Guide

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 Beta Guide: Schedule, Specs, Rewards

Activision has detailed the upcoming Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 Beta, and we’ve broken down everything you need to know.

NewAugust 26, 2026

This is a living dossier, meaning we will be adding new content as soon as we learn more.

TL;DR | Key Highlights

Two-weekend test period and broad platform access: The Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 Beta runs over two weekends—Early Access from August 21–25, followed by a fully open Beta from August 28–September 1 across PC, current-gen consoles, and Nintendo Switch 2 (Weekend Two).
Standalone installation and pre-loading schedule: Moving away from the main Call of Duty launcher, the Beta is delivered as a separate client to download directly from platform storefronts, with pre-loads starting August 20 for Weekend One and August 26 for Weekend Two.
PC performance and workflow optimizations: Features like Shader Preloading in the background and a drastic reduction in mandatory "Update Requires Restart" prompts aim to get PC and console players into matches with significantly fewer interruptions.
Exclusive rewards and twitch drop incentives: Progression reaches Level 20 during Weekend One and caps at Level 30 in Weekend Two, offering eight permanent cosmetic unlocks (including Operator Skins and Weapon Blueprints) alongside active Twitch Drops.

Activision and Xbox have opened pre-downloads for the upcoming Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 Open Beta.

Start: August 28 at 10:00 AM PT / 1:00 PM ET / 6:00 PM BST / 7:00 PM CEST
End: September 1 at 10:00 AM PT / 1:00 PM ET / 6:00 PM BST / 7:00 PM CEST (Open to all players across all platforms, including Nintendo Switch 2).

The beta takes place during two long ‘weekends’ starting august 21. These are the dates and timings.

Start: August 21 at 11:00 AM PT / 2:00 PM ET / 7:00 PM BST / 8:00 PM CEST
End: August 25 at 10:00 AM PT / 1:00 PM ET / 6:00 PM BST / 7:00 PM CEST (Available for pre-orders or code holders on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox PC, Steam, and Battle.net).

Start: August 28 at 10:00 AM PT / 1:00 PM ET / 6:00 PM BST / 7:00 PM CEST
End: September 1 at 10:00 AM PT / 1:00 PM ET / 6:00 PM BST / 7:00 PM CEST (Open to all players across all platforms, including Nintendo Switch 2).

You can download the early access beta starting Today (August 20). There will probably be a separate download for the second weekend.

Weekend One Early Access: Downloads open August 20 at 9:00 AM PT (Excluding Nintendo Switch 2).
Weekend Two Open Beta: Downloads open August 26 at 9:00 AM PT for all platforms.

These are the level reward for the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 beta.

Level 4: "Through the Paces" Legendary Emblem
Level 8: "First Served" Weapon Charm
Level 12: "Meonjeo" Legendary Weapon Sticker
Level 16: "Last Charge" Legendary Calling Card
Level 20: "Dread Tiger" Operator Skin (Reece) (Cap for Weekend One)
Level 23: "Field Tested" Epic Spray
Level 26: "Beta Rights" Epic Loading Screen
Level 30: "Beta Forged" ISO Nightshade Weapon Blueprint (Cap for Weekend Two)