Modern Warfare 4 release date, unlock times, platforms and preload

Release date

• Date: Friday 23 October 2026
• Developer: Infinity Ward
• Publisher: Activision

The beta has already been and gone (late August into early September 2026), so the next milestone is the full release on 23 October.

Platforms

There is no listed last-gen (Xbox One / PS4) version. On PC you can choose Battle.net, Steam or the Xbox app; pick the one you already use.

Unlock times by region

Activision confirms exact unlock times close to launch, so treat the following as the usual pattern, not a guarantee for MW4:

• Recent Call of Duty games have used a single global unlock moment for the standard edition, which the community then converts into local time zones.
• Some titles instead unlock at a set local time (often around 21:00 or midnight local) per region.
• Early-access editions typically unlock several days before the standard date rather than just hours.

Until Activision publishes the MW4 times, check the official Call of Duty channels and your store's product page for the precise moment in your region. Don't rely on a converted time from a forum — the model varies between releases.

Preload

• Recent Call of Duty releases have allowed preload a few days before launch, so expect the same for MW4.
• The exact preload date and the download size will be posted on the Steam, Battle.net, PlayStation and Xbox store pages — watch those rather than guessing.
• MW4 requires a 50 GB SSD install at minimum, and launch-week download speeds are slow, so start the preload as soon as it opens (ideally overnight) so you're ready at unlock.

Editions

Activision hadn't detailed MW4's specific editions and prices at the time of writing, so this is the general shape rather than confirmed names:

• Expect a Standard edition that unlocks at the main 23 October date.
• Expect one or more upgraded/early-access editions that typically add a few days of early access plus in-game and campaign/battle-pass extras.

Don't buy an edition purely for cosmetics you haven't seen. If early access matters to you, wait for Activision to confirm the exact early-access window and price before pre-ordering — edition names and prices for MW4 are not yet confirmed, so ignore any that are quoted before the official reveal.

Is your PC ready?

Recommended PC specification for MW4:

MW4 supports DLSS 4.5 and ray tracing. The TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot requirement is not optional — enable both in your BIOS before launch day, because the game won't start without them. If you're setting up for high framerate and clear visibility, sort your graphics options out ahead of time with the best settings guide, and keep the error-code fixes handy for launch hour.

What launch day will look like

Expect the backend to be busy in the first hours — logins, matchmaking and store pages can lag under launch-week load on any Call of Duty. Preload in advance, update your GPU driver the day before rather than at unlock, and check the official server status page before assuming a problem is at your end.

FAQ