfare 4's single-player campaign will be playable on October 16, a full week ahead of the game's October 23 launch.

Anyone who pre-orders or pre-purchases the Standard Digital Edition or Vault Edition on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC (Steam or Battle.net), or Nintendo Switch 2 gets access. Switch 2 pre-orders aren't live yet but are expected later this year. Pre-ordering also locks in early access to the MW4 beta, though Activision hasn't announced beta dates.

The two-year gap here is the interesting part. Campaign early access debuted with 2022's Modern Warfare II and returned for Modern Warfare III in 2023, but MW3's campaign was savaged by critics and players alike. Activision quietly shelved the feature for the next two entries. Bringing it back now feels like Activision signalling that Infinity Ward's campaign can actually hold up to scrutiny this time, and I think they need it to. After MW3's reception, launching the campaign a week early with no review embargo safety net would be a bold move if the studio wasn't confident in what it built.

The story follows Private Park, a young South Korean soldier thrown into a full-scale North Korean invasion, alongside a rogue Captain Price operating outside the system on a revenge-driven mission. Activision describes locations spanning the Korean Peninsula, New York, Paris, and Mumbai. MW4 also won't be a day-one Game Pass title after new Xbox CEO Asha Sharma pulled new Call of Duty releases from the subscription service, so anyone wanting in on early access will need to buy the game outright.

Multiplayer and the extraction mode DMZ go live alongside the full launch on October 23 across PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2.