Modern Warfare 4: Open Beta, NEXT, Fanatics Fest, & Serialized Camo

Fanatics Fest Recap: Modern Warfare 4 Brings Kill Block to Fanatics Fest

New York fans came ready to play.

Over four packed days at Fanatics Fest, Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® 4 turned its show-floor presence into a full-scale destination, giving fans their first hands-on experience with Modern Warfare 4 Multiplayer through Kill Block while offering a deeper look at the game's Multiplayer experience and how Call of Duty continues to bring competition, spectacle, and culture together.

First Deployments into Kill Block

Kill Block was the center of gravity. Set within the West Bridge Advanced Military Training Facility, the new Multiplayer experience made its public debut with fast, aggressive 10v10 Gunfight matches, giving players a first taste of Modern Warfare 4’s adaptive live-fire training environment. Designed for fast-paced, close-quarters combat, Kill Block's ever-changing battleground rewarded repeat play, encouraging players to rethink their tactics from one match to the next, and drew crowds throughout the weekend.

From the Booth: The Modern Warfare 4 Experience

The experience extended well beyond the gameplay stations. Infinity Ward developers were also on hand throughout the weekend, meeting players, answering questions, and offering deeper insight into Modern Warfare 4's evolving Multiplayer experience through live discussions and a special live episode of the COD POD. The MW4 booth buzzed with activity as creators streamed live, athletes and special guests stepped into exhibition Grudge Matches, and fans explored interactive displays and took on the Polaris Path to Victory by navigating rugged terrain in a specially themed off-road experience.

Making its public debut at Fanatics Fest, the Aston Martin Dreadnought concept vehicle was unveiled and gave attendees their first look at the bespoke tactical SUV created through the collaboration between Aston Martin and Infinity Ward. Later this year, players will move from admiring it on the show floor to driving it across the battlefields of the next chapter of Modern Warfare® 4's DMZ and Call of Duty®: Warzone™.

Call of Duty in Culture

Beyond the gameplay, the "Call of Duty in Culture" panel brought together Mark Grigsby, Co-Studio Head at Infinity Ward, Tyler Bahl, Chief Marketing Officer at Activision, and guests from across sports, entertainment, and media to discuss how Modern Warfare 4 continues Call of Duty's connection to competition, community, and modern culture.

Collectors also had their own objectives to chase. Inside the Armory, limited-edition MW4 merchandise, Ghostwrite collectible figures, Ghost mask balaclavas, MW4 Beta code opportunities, and event rewards gave fans plenty to earn, redeem, and take home. Fans left with MW4 keepsakes to commemorate their first hands-on experience with Modern Warfare 4.

From the first deployment into Kill Block to the unveiling of the Aston Martin Dreadnought, Fanatics Fest gave players their first hands-on experience with Modern Warfare 4 and an early look at what's still to come.

Now the spotlight turns to Call of Duty®: NEXT.

Intel Incoming: Call of Duty: NEXT and Modern Warfare 4 Open Beta dates Revealed

The next major Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 moment arrives on August 21.

Tune in to Call of Duty: NEXT on this date for a global event featuring live gameplay, an in-depth briefing on the lineup of content coming to Modern Warfare 4's Multiplayer, developer insights, and new reveals ahead of the Beta.

Modern Warfare 4 Beta*: Times for Weekend One and Two

The Modern Warfare 4 Beta begins on August 21, kicking off immediately after the Call of Duty: NEXT broadcast for the first time ever.

Weekend One (Modern Warfare 4 Early Access Beta): This begins on August 21 and ends on August 25. The Early Access Beta is available to players who have pre-ordered the game on Steam.

Weekend Two (Modern Warfare 4 Open Beta): The second Beta weekend is open to all players on all platforms, regardless of their pre-order status. The second Modern Warfare 4 Beta weekend is scheduled to begin on August 28 and end on September 1.

Modern Warfare 4 Beta: Content Overview

Get ready to drop into multiple Multiplayer maps and modes, choosing from a wide selection of brand-new Operators, including all the Vault Edition Operators for players who pre-order the Vault Edition, and unlocking as many as 19 different weapons before deploying into everything from small-scale 3v3 skirmishes to massive tactical battles featuring tanks and more. Test your mettle across new and returning modes, from Search & Destroy to the brand-new Kill Block, plus the Training Mobility Course.

Experience fluid movement and best-in-class ballistics, building your own loadouts with the optional help of Gunny, leveling up as you unlock a wide variety of weapons, Tacticals, Lethals, Field Upgrades, Perks, and Killstreaks.

And that’s just scratching the surface… expect more gameplay intel soon!

Modern Warfare 4 Vault Edition: Gear Up for the Beta

Hostile Alliance Operator Pack Benefits: If you’ve pre-ordered the Modern Warfare 4 Vault Edition, you can play the Multiplayer portion of the Beta as any of the four Operators from the Hostile Alliance Operator Pack:

• Price

• Valeria

• Ghost

• Blix

Note: Price and Valeria can be masked or unmasked, accessible via the emote system.

Special Forces Operator Pack Benefits: Those with a Vault Edition pre-order can also access all four Operators from the Special Forces Operator Pack:

• COM SFT (France)

• KSK Amphibious (Germany)

• SK Special Forces (South Korea)

• SAS (United Kingdom)

Note: Each of these Operators has a Voice Pack in their local language.

Signature Weapons Collection Benefits: In addition, Vault Edition pre-order players can immediately test out the base weapon and Blueprint from any of the five armaments in the Signature Weapon Collection, along with its Apex Attachment:

• Kastov 762 Assault Rifle and “Voltspine” Blueprint

• ISO Nightshade Submachine Gun and “La Sombra Venenosa” (“The Poisonous Shadow”) Blueprint

• Rezi 12 Shotgun and “Shattered Code” Blueprint

• Oris 8.6 Marksman Rifle and “Volt-Edge” Blueprint

• Combat Knife (Melee) and “Sombra Besada” (“Shadow’s Kiss”) Blueprint

More details on this unprecedented Beta experience, including exclusive Beta rewards and other surprises, are to be expected in the weeks to come.

Note: The Modern Warfare 4 Beta occurs across two weekends and will feature Early Access days as well as an Open Beta period. Internet access is required for participation.

Modern Warfare 4: Pre-Order Bonus Serialized Camo Intel

Ready to make your mark when Call of Duty®: Black Ops 7 Season 05 launches on July 23? Unlock the “Moonlit Pearl” Universal Weapon Camo instantly, then complete a special Challenge in Black Ops 7 to earn a second Universal Weapon Camo (named “Gilded Ruin”), with a uniquely serialized variant of this second Weapon Camo, individually numbered for the first 100,000 players to unlock it. Then instantly unlock both rewards in Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® 4. Read on for the full intel.

1. How do you acquire the Gilded Pearl Weapon Camo Pack?

Prior to July 23 and the launch of Season 05, digitally pre-order or pre-purchase Modern Warfare 4 in either Standard or Vault Edition format. Players who pre-order, or who have already pre-ordered Modern Warfare 4, will instantly receive the Gilded Pearl Camo Pack. The Moonlit Pearl Universal Camo unlocks immediately, along with a Challenge that becomes available near the start of Season 05, allowing you to earn the Gilded Ruin Universal Camo. The challenge to unlock the Gilded Ruin Weapon Camo will begin on July 23 at 12PM PT.

Note: You can pre-order Modern Warfare 4 after July 23, but your chances of unlocking the serialized Weapon Camo are greatly diminished, due to the time-sensitive nature of the Challenge.

2. How do you complete the Gilded Pearl Camo Pack Challenge?

As Black Ops 7 Season 05 begins, those players who pre-ordered Modern Warfare 4 digitally should expect to find the Moonlit Pearl Universal Camo in your Gunsmith Camos Menu along with all your other unlocked camos.

The Moonlit Pearl Universal Camo (top) and Gilded Ruin Camo (bottom).

The Challenge is separate, with the following stipulations:

• You are here to earn a second Universal Camo: the Gilded Ruin.

• The first 100,000 players that complete the Challenge will receive a special version of the Camo that features their unique Serialization number between 1-100,000 engraved into the surface of the Gilded Ruin Camo. A non-engraved version is also awarded.

• The faster you complete the challenge, the lower your unique Serialization number will be.

• Players who complete the Challenge after all 100,000 serialized Gilded Ruin Camo variants have been awarded still unlock the standard Gilded Ruin Universal Camo without serialization engravement.

The Gilded Ruin Camo with a unique serialized number engraved on it.

Preload the Season 5 update and be ready to hop in on July 23 at 12PM PT if you’re aiming for a lower Serialization number!

3. What are the steps to complete the Gilded Pearl Camo Pack Challenge?

The Challenge is as follows: Earn 5,000 Skulls in Black Ops 7 by eliminating enemies across Endgame, Multiplayer, Zombies and/or Call of Duty: Warzone™. Each mode awards a different number of Skulls per Elimination:

Endgame: Defeat enemies: 5 Skulls per Elimination.

Multiplayer: Defeat other players: 10 Skulls per Elimination.

Zombies: Defeat enemies: 1 Skull per Elimination.

Call of Duty: Warzone™: Defeat other players: 30 Skulls per Elimination.

Note: You can optionally swap between modes during the Challenge and keep your current Skull Score, as there is only one Skull Score track no matter which mode you choose.

**Note: **Both the Moonlit Pearl and Gilded Ruin Camos can be placed on any Black Ops 7 weapon (once you complete the Challenge), as well as any Modern Warfare 4 weapon (at launch).

Reach the 5,000 Skull Score target, claim the Gilded Ruin Universal Camo, and if you’re impressive enough, secure your place in Call of Duty history before all the unique serialization numbers are gone!

4. Are the Camos Also Available in Modern Warfare 4?

Yes.

Once you’ve completed the Challenge in Black Ops 7, you can proudly display both the Moonlit Pearl and the Gilded Ruin Camos on any weapon you choose, along with the unique serialization number if you’ve completed the Challenge in time.

Then, on October 23, you can showcase any Modern Warfare 4 weapon in either camo, as both will unlock instantly.

Additional Intel Incoming

Stay tuned to the Call of Duty Blog for the latest official intel as we move toward additional information drops before the Modern Warfare 4 launch on October 23.

Preorders are available now at participating retailers, in-game, on platform stores, or at CallofDuty.com. For more information on preordering, including Vault Edition content, rewards, and a special Loyalty Discount, see the Pre-order blog here.

Stay Frosty.

Development Credits

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 development is led by Infinity Ward and will be available globally on Steam on Friday, October 23, 2026.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 for the PC delivers a fully optimized experience, led by Infinity Ward in partnership with Steam.

Additional development by — in alphabetical order — Activision Central Design, Activision Central Technology, Activision QA, Activision Shanghai, Beenox, Demonware, High Moon Studios, Raven Software, Sledgehammer Games, and Treyarch.

*Actual launch date(s), times, and platform availability of MP Beta subject to change. See www.callofduty.com/beta for more details. Minimum Open Beta duration is 2 days. Limited time only. Internet connection required. Online multiplayer subscription may be required for MP Beta.