With the upcoming beta for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, Xbox is expanding the scope of what players will get to try. For the first time in the history of the franchise, a single-player campaign mission will be included in the offerings of the Beta, letting players try out the main campaign. The franchise is in no way new to Beta tests, having included them as a preorder bonus in some of their earlier games, before typically opening them to all potential users. That said, what is usually on offer is a select few maps and multiplayer options, giving a feel for fun guns and competitive play, with the story being left until the game launches.
Xbox CEO Asha Sharma announced this move herself via a Twitter post, confirming the Modern Warfare 4 mission with a brief teaser video. In addition, she announced that a new Warzone resurgence map, Zodiac, will be available next week. The Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 early access beta will run next week, from August 21-25, coinciding with Call of Duty Next, where the title will receive a deeper gameplay dive.
The open Beta for the title will then run from August 28 to September 1. The single-player mission, entitled Entrenched, will be available during both of these periods; however, the maps and modes available will vary across the two periods. For instance, the Lotus map available during the first period will not be present during the second period, instead being replaced with the Lithium map. Nintendo Switch 2 players will also have access to the game during the open beta period, but not the early access period.
In an official blurb for the game, the story is described as such:
War erupts on the Korean Peninsula as North Korea launches a full-scale invasion that threatens to destabilize the world. A young squad of South Korean soldiers fight to survive on the collapsing front lines, while half a world away a vengeful Captain Price wages a personal war from the shadows as he stays one step ahead of those hunting him.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 will release on October 23, 2026, and will be available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC via Battle.net, Steam, and Xbox on PC.
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