Modern Warfare 4 release time, preload, size and early access

The full launch of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 arrives on October 23, 2026, but you can play the story campaign a week early, with Early Access starting on October 16.

In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about the Modern Warfare 4 release time, preload dates, download size and Early Access, including when you can start playing on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch 2.

We’ll also cover the editions available for the next entry in the Call of Duty series, the PC system requirements and whether you can play MW4 on Xbox Game Pass. We’ll update this Modern Warfare 4 guide as soon as more information about Activision’s first-person shooter becomes available.

When does Modern Warfare 4 release?

The full launch of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 takes place on Friday, October 23, 2026.

The PC release time for Modern Warfare 4 is midnight local time. However, the console release timing is slightly different. At the time of writing, Activision has not confirmed the specific console launch times. When that information becomes available, we’ll update this guide.]

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, Activision

When does Modern Warfare 4 Campaign Early Access start?

As mentioned above, Campaign Early Access for Modern Warfare 4 begins on Friday, October 16, 2026. This is available to players who digitally pre-order or pre-purchase the Standard Digital Edition or Vault Edition.

Campaign Early Access is not included with the Physical Standard Edition.

Early Access for DMZ mode begins on Tuesday, October 20, for players who digitally pre-order or pre-purchase Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4.

When can you preload Modern Warfare 4?

Preloading for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 on PC begins on Thursday, October 15, 2026, at 9am PT/12pm EDT/5pm BST 6pm CEST/7pm EEST. In Sydney, Australia, that converts to 3am AEDT on Friday, October 16.

MW4 will be available on PC via Steam, Battle.net and Xbox on PC. However, specific launch times for individual PC storefronts have not been officially confirmed by Activision.

Preload times for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch 2 have also yet to be officially confirmed by Activision.

How big is the Modern Warfare 4 download?

According to Activision’s official PC system requirements, Modern Warfare 4 requires an SSD with at least 115GB of available storage space at launch. However, mandatory updates may require additional storage.

Activision has not officially confirmed the storage requirements for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S or Nintendo Switch 2 at the time of writing. The PC storage requirement should not be treated as the download or installation size for consoles. We’ll update this article when more information becomes available.

Modern Warfare 4 PC requirements

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, Activision

Modern Warfare 4 minimum PC requirements

• Operating system: Windows 10 64-bit (latest update)
• CPU – AMD: AMD Ryzen 5 1400
• CPU – Intel: Intel Core i5-6600
• RAM: 8GB
• GPU – AMD: AMD Radeon RX 470
• GPU – NVIDIA: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 / 1060
• GPU – Intel: Intel Arc A580
• Video memory: 3GB
• Storage: SSD with 115GB of available space at launch

Modern Warfare 4 recommended PC requirements

• Operating system: Windows 11 64-bit (latest update)
• CPU – AMD: AMD Ryzen 5 3600
• CPU – Intel: Intel Core i7-8700
• RAM: 16GB
• GPU – AMD: AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT
• GPU – NVIDIA: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
• GPU – Intel: Intel Arc B580
• Video memory: 8GB
• Storage: SSD with 115GB of available space at launch

Activision states that the recommended PC requirements are designed to target 90 frames per second in multiplayer on High graphics settings.

Modern Warfare 4 ray-tracing PC requirements

• Operating system: Windows 11 64-bit (latest update)
• CPU – AMD: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
• CPU – Intel: Intel Core i7-10700K
• RAM: 32GB
• GPU – AMD: AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT
• GPU – NVIDIA: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti
• Video memory: 16GB
• Storage: SSD with 115GB of available space at launch

Activision states that the ray-tracing PC requirements target high-quality ray tracing at an upscaled 4K resolution.

Activision also confirms that you’ll need TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot enabled to play Modern Warfare 4, while other security measures may also be required.

• Intel Arc graphics cards require Resizable BAR.
• Your Intel or AMD processor must support the AVX instruction set.
• A broadband internet connection and DirectX 12 compatibility are required.
• Mandatory game updates may require additional storage space.
• These requirements apply to desktop PCs, and some laptop graphics cards may not be supported.
• Activision notes that these specifications apply at launch and may be subject to change.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, Activision

Which platforms is Modern Warfare 4 on?

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 is available on PC via Steam, Battle.net and Xbox on PC, as well as PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch 2. Activision has confirmed that MW4 will not be available on PlayStation 4 or Xbox One.

Modern Warfare 4 will not be available on any tier of Xbox Game Pass or PC Game Pass at launch. It will arrive on specific tiers at a later date, but Activision has not announced those dates at the time of writing.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 is also compatible with Xbox Play Anywhere for eligible digital purchases on Xbox Series X/S and Xbox on PC.

READ MORE: The best Call of Duty games worth playing before Modern Warfare 4

Which Modern Warfare 4 edition should you buy?

• Digital Standard Edition: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC and Switch 2. Campaign Early Access: Yes. Included content: Full game and digital pre-order bonuses. Upgrade path: Can upgrade to the Vault Edition. Price: $69.99 / £69.99.
• Digital Vault Edition: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC and Switch 2. Campaign Early Access: Yes. Included content: Full game, both Operator Packs, Signature Weapon Collection, one season of BlackCell and the DMZ Deployment Bonus. Upgrade path: Not applicable. Price: $99.99 / £99.99.
• Physical Standard Edition: PS5 and Xbox Series X. Campaign Early Access: Not included. Included content: Full base game. Upgrade path: Cannot upgrade to the Vault Edition. Price: $69.99 / £69.99.

The Digital Vault Edition upgrade costs $30 in the US. Activision has not confirmed the UK price at the time of writing, but previous Vault Edition upgrades have cost £30.

Who gets the 10% Vault Edition loyalty discount?

Activision is offering eligible players a 10% discount when pre-ordering or pre-purchasing the digital Vault Edition of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4. However, not every Call of Duty player will qualify for the offer.

To be eligible, you must own and have played a qualifying premium Call of Duty game released in 2019 or later. There are also alternative qualifying routes for some PlayStation Plus members and active Game Pass Ultimate, Premium or PC subscribers who have played an eligible game through their subscription.

It’s also worth noting that your qualifying game must be linked to the same platform account you’re using to pre-order Modern Warfare 4. The discount only applies to the digital Vault Edition pre-order or pre-purchase, not a Vault Edition upgrade bought later.

The offer is currently available until October 23, 2026, although Activision notes that the terms may change. Make sure the 10% discount appears at checkout before completing your purchase.