It’s time, once again, for a new Call of Duty to emerge from Activision and begin building hype until it launches later in the fall. This year’s entry is Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, a game that’s being pitched by the people making it as a “new chapter” for the long-running FPS series. I’m not sold on that being the case yet, but I do think Modern Warfare 4 is making some interesting changes and tweaks to the franchise’s formula. Will it be enough? We’ll find out later this year.
Anyway, you might have questions about Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, like whether it’s coming to Game Pass, when it’s launching, and what’s new. Well, don’t worry; we’ve got you covered with answers to those (and more) questions below.
What is Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4?
Modern Warfare 4 is the next main installment in the Call of Duty series and is also a direct sequel to 2023’s Modern Warfare 3. Like past games, MW4 is a first-person shooter that features single-player content, multiplayer modes, and more. It is set to continue the story from MW3 and will feature new weapons and maps. It is not a remake or reimagining of a past game in the franchise, but an entirely new installment featuring returning characters as well as some new faces.
When is Modern Warfare 4 releasing?
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 launches on October 23.
What platforms will Modern Warfare 4 be available on?
COD: MW4 is launching on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC and, for the first time in the franchise’s history, Nintendo Switch 2.
Wait. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 is skipping PS4?
Yup. Activision previously confirmed this already, but it was reconfirmed during the game’s reveal in late May. If you want to enjoy MW4, you’ll need a newer console or PC.
What about Warzone? Will it continue to support PS4?
Warzone is also leaving PS4 and Xbox One behind after MW4 launches in October. After that point, it will no longer be playable on these older machines.
Does Modern Warfare 4 have a single-player campaign?
Yes! And you can play it offline and even pause it. Wild. Modern Warfare 4 is taking the series to South Korea. Players will step into the boots of Private Park, a grunt who is part of a small squad that is located in South Korea, when North Korea invades. This kicks off the main story of the campaign, which also lets players take on the role of Captain Price as he hunts down his archnemesis and tries to save the day. And you’ll get to play a few missions as a North Korean soldier, seeing the conflict from the other side of the DMZ.
What’s new this time around?
Well, with regards to single-player, Activision and developer Infinity Ward are making it clear that MW4‘s campaign isn’t about super soldiers or spec-ops spies. Instead, you’ll play a lot of it as a grunt just trying to survive, which should make it feel more grounded and in the tradition of older entries in the series.
As for multiplayer, the biggest changes will be to movement and gun combat. Players will now be able to mantle and then hang or shimmy across edges, like building ledges or cargo containers. So you can now hop to a ledge, hang on it, shoot at some people while dangling there, and then hop off or even slide down a nearby pole. Another big change comes to how the game renders the world, with a wider field of vision that makes MW4 look more like a bodycam shooter than I expected. And hip firing is being changed in some big ways that will make it less random and more realistic. You can read more here.
How many multiplayer maps will be available at launch in MW4?
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 is set to launch with 12 new 6v6 maps spread across the globe. MW4 is also arriving on day one with separate, dedicated Gunfight maps, multiple “Big War” maps built for vehicular action, and perhaps most intriguing of all, Kill Block, a map that features over 500 possible permutations and changes as the match goes on.
Is there a Zombies or aliens mode in Modern Warfare 4?
No. Instead, MW4‘s third mode is an expanded and enhanced version of DMZ, the extraction shooter mode that once lived in Call of Duty: Warzone. This time around, it is much bigger and more developed, and seems to be a bit less sweaty than Marathon, but more grounded than Arc Raiders. More details are coming about this mode at a later date, but so far, what we’ve seen makes it look like it could end up being the best part of the MW4 package.
Will COD: MW4 be available day one on Game Pass?
Nope! Remember, Xbox removed future Call of Duty games from arriving on day one via Game Pass to allow the company to lower the subscription service’s price.
