The Modern Warfare 4 beta is now live in Early Access, and Infinity Ward has already deployed its Day 2 gameplay and content update. The August 22 patch adds the Cachette map and Inflation mode, enables map voting, reduces enemy footstep and gear audio, and tunes down the lethality of selected weapons.
The second weekend is the Open Beta, starting August 28 at 10:00 AM PT and ending September 1. It is open to players on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2, with no pre-order required for Weekend Two.
Modern Warfare 4 beta Day 2 update adds Cachette and Inflation
Cachette joins the Weekend One multiplayer rotation in the August 22 update, while Inflation adds a mode built around collecting cash from eliminations and stealing it from high-value targets. Adding a fourth multiplayer map also gives Infinity Ward enough maps to switch on map voting during the beta.
Infinity Ward also responded to the loudest opening-day audio complaint. Enemy footstep and gear sounds now have lower volume and a shorter audible range. The ISO Nightshade and Oris 8.6 were both toned down as part of an initial time-to-kill pass, with reduced effective ranges and lower headshot multipliers.
Transit 213 has brighter shadowed areas and a revised color balance, Daily Challenges can now be rerolled, and the patch fixes problems involving the Mobility Course, controls, menus, audio and several disconnect scenarios.
Two issues remain open in the August 22 notes. Join in progress is temporarily disabled in Kill Block because of a round-transition bug, and Infinity Ward is investigating FPS drops that can occur while cooking some lethal equipment. The studio is using its Trello board for live issue tracking during the beta.
Modern Warfare 4 beta times and preload
Pre-order Early Access runs from August 21 at 11:00 AM PT to August 25 at 10:00 AM PT. Eligible players can preload Weekend One from August 20 at 9:00 AM PT. Xbox on PC is the exception: the app initially downloads only a small part of the beta, with the bulk of the download becoming available at 7:00 AM PT on August 21.
The Open Beta runs from August 28 at 10:00 AM PT to September 1 at 10:00 AM PT. Activision says all players can preload Weekend Two from August 26 at 9:00 AM PT on supported platforms.
Those exact times replace one of the main unknowns in the original July announcement, which confirmed the dates but did not yet provide the full start, end, and preload schedule. The August 28–September 1 window is also tracked in GameTechReport’s 2026 game release calendar.
Who can play each beta weekend
Weekend One is for players with Early Access. Digital pre-orders through the Microsoft Store, PlayStation Store, Battle.net, or Steam are automatically registered, while qualifying retail pre-orders use an Early Access Beta code. The first weekend is available on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.
Weekend Two removes the pre-order requirement. Players on all supported platforms can join the Open Beta from August 28, including Nintendo Switch 2 users. Activision notes that availability can vary by territory or retailer and that an internet connection is required; an online multiplayer subscription may also be required on supported consoles.
What you can play in the Modern Warfare 4 beta
Activision’s current Modern Warfare 4 beta page confirms core 6v6 multiplayer maps and modes, including Kill Block, as well as the single-player campaign mission Entrenched.
Weekend Two expands the test further with Ground War: Combat Outpost and the new Zodiac Resurgence map in Call of Duty: Warzone. Beta rewards can be earned during the test, used immediately in the beta once unlocked, and carried into Modern Warfare 4 when the full game launches on October 23. Player rank, weapon unlocks and other in-beta progression do not carry into the full game, although eligible cosmetic beta rewards do.
The beta is only one part of Modern Warfare 4’s launch schedule. Campaign early access is scheduled for October 16, one week before the October 23 full release.
The original July beta announcement also said players would be able to unlock as many as 19 weapons, build loadouts, use Tacticals, Lethals, Field Upgrades, Perks, and Killstreaks, and move between smaller 3v3 fights and larger battles featuring vehicles. Search & Destroy, Kill Block, and the Training Mobility Course were among the modes and activities confirmed at that stage.
Modern Warfare 4 beta PC specs and install changes
The PC requirements are now official. The minimum configuration calls for Windows 10 64-bit, an AMD Ryzen 5 1600 or Intel Core i5-8400, 12 GB of RAM, an AMD Radeon RX 470, Nvidia GeForce GTX 970 or GTX 1060, or Intel Arc A580, at least 3 GB of video memory, and an SSD.
For the recommended setup, Activision lists Windows 11 64-bit, an AMD Ryzen 5 3600 or Intel Core i7-8700, 16 GB of RAM, and an AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT, Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, or Intel Arc B580 with 8 GB of video memory. DirectX 12, broadband internet, TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot are required across the PC configurations. Activision notes that these specifications are for the beta and may differ from the requirements for the full game at launch.
One PC change matters beyond the spec sheet: Shader Preloading. Battle.net can begin preparing shaders from the first beta installation. Steam still requires a one-time shader compile on the first boot, but subsequent updates can use preloading; that means Steam players who participate in Weekend One can benefit from it when the Weekend Two update arrives. Infinity Ward and Beenox say moving more shader preparation outside the game should reduce waiting and performance hitches after launch.
The beta is also a separate download from the main Call of Duty installation. It will not arrive automatically as a normal Call of Duty update, so players need to find the beta in their platform storefront and start the download separately. Activision says the full game will return to the connected Call of Duty experience alongside Warzone when Modern Warfare 4 launches.
PC players need TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot
The bigger catch on PC may be security rather than raw performance. Activision says TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot are both required for the Modern Warfare 4 Beta. A PC that does not meet those requirements will be restricted from playing any online game mode in the beta. That is stricter than Activision’s current Black Ops 7 and Warzone policy, where a failed security check can restrict selected modes and playlists rather than all online play.
Activision’s support documentation lists Windows 10 version 22H2 or later, or Windows 11, together with TPM 2.0. Secure Boot requires the system to use UEFI rather than Legacy BIOS mode, the boot disk to use GPT rather than MBR, and Secure Boot itself to be enabled.
This is worth checking before preload rather than when the beta opens. Windows 11 PCs will commonly already have the required security features enabled because the operating system requires them, while Windows 10 systems may need configuration changes if TPM is disabled or an older TPM version is active.
Check your PC before the beta
Activision provides a Call of Duty Secure Attestation Wizard that checks whether a PC meets the security requirements. The current download is version 1.1.3, updated August 6, 2026. If the system is not compliant, the tool identifies the setting that needs attention, such as TPM 2.0, Secure Boot, GPT partitioning, UEFI boot mode, or a required BIOS firmware update.
Players should use the official motherboard or PC manufacturer’s documentation before changing firmware settings. Activision warns that UEFI and BIOS menus differ between systems and that incorrect changes can cause boot problems, so the support page is a safer starting point than following a generic BIOS walkthrough.
Switch 2 joins Weekend Two
Nintendo Switch 2 does not participate in the August 21–25 Early Access weekend. Pre-orders for the Switch 2 version begin on August 26, and the platform joins the Open Beta on August 28. No pre-order is required to play Weekend Two.
Eligible players can begin preparing for Weekend One on August 20, with Early Access opening August 21. Xbox on PC receives the bulk of its beta download on August 21 instead. Weekend Two preloads begin August 26, with the Open Beta starting August 28 across all supported platforms. PC players should also verify TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot before the first weekend begins.
Sources: Infinity Ward beta patch notes, Call of Duty beta overview, and Call of Duty PC beta details.