Modern Warfare 4 Beta: What the Test Offered and What Carries Over
Two test weekends and what is left before launch
The Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 test ran in two parts. Early Access lasted from August 21 to 25, 2026, and the Open Beta from August 28 to September 1. Everything here is current as of October 18, 2026: the test is long over, and the game launches on October 23 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC and Nintendo Switch 2.
Players got standard multiplayer with the new Kill Block arena, the Entrenched campaign mission, large-scale Ground War battles and Warzone Resurgence on the Zodiac map. Rewards earned in the beta carry over to the full game, so anyone who played will have a small head start at launch.
Below is a recap in order: how access worked, what was playable, how levels, weapons and rewards fit together, and what is still useful now.
Schedule and access: two weekends
Early Access opened on August 21 at 11:00 AM PT, right after the Call of Duty: NEXT showcase, and closed on August 25 at 10:00 AM PT. It required a preorder. Digital Standard and Vault orders unlocked it automatically, while physical copies came with a 13-character code redeemed through an Activision account.
The Open Beta started on August 28 at 10:00 AM PT and ended on September 1. It was free, with no preorder or code. Nintendo Switch 2 joined only in this weekend, and Switch 2 preorders opened on August 26.
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC, plus Nintendo Switch 2 in the second weekend.
Weekend One: multiplayer, Kill Block and the Entrenched mission were available to all Early Access owners.
Weekend Two: Ground War and Warzone Resurgence arrived, and the level cap went up.
Multiplayer maps and modes
Multiplayer was built around 6v6 maps. Among them were Rooftops, Silkworm and Transit 213, plus the Kill Block arena. According to player reports, Cachette, Lotus and Lithium were also in rotation.
There were about nine modes, and some appeared as the test went on. According to player reports, the list included the familiar Team Deathmatch, Domination, Hardpoint, Kill Confirmed and Search & Destroy, plus the new Inflation.
Hijack was another newcomer: according to player reports, teams fight over a Data Spike.
If you played the beta, you already know which maps and modes to build your weapons around at launch.
Entrenched, Kill Block, Ground War and Warzone
For the first time, a Call of Duty beta included a campaign mission. Entrenched is built around trench combat. It is a single episode rather than the whole story, but it was enough to judge the pacing and gunplay before you play the campaign in full.
Kill Block is an adaptive arena inside a training facility. Each map is assembled from two end slabs and one central slab, so routes, cover and sightlines change. According to player reports, it hosted 3v3 and 10v10 Gunfight: everyone gets the same random loadout in a round, and after two rounds the slabs and equipment change.
Ground War arrived in the second weekend. The venues were Combat Outpost, Imjin Farmland and Wolves Stadium: big spaces where infantry fights alongside armor. Warzone Resurgence on Zodiac started at the same time, separate from the regular multiplayer maps.
Levels, weapons and progression
The level cap was 20 in the first weekend and 30 in the second, and player level carried over between them. Each level unlocked weapons, equipment, Perks, Field Upgrades and Killstreaks.
The beta offered 19 multiplayer weapons across nine classes: 14 in the first weekend and 5 more by Level 30 in the second. According to player reports, the late unlocks included the Kastov 762 (Level 21), .50 GS (23), Patriot XMR (25), X-58 NYX (27) and Signal 50 (30). Extra guns came from default loadouts and the campaign mission, which is why totals differ between outlets.
The participation rewards carry over (see below), but carry-over of regular levels and weapon progress is not confirmed, so it is safest to plan on unlocking your arsenal from scratch. If you would rather skip that grind, DVING offers leveling services for the Call of Duty series, including leveling and weapon leveling, plus class-specific options such as assault rifles leveling, marksman rifles leveling, submachine guns leveling and shotguns leveling.
Do not forget your overall account leveling: the sooner Perks and Killstreaks open up, the freer your builds are in the first weeks. Once you reach the cap, prestige comes into play.
Beta rewards
Taking part in the beta earned eight rewards, all of which are usable in Modern Warfare 4 at launch. The first five were earned in the first weekend and the last three in the second.
Level | Reward |
|---|---|
4 | Through the Paces Emblem |
8 | First Served Weapon Charm |
12 | Meonjeo Weapon Sticker |
16 | Last Charge Calling Card |
20 | Dread Tiger Operator Skin (Reese) |
23 | Field Tested Spray |
27 | Beta Rights Loading Screen |
30 | Beta Forged AR Weapon Blueprint |
The main reward is the Beta Forged blueprint at Level 30, which only players who stuck with both weekends reached. The Dread Tiger skin for Reese unlocked at Level 20, so it was available in the first weekend.
What the Vault Edition includes
The Vault Edition is digital only. It includes the Hostile Alliance and Special Forces operator packs (four operators each) and the Signature Weapon Collection of five weapons.
These items are not beta rewards, they are an edition bonus. Vault also adds a season of BlackCell and the DMZ Deployment Bonus. Like Standard, the digital Vault edition gets campaign early access.
PC: TPM 2.0, Secure Boot and system requirements
Playing on PC requires TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot. Enabling them sometimes means a trip to BIOS or UEFI, and Secure Boot needs a GPT system drive, so check them ahead of time rather than on launch day.
Below are the official requirements published for the release. During the beta the numbers could differ, and some outlets quoted 12 GB of RAM.
Minimum: Windows 10 64-bit, Ryzen 5 1400 or Core i5-6600, 8 GB RAM, GTX 970/1060, RX 470 or Arc A580, 3 GB VRAM, SSD with 115 GB free.
Recommended: Windows 11, Ryzen 5 3600 or Core i7-8700, 16 GB RAM, RTX 3060 Ti, RX 6600 XT or Arc B580, 8 GB VRAM.
Where things stand now
Modern Warfare 4 launches in five days. Owners of digital Standard and Vault editions have been playing the campaign in early access since October 16, and physical copies do not get it.
If you enjoyed the beta, you can start at launch with what the test already showed: pick your favorite maps and modes, settle on your weapons and check your PC settings in advance.