Activision has confirmed that Call of Duty: NEXT returns on August 21, giving players their first extended look at Modern Warfare 4 multiplayer ahead of the game's October launch. This time, the beta doesn't wait: the first weekend starts the moment the showcase ends.
Alongside the event date, Activision laid out the full beta schedule, opened up Nintendo Switch 2 pre-order details, and revealed a crossover reward that lets players earn serialized weapon camos in Black Ops 7 and carry them into Modern Warfare 4 at launch. The announcement follows the Kill Block map reveal at Fanatics Fest, which gave fans an early taste of what's coming before the full multiplayer showcase.
Call of Duty: NEXT Returns on August 21
Call of Duty: NEXT is once again shaping up as the franchise's biggest pre-launch event, with live gameplay demos, developer interviews, multiplayer reveals, and additional announcements ahead of Modern Warfare 4's October launch.
The bigger change this year is timing. Instead of making players wait several days after the stream for hands-on time, the Modern Warfare 4 beta opens the moment the broadcast wraps up.
Modern Warfare 4 Beta Schedule
Two beta weekends are locked in, and between them they're meant to cover a lot of ground: new movement mechanics, a broad weapon and equipment pool, and everything from tight 3v3 skirmishes to large vehicle-supported battles.
| Weekend | Dates | Access |
|---|---|---|
| Weekend One – Early Access Beta | August 21 – August 25 | Pre-order on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, or PC |
| Weekend Two – Open Beta | August 28 – September 1 | Open to everyone, including Nintendo Switch 2 |
Weekend two is the first chance Switch 2 owners get to try Modern Warfare 4 multiplayer at all, so it's worth circling if that's your platform.
What's in the Beta
Activision says players will get access to:
- Multiple new multiplayer maps
- A mix of classic and new game modes, including the new Kill Block mode
- The Training Mobility Course, for testing out the new movement
- Up to 19 unlockable weapons
- Full loadout customization: perks, killstreaks, tacticals, lethals, and field upgrades
- Combat ranging from close-quarters 3v3s to larger combined-arms fights with armored vehicles
Players who buy the Vault Edition also get the Hostile Alliance Operator Pack during the beta, which includes Captain Price, Ghost, Valeria, and Blix.
Nintendo Switch 2 Pre-orders Open August 26
Switch 2 pre-orders for Modern Warfare 4 go live on August 26, a couple of days before the open beta kicks off. That gives Switch 2 players a window to lock in their copy before jumping into weekend two alongside everyone else.
Earn Serialized Weapon Camos Before Launch
Starting July 23, players can unlock the Moonlit Pearl Universal Weapon Camo right away. A limited-time challenge on top of that unlocks the Gilded Ruin Universal Weapon Camo, and this is where it gets interesting: the first 100,000 players to finish that challenge get a serialized version of Gilded Ruin, with a unique number permanently attached to it. Once that pool of 100,000 is claimed, everyone else who completes the challenge gets the standard version instead.
Both camos carry over into Modern Warfare 4 when it launches on October 23, so players can start using them across the new arsenal immediately.
The Bottom Line
Between the multiplayer reveal, two beta weekends, Switch 2 support, and the Black Ops 7 crossover rewards, Activision is giving players a lot to dig into before Modern Warfare 4 launches on October 23, 2026. With Call of Duty: NEXT just weeks out, this is the start of the final marketing push toward launch.
