MW4 Campaign Early Access: Start & Unlock Checklist

This route is for players who already bought a digital edition and want to start the Modern Warfare 4 campaign during early access. If you are waiting for the full launch, use the same checklist but skip to the preload step.

1. Confirm your edition

Early access is tied to a digital purchase, not a separate code. You need the Standard Digital Edition or Vault Edition, bought digitally on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC through Battle.net, Steam or the Xbox app, or Nintendo Switch 2. Physical buyers should not assume the same benefit.

2. Preload before the window

PC preload opened on 15 October. On console, start the download from your library or the store page. The install is about 115 GB, so do not leave it for launch night. If you are on PC, check that you have the drive space before the download starts.

3. Know the schedule

• 16 October: campaign early access begins.
• 20 October: DMZ early access for the same digital editions.
• 23 October: full launch, including Multiplayer.

Steam's store page shows 22 October in some regions; Activision's blog uses 23 October. Treat that as a regional/storefront difference and check your platform's countdown.

4. Play the campaign first

The campaign is 16 missions across the Korean Peninsula, Paris, New York and Mumbai. Campaign completion rewards are the only guaranteed carry-over: operators, a calling card, a loading screen, an emblem and Double XP tokens. They unlock for Multiplayer and DMZ at launch, in a fixed order.

5. Decide on DMZ

DMZ's 20 October head start is separate from the campaign. It is the same extraction mode that launches on 23 October, with persistent progression, so time spent learning the map and building your Forward Operating Base is not wiped.

Start here

If you have early access, finish the campaign before 23 October. If you do not, preload now and decide whether the DMZ head start matters to you.