Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 launches on 23 October, and it won't be on Game Pass at launch. Activision said so directly on the Call of Duty blog on 15 October, and Xbox Wire ran the same post: you have to buy the game separately, and it won't join the subscription until Holiday 2027, more than a year after release. By contrast, Game Pass Ultimate subscribers got both Black Ops 6 and Black Ops 7 on day one. On PC the game is sold through Steam, Battle.net and the Xbox app, and on Steam it costs $69.99 or €69.99.
What it means for Game Pass subscribers
The subscription isn't losing its Call of Duty entirely: Black Ops 7, Black Ops 6 and Modern Warfare III stay in Game Pass Ultimate. But you can't play the new one through the subscription at launch, on Xbox or on PC. Activision's explanation is brief: its teams are completely focused on Modern Warfare 4, and the 23 October launch is only the beginning. The blog doesn't say why the model changed.
Digital pre-orders come with early access. The campaign opens today, 16 October, and DMZ follows on 20 October. The bonuses include the Hunter Killer Operator skin, the Gilded Pearl camo pack and the Inner Circuit M4 weapon blueprint. Owners of earlier Call of Duty games get 10% off the Vault Edition, which adds Operator packs, five signature weapons and one season of the BlackCell battle pass.
Steam lists the release date as 22 October, while Activision's blog says the 23rd. A footnote on the blog warns that exact timing depends on your time zone, so in the Americas the game may unlock on the evening of the 22nd.
Modern Warfare 4 PC system requirements
| Minimum | Recommended | |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Windows 10, 64-bit | Windows 11, 64-bit |
| CPU | Ryzen 5 1400 or Core i5-6600 | Ryzen 5 3600 or Core i7-8700K |
| RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB |
| GPU | Radeon RX 470, GeForce GTX 970 or 1060, Arc A580 | Radeon RX 6600 XT, GeForce RTX 3060, Arc B580 |
| Storage | 115 GB on an SSD | 115 GB on an SSD |
That's a low bar for a 2026 release: the minimum still sits at GTX 1060 level, and an RTX 3060 or Arc B580 covers the recommended spec. An SSD is required, and 115 GB is the launch figure; seasonal updates usually push numbers like that higher. Infinity Ward leads development with seven other Activision studios, including Treyarch, Raven and Sledgehammer.
What the game is about
The campaign opens with North Korea invading the South. You play as Private Park, a young South Korean soldier seeing combat for the first time, while Captain Price fights his own war outside the system he used to serve. The story moves from trenches in Korea to New York, Paris and Mumbai. Alongside the campaign there's multiplayer with large maps and vehicles, and DMZ, the loot-and-extract mode. According to Activision, as reported by VGC, Modern Warfare 4 will close the current chapter of the series and open a new one.
The video loads from YouTube (Google) when you press play. Privacy policyIf you were counting on Game Pass, the choice is now simple: pay $70 by 23 October or wait until late 2027. Multiplayer and DMZ run on seasons, though, and a year from now you'd be joining a game everyone else has long since figured out.
Sources
Call of Duty blog, COD Intel Team, 15.10.2026: launch without Game Pass, Game Pass by Holiday 2027, early access and pre-order bonuses. Xbox Wire, Mike Nelson, 15.10.2026. The game's Steam page: price, date, system requirements, campaign description, Vault Edition, 16.10.2026. VGC, 16.10.2026: Activision on the new chapter for the series. Screenshots: the game's Steam page.
