Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 is now live worldwide. Activision and Infinity Ward released the game on Friday, October 23, on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC and Nintendo Switch 2. Activision says the Switch 2 release brings the Modern Warfare series to a Nintendo platform for the first time in more than a decade.
The launch bundles three pillars: a new story campaign, a multiplayer suite with 20 maps at launch, and DMZ, the series' extraction mode. The game isn't available on PlayStation 4 or Xbox One.
A campaign set on the Korean Peninsula
The campaign opens with a full-scale North Korean invasion of South Korea. Players fight as Private Park, a young South Korean soldier seeing combat for the first time, while Captain Price, now working outside the system he once served, pursues a personal mission tied to a weapon that could shift the balance of power. Activision says the campaign moves from trench warfare in Korea to close-quarters fights in New York, chases through Paris and SAS night raids in Mumbai.
20 multiplayer maps and no more bloom
According to Activision, multiplayer launches with 20 maps:
- 12 new 6v6 core maps, each with its own custom infil.
- 4 Gunfight maps and 3 Ground War maps for large-scale vehicle and infantry combat.
- Kill Block, a modular training facility that reconfigures between rounds. Activision says its sections can form more than 500 distinct layouts, and it supports 3v3 and 10v10 Gunfight formats.
Infinity Ward has also removed weapon bloom, so hipfire goes where the gun is pointed, and rebuilt recoil and handling around player input. Other changes include a unified Create-a-Class system, a build helper called Gunny that assembles close-, mid- or long-range loadouts, Apex Attachments earned by fully leveling a weapon, and two Prestige paths: Classic Prestige, which resets your unlocks, and Regular Prestige, which doesn't.
DMZ returns in Hajin
DMZ drops players, solo or in a squad, into the conflict zone of Hajin as off-the-books assets recovering military technology. Players can pick from Story Missions, Dynamic Operations or Free Roam deployments. Each area has a Threat Level, and making too much noise triggers a heavier enemy response. Between runs, a Forward Operating Base grows from a handful of stations into more than a dozen, including a 3D printer for crafting gear, a Gunsmith, a vendor and a Boss Board for tracking high-value targets. DMZ has its own progression track from level 1 to 70.
Switch 2, PC and Game Pass
The Switch 2 version, developed natively by Infinity Ward with Digital Legends, lists for $69.99 on the Nintendo eShop. On PC, the game is sold through Battle.net, Steam and the Xbox app, and Activision lists TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot as requirements. PC options include DLSS 4.5 and expanded ray tracing across all modes. Multiplayer and DMZ require a constant internet connection because the game streams textures, and split-screen is available on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.
Notably, Modern Warfare 4 is a standalone release. Activision says it won't be included with Game Pass until Holiday 2027, though Game Pass Ultimate subscribers keep access to Black Ops 7, Black Ops 6 and Modern Warfare III. Season 1 arrives shortly after launch, when Warzone will start integrating Modern Warfare 4 content. Warzone on PS4 and Xbox One stops being playable with Season 1.
A digital Vault Edition adds operator packs, five signature weapon blueprints, one season of the BlackCell battle pass and extra DMZ gear. Owners of the Digital Standard Edition can upgrade for $30. Activision is also selling a C.O.D.E. Valor Pack, created with Medal of Honor recipient Kyle Carpenter, with 100% of its net proceeds going to the Call of Duty Endowment for veterans.
Sources
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 is Live Worldwide
- Call of Duty: Announcing Modern Warfare 4
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 Launches October 23 as a Standalone Release
- Activision Support: Modern Warfare 4 Editions
- PlayStation Blog: Everything you need to know about DMZ in Modern Warfare 4
- Nintendo: Modern Warfare 4 is out now for Nintendo Switch 2
