Get Ready for the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 Beta: Sign-Up Details for Both Weekend Sessions

You won’t be able to dive into combat regularly until October, but there are several betas for the upcoming Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 that let you experience a campaign mission and multiple multiplayer maps ahead of the official launch. Navigating the registration process can be a bit tricky, so here’s a breakdown of the MW4 beta dates and what you need to know to get started.

You have two ways to join the MW4 beta: If you pre-order the game, you can access the first round (early access beta), or you can wait for the second round (open beta) which is free for everyone.

The early access beta kicks off on Friday, August 21 at 11 am PDT and wraps up on Tuesday, August 25 at 10 am PDT. Here are the times for different regions on August 21:

The open beta starts on Friday, August 28 at 10 am PDT and concludes on Tuesday, September 1 at 10 am PDT. Here are the times for various regions on August 28:

Some players will need a MW4 beta code to join the early access weekend starting August 21, depending on how they pre-ordered. However, the second phase on August 28 is open to everyone without any purchase required, available on Steam, Battle.net, or consoles.

For the open beta weekend on August 28, no pre-order or beta code is necessary. Anyone can download the open beta on any platform.

Pre-orders are the only way to ensure access to the early access beta, but I’ve noticed beta code giveaways popping up on platforms like Reddit and various social media. Additionally, the Call of Duty: Next Showcase will host code giveaways starting at 9 am PDT on August 21, which you can catch on YouTube.

Most maps and modes will be available in both MW4 betas, but certain features like Combat Outpost won’t be accessible until the second weekend. A few maps are also exclusive to just one weekend, so I’ve compiled those key differences in a table for your reference.

You can pre-load the MW4 early access beta now on Steam and Battle.net, and your friends on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S can do the same.

Pre-loading for the open beta (August 28) will begin on Wednesday, August 26 at 9 am PDT. If you participated in the first test, you won’t need to download the game again, but you might have a few updates to install.