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Modern Warfare 4 Beta: Start Times, Schedule, and How to Play

The Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 beta is nearly here, offering players two weekends of hands-on time. The first closed weekend runs Aug. 21-25, while the open beta follows Aug. 28-Sept. 1, with preloading and platform details outlined.

By Tertius News AI Desk 2 distinct · 2 mastheads · 2 articles Version 1 Coverage Aug 19–24, 2026 Published 5d ago

Modern Warfare 4 Beta: Start Times, Schedule, and How to Play

The Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 beta is almost here, giving players their first chance to go hands-on with 2026's return to the Modern Warfare series. This marks the first Modern Warfare title after two years of Black Ops games from Treyarch, and for the first time in series history, the story is set during a conflict between North and South Korea. Alongside the multiplayer mode, the beta also includes a playable campaign mission.

When does the Modern Warfare 4 beta start and end?

The beta is split into two weekends. The first is a closed beta weekend, requiring a code, and runs from Friday, Aug. 21 to Tuesday, Aug. 25. The second is an open beta, available to everyone, running from Friday, Aug. 28 to Tuesday, Sept. 1. Both weekends end at 1 m. EDT on their respective Tuesdays (Aug. 25 and Sept. 1).

Here are the start times for the first closed beta weekend, as reported by Polygon:

2 m. EDT on Friday, Aug. 21 for the east coast of North America
11 m. PDT on Friday, Aug. 21 for the west coast of North America

For players outside North America, Polygon provides these additional times:

3 m. BRT on Friday, Aug. 21 for Brazil
7 m. BST on Friday, Aug. 21 for the United Kingdom
8 m. CEST on Friday, Aug. 21 for western Europe
3 m. JST on Saturday, Aug. 22 for Japan
4 m. AEST on Saturday, Aug. 22 for the east coast of Australia

The second open beta weekend starts at these times:

1 m. EDT on Friday, Aug. 28 for the east coast of North America
10 m. PDT on Friday, Aug. 28 for the west coast of North America

Polygon also lists the following times for the open beta:

2 m. BRT on Friday, Aug. 28 for Brazil
6 m. BST on Friday, Aug. 28 for the United Kingdom
7 m. CEST on Friday, Aug. 28 for western Europe
2 m. JST on Saturday, Aug. 29 for Japan
3 m. AEST on Saturday, Aug. 29 for the east coast of Australia

There is a 72-hour break between the two weekends, during which no one can play. Activision has warned that the timing and duration of the two windows are subject to change, and it can only guarantee a two-day minimum for the open beta.

How to get into the Modern Warfare 4 beta

The first weekend is closed, so you need a code to play. There are two ways to guarantee access: pre-order the game, which grants you a code to redeem, or subscribe to Discord Nitro, where you can unlock a code from the Nitro Home section. The second weekend is open to all, with no pre-order or code required.

Preloading and platform availability

If you have access to the first closed beta, you can preload starting at 12 m. EDT on Thursday, Aug. 20. Everyone else can preload for the second weekend from 12 m. EDT on Thursday, Aug. 26.

The beta is available on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, PlayStation 5, Steam, net, and Nintendo Switch 2. According to The Sun, the open beta is available on Switch 2; the closed beta's platform availability is not specified in the provided material.

Everyone needs an Activision account and an internet connection to play. An online multiplayer subscription may be required depending on your platform, and Switch 2 players also need a linked Nintendo Switch Online account. PC players must have TPM 0 and Secure Boot enabled for online modes.

What’s in the beta?

The open beta includes everything from the early access period plus additional content. That means core 6v6 multiplayer, along with Kill Block, which hosts Gunfight in both 3v3 and a new 10v10 variant. The campaign mission "Entrenched" is playable in full — a first for a Call of Duty beta. There’s also the Mobility Course at the West Bridge training facility, a dedicated training area that teaches the new movement system through tutorials and timed runs, rated from C- up to S. New for the open beta are Ground War: Combat Outpost and the Zodiac Resurgence map in Warzone.

Progression and rewards

During the first weekend, your level is capped at 20; in the open beta, the cap rises to 30. XP earned after the early access cap does not carry over to the open beta. All rank, weapon unlocks, and other in-beta progression reset when the beta ends. Only eligible beta rewards carry over to the full game, tied to your Activision account.

How each outlet told it

A framing line is our reading of that outlet's own text — an interpretation, not a quotation and not a fact we assert. Check it against what the outlet published.

Polygon

Framing: Headline focuses on start times and how to play, though it says 'explained' — Eager and informative—uses 'in luck' to describe player expectations, and structured as a guide.

as of Aug 19, 2026, 8:19 PM UTC

Facts Included:

Beta start time is almost here, offering first hands-on with 2026's Modern Warfare series.
This comes after two years of Black Ops games, developed by Treyarch.
Story set during conflict between North and South Korea.
Beta includes a campaign mission alongside multiplayer.
First closed beta weekend starts at 2 p.m. EDT on Friday, Aug. 21.
Time zone conversions for start times: PDT, EDT, BRT, BST, CEST, JST, AEST.
Second beta weekend (open) starts at 1 p.m. EDT on Friday, Aug. 28.
Both beta weekends end at 1 p.m. EDT on following Tuesday (Aug. 25 and Sept. 1).
Two ways to guarantee access to closed beta: pre-order (excluding Nintendo Switch 2) or subscribe to Discord Nitro.
Discord Nitro users can unlock reward from Nitro Home section.
Preload times: from 12 p.m. EDT on Thursday, Aug. 20 for closed beta; from 12 p.m. EDT on Thursday, Aug. 26 for second weekend.

Read the source article →

The Sun

Framing: Headline emphasizes the end date and duration of the open beta, framing the article as a practical guide. It focuses on 'when does it end' and 'how long it will last'.

as of Aug 24, 2026, 5:18 PM UTC

Facts Included:

Open beta runs from Friday, August 28 to Tuesday, September 1.
Open beta closes at 6pm four days after opening.
Early access period began August 21 and ends at 6pm on Tuesday, August 25.
Early access open to anyone who pre-ordered or redeemed a beta code.
There is a 72-hour break between the two windows.
Activision warns timing and duration subject to change, guarantees two-day minimum for open beta.
Second weekend open to all, no pre-order or code required.
Beta available on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, PlayStation 5, Steam, Battle.net, and Nintendo Switch 2.
Players need an Activision account and internet connection.
Online multiplayer subscription may be required depending on platform.
Switch 2 players need a linked Nintendo Switch Online account.
Preloading opens at 5pm on Wednesday, August 26.
PC players need TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot enabled for online modes.
Open beta includes core 6v6 multiplayer, Kill Block with Gunfight in 3v3 and 10v10 variant.
Campaign mission 'Entrenched' is playable in full.
Mobility Course at West Bridge training facility, rated C- up to S.
New for open beta: Ground War: Combat Outpost and Zodiac Resurgence map in Warzone.
Weekend one caps at Level 20, weekend two raises to 30.
XP earned after early access cap doesn't carry over to open beta.
Player rank, weapon unlocks, and other in-beta progression reset when beta ends.
Only eligible beta rewards carry into full game, tied to Activision account.
Modern Warfare 4 launches on October 23, with Aston Martin Dreadnought armoured 4x4.

Read the source article →

What was claimed, and who backed it

AI-extracted; can misattribute a claim — see Methodology.

Each row is one claim, attributed to the outlet whose wording states it most clearly. Confidence rates how directly the source text states the claim — explicit and unhedged rates high; hedged, pieced-together, or internally inconsistent statements rate lower. It does not measure whether the claim is true. Status is Contested when two claims on this page negate each other; otherwise it counts the distinct outlets we found asserting it — so a single-source claim can still show high confidence, and a multi-source claim can show medium. Every one of those outlets is named beside the status, so you can check the count against the list. For claims extracted before we began storing that list, the row says so: it names the outlet the claim is quoted from and states that we have not recorded which outlets backed it. Outlets wrote at different times, so a figure that evolves — a casualty count, for example — can legitimately differ between rows; check the "as of" time next to each claim's source.

Claim	Confidence	Status
ClaimThe Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 open beta runs from Friday, August 28 to Tuesday, September 1.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusContested via The Sun as of Aug 24, 2026, 5:18 PM UTC
ClaimThe Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 open beta closes at 6pm on the same time four days after opening.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusContested via The Sun as of Aug 24, 2026, 5:18 PM UTC
ClaimThe first closed beta weekend of Modern Warfare 4 starts at 2 p.m. EDT on Friday, Aug. 21 (11 a.m. PDT).	ConfidenceHigh	StatusContested via Polygon as of Aug 19, 2026, 8:19 PM UTC
ClaimThe second beta weekend (open) of Modern Warfare 4 starts at 1 p.m. EDT on Friday, Aug. 28.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusContested via Polygon as of Aug 19, 2026, 8:19 PM UTC
ClaimBoth beta weekends of Modern Warfare 4 end at 1 p.m. EDT on the following Tuesday (Aug. 25 and Sept. 1 respectively).	ConfidenceHigh	StatusContested via Polygon as of Aug 19, 2026, 8:19 PM UTC
ClaimThere are two ways of guaranteeing access to the Modern Warfare 4 closed beta: pre-order the game or subscribe to Discord Nitro.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via Polygon as of Aug 19, 2026, 8:19 PM UTC
ClaimPre-ordering the game will grant you a code you can redeem for the Modern Warfare 4 closed beta.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via Polygon as of Aug 19, 2026, 8:19 PM UTC
ClaimDiscord Nitro users can unlock a Modern Warfare 4 beta code from the Nitro Home section.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via Polygon as of Aug 19, 2026, 8:19 PM UTC
ClaimFrom 12 p.m. EDT on Thursday, Aug. 20, you can preload the Modern Warfare 4 closed beta if you have access.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusContested via Polygon as of Aug 19, 2026, 8:19 PM UTC
ClaimEveryone else can preload the Modern Warfare 4 second beta weekend from 12 p.m. EDT on Thursday, Aug. 26.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusContested via Polygon as of Aug 19, 2026, 8:19 PM UTC
ClaimThe Modern Warfare 4 beta is not available on Nintendo Switch 2.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusContested via Polygon as of Aug 19, 2026, 8:19 PM UTC
ClaimThe Modern Warfare 4 beta is a first chance to go hands-on with 2026's return to the Modern Warfare series.	ConfidenceMedium	StatusContested via Polygon as of Aug 19, 2026, 8:19 PM UTC
ClaimThis comes after two years of Black Ops games, developed by Treyarch.	ConfidenceMedium	StatusSingle-source via Polygon as of Aug 19, 2026, 8:19 PM UTC
ClaimFor the first time in series history, Modern Warfare is going to Korea, with a story set during a conflict between North and South Korea.	ConfidenceMedium	StatusSingle-source via Polygon as of Aug 19, 2026, 8:19 PM UTC
ClaimThe Modern Warfare 4 beta includes a campaign mission alongside multiplayer.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via Polygon as of Aug 19, 2026, 8:19 PM UTC

Transparency & Audit Trail

2 distinct · 2 mastheads · 2 articles consulted: Polygon, The Sun 15 claims extracted 1 editorial revision Version 1 Written 2026-08-24