Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 Beta to Feature a Campaign Mission for the First Time

With the Modern Warfare 4 beta, Call of Duty is taking an unprecedented step in the series' history: Starting August 21st, pre-order customers won't just get to play Multiplayer and Warzone, but for the very first time, a full-fledged solo campaign mission. Activision is thereby officially confirming what had previously leaked regarding the major release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 on October 23rd.

What's Included in the Early Access Beta Starting August 21st?

The Early Access phase runs from August 21st to 25th, 2026, and is exclusively reserved for players who have pre-ordered. It includes:

• Five new Multiplayer maps
• Nine playable modes to try out
• The solo campaign mission “Entrenched” – a first for any CoD beta

What Else Does the Open Beta Bring Starting August 28th?

From August 28th to September 1st, the beta opens up to all players, even without a pre-order – and adds even more content. In addition to the Early Access phase content, more Multiplayer maps and modes will be available, plus a first-ever dive into Warzone: the new Resurgence map “Zodiac”.

Why is Call of Duty Breaking a Years-Long Tradition?

Up until now, CoD betas were purely a Multiplayer affair, and for the last few years, Warzone too. Campaign content always remained under wraps until release, as Activision seemingly wanted to avoid story spoilers before the big launch. The fact that Modern Warfare 4 will now feature a real solo mission in the beta for the first time shows how much Activision is relying on the marketing power of anticipation and social media content from the campaign – a shift in thinking that has also been observed in recent years with competitors like Battlefield and Halo, who are increasingly using early story snippets to drive hype.

Just a few hours ago, we reported on the big Call of Duty NEXT reveal show on August 21st, where Modern Warfare 4 will be shown with gameplay for the first time. The new beta details now supplement what players can get their hands on immediately afterward. For those who remember our report on the original beta dates: the dates themselves remain the same; only the scope of content has now been confirmed.

Source: IGN, PC Gamer

Will you be joining on August 21st with a pre-order, or would you rather wait for the open beta? Let us know in the comments!