The fastest way to get Early Access

Preorder any edition of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 for the platform you plan to use. Activision's current beta schedule puts Early Access from August 21 through August 25 on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, Xbox on PC, Battle.net, and Steam.

Digital preorders are the simple option. If you buy through the Microsoft Store, PlayStation Store, Battle.net, Steam, or the Call of Duty in-game store, Activision says your account is registered for Early Access automatically. You do not have to find a separate beta code.

Physical preorders use a different process. The retailer should give you a code on the receipt, in an order email, or through its preorder page. That code reserves Early Access, but it is not the download itself.

How to redeem a physical beta code

  1. Sign in to the Activision account you will use for Modern Warfare 4.
  2. Go to callofduty.com/betaredeem.
  3. Enter the code supplied by the retailer.
  4. Choose the platform where you want to play.

Activision's support page says one code can be used for one selected platform. Choose carefully if your Activision account is linked to more than one system. A code from a physical preorder may also be restricted to the region of your platform account.

After the code is accepted, Activision will send the beta token to the email connected to your account. The token should also appear on the redemption page near the start of Early Access. If your retailer has not supplied the original code, contact that retailer; entering a digital preorder as if it were a physical code will not fix the missing order information.

When does the beta start?

Call of Duty: NEXT is scheduled for August 21 at 9 a.m. PT/12 p.m. ET. Activision says the Early Access beta begins immediately after the event. The publisher has not posted a separate launch hour, so the safest plan is to finish your account and code setup before the broadcast ends.

Weekend One runs through August 25. It includes multiplayer and the “Entrenched” campaign mission. You can read our Modern Warfare 4 beta guide for the full mode and platform breakdown.

What if you do not preorder?

You can still play the Open Beta. It runs from August 28 through September 1 on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, Xbox on PC, Battle.net, Steam, and Nintendo Switch 2. Activision says Weekend Two does not require a preorder or a beta code.