> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://blog.brightpixel.work/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 Arrives October 23: DMZ, Early Access and Everything We Know - URL: https://blog.brightpixel.work/call-of-duty-modern-warfare-4-release-dmz/ - Published: 2026-10-09T18:15:34.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-14T08:01:43.000Z - Description: Modern Warfare 4 launches October 23, with early access for pre-orders and a rebuilt DMZ mode. Here's everything you need to know before launch. - Author: BrightPixel - Tags: Games, Call of Duty The next chapter of Call of Duty is nine days away. **Modern Warfare 4** launches on **October 23**, and pre-order players can start even earlier. The biggest news for many fans is the return of **DMZ**, the extraction mode, rebuilt with the long-term progression players asked for. ⚡ ****Quick take:** Modern Warfare 4 launches **October 23** on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC and **Nintendo Switch 2**. Digital pre-orders get campaign early access on **October 16** and DMZ early access on **October 20**. ## Release date and platforms Developed by Infinity Ward, Modern Warfare 4 releases on **October 23, 2026** for: - PlayStation 5 - Xbox Series X|S - PC - Nintendo Switch 2 It's a current-generation game only, so it **won't be released on PS4 or Xbox One**. ## Early access dates | What | Date | Who gets it | | --------------------- | ---------- | ------------------------------------ | | Campaign early access | October 16 | Digital pre-orders and pre-purchases | | DMZ early access | October 20 | Digital pre-orders and pre-purchases | | Full launch | October 23 | Everyone | ## DMZ is back — and bigger DMZ first appeared in Modern Warfare II in 2022, but many players felt it lacked structure and a reason to keep coming back. Modern Warfare 4's version aims to fix that. ![Operator in a gas mask in the Modern Warfare 4 DMZ Initial Intel artwork](https://blog.brightpixel.work/content/images/2026/10/news-mw4-2.jpg) DMZ returns in Modern Warfare 4 with persistent progression. Image: Activision - **A new map, Hajin:** a huge exclusion zone created by the events of the campaign, reported to be larger than the original DMZ map, Al Mazrah. - **Your mission:** drop in solo or with a squad to recover advanced military technology, then extract alive. - **A living zone:** enemy squads patrol, travel in convoys and fly helicopters, while a **dynamic weather system** changes the conditions of each match. - **Persistent progression:** build up a **Forward Operating Base**, keep a persistent inventory, and develop separate characters, each with its own loadout, backpack and trait tree. - **Three mission formats** for different play styles, including Story Missions. Vault Edition owners also get a DMZ "Deployment Bonus": one extra Active Duty slot and a Deployment Kit. ## Editions and pre-order bonuses According to Activision's support page, there are three ways to buy the game: | Edition | Format | What you get | | ---------------- | ---------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Digital Standard | Digital, all platforms | The full game plus pre-order bonuses | | Physical | Disc, Xbox Series X and PS5 (select retailers) | The full game; cannot be upgraded to Vault | | Vault | Digital only, all platforms | Standard Edition plus Hostile Alliance and Special Forces Operator packs, a Signature Weapon Collection, one season of the BlackCell Battle Pass and the DMZ Deployment Bonus | Digital Standard owners can upgrade to Vault for **$30**. Buying the Vault Edition outright before October 23 through an official platform store gets **10% off** for players who own and have played a qualifying Call of Duty game (Modern Warfare 2019 or later, excluding free-to-play and mobile) on the same account. Game Pass subscribers who played a qualifying title through the service also count. The discount doesn't apply to upgrades. Digital pre-orders add campaign and DMZ early access, the Hunter Killer Operator skin, a Gilded Pearl camo pack for Black Ops 7, and an Inner Circuit M4 blueprint. A Call of Duty: Mobile blueprint is included if your Activision account is linked. ## PC and Switch 2 notes On PC the game is sold through Battle.net and Steam, and it **requires TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot**, which some older systems or custom builds may not have enabled. Xbox buyers get Xbox Play Anywhere, so one purchase covers Xbox and Windows. Switch 2 pre-orders opened on August 26. ## Will it be on Game Pass? According to reports, Modern Warfare 4 **won't be included in Game Pass at launch** — a notable difference from [Battlefield 6, which joins Game Pass on October 13](https://blog.brightpixel.work/battlefield-6-game-pass-season-5/). ## What happens after launch Season 1 arrives shortly after release, and **Call of Duty: Warzone** will integrate Modern Warfare 4 content, with progression connected between the two games. ## The reality check - **Early access is digital only.** Activision lists the early-access bonuses for digital editions, not the physical disc. - **Reports say it won't be on Game Pass at launch,** so plan to pay for the game up front. - **DMZ is a bet on retention.** Persistent progression is the right answer to old complaints, but it only works if the extraction loop stays fun after a few weeks, and nobody can judge that before launch. - **PC checks first.** If you play on PC, confirm TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot before pre-purchasing. **Are you more excited for the campaign, multiplayer or DMZ?** --- *Sources:* [*Call of Duty — DMZ Deep Dive*](https://www.callofduty.com/blog/2026/06/call-of-duty-modern-warfare-4-dmz-deep-dive?ref=blog.brightpixel.work)*,* [*Call of Duty — How to Play DMZ*](https://www.callofduty.com/blog/2026/10/call-of-duty-modern-warfare-4-dmz-how-to-play-forward-operating-base-guide?ref=blog.brightpixel.work)*,* [*Stevivor*](https://stevivor.com/features/in-depth/call-of-duty-modern-warfare-4-announced-current-gen-only-coming-october-2026/?ref=blog.brightpixel.work)*,* [*Digital Citizen*](https://www.digitalcitizen.life/call-of-duty-modern-warfare-4-officially-revealed-with-seoul-setting-grounded-combat-and-dmz-return/?ref=blog.brightpixel.work)*,* [*Activision Support: Modern Warfare 4 editions*](https://support.activision.com/modern-warfare-4/articles/modern-warfare-4-editions?ref=blog.brightpixel.work)*. Images: Activision.*