Call of Duty

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 will run two beta weekends: an early-access period for pre-order customers from Aug 21–25 and an open beta from Aug 28–Sept 1. Early access requires a pre-order and some pre-orders must redeem beta codes; the open beta is free to download on Steam, Battle.net, and consoles. The betas let players try one upcoming campaign mission and several multiplayer maps ahead of the game's full multiplayer availability in October.

Call of Duty posted the first image of Zodiac, a new Resurgence map for Warzone, on its official X account. The teaser, released ahead of the Aug. 21 Call of Duty Next event, shows a compact island centered on a large industrial and research complex with roads linking named points of interest. Zodiac will join Warzone's Resurgence map pool and changes where players will fight by concentrating action in tighter, close-quarters areas.

Infinity Ward and co-developer Beenox revealed that the upcoming Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 PC beta removes the long 'Compiling Shaders' wait that often delays game startup. The beta is scheduled for this weekend and developers also published pre-load windows and PC system requirements. Removing shader compilation delays shortens launch times and improves the initial play experience for PC users.

Players have voiced frustration over the return of skill-based matchmaking and the use of disbanding lobbies in the Modern Warfare 4 Beta. Activision confirmed the Beta begins Aug. 21 with an Early Access period and will test an updated SBMM system alongside an Open Matchmaking option. The developer says it will compare the two approaches and collect data before Modern Warfare 4 launches on Oct. 23.

The official CallOfDutyCM X account sent free early-access Modern Warfare 4 beta codes to users who replied to a multiplayer trailer, including a critic using the handle TristanSpoof and a user named Sly The Sledgehammer. TristanSpoof had posted that the trailer "looks awful," and CallOfDutyCM replied that a beta code would be DM'd; TristanSpoof responded with a Leonardo DiCaprio toast gif. The early-access beta runs this weekend and includes rewards that carry over to the full game, specifically an operator skin and a weapon blueprint. The exchange shows Call of Duty distributing beta access through direct social-media engagement tied to public trailer reactions.

The Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 beta begins Friday, August 21 with early access for players who preorder or have a code and a free open beta from August 28 to September 1. Players unlock tiered rewards as they level up in the beta, with a weapon blueprint as the level 30 cap. The beta includes multiplayer, the campaign mission "Entrenched," and the new Warzone map "Zodiac," ahead of the game's October 23 launch on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC and Nintendo Switch 2.

Battlefield 6 is free to play through August 25 while a major update adds Wake Island, a Top Gun crossover, a new Carrier Strike mode, and several maps. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 holds a preorder-gated beta August 21–25 that overlaps that free period, with a free, open beta set for August 28–September 1 that expands to Switch 2. The timing matters because both franchises are direct rivals for player attention and purchases; Battlefield 6 finished 2025 as the No. 1 best-selling game in the US while Black Ops 7 posted Call of Duty’s weakest annual sales since 2008.

A free trial for Battlefield 6 begins today and is released alongside the game's Season 4 mid‑season update. The trial provides temporary free access to Battlefield 6 for players who don't own the game while Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4's public beta is running. The overlap creates a direct choice for multiplayer shooters at a moment of heightened player interest in both franchises.

Samsung Electronics and Activision Blizzard have an official partnership for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, which is being developed by Infinity Ward. The companies began collaborating early in MW4's development to fine-tune the game's performance specifically on Samsung's Odyssey G9 monitor, and Samsung's premium gaming monitor line will be central to how the title is showcased. The collaboration ties the game's presentation to Samsung hardware, giving the monitor maker prominent marketing exposure and reflecting closer hardware–software coordination during development.

Activision’s Ricochet anti-cheat team released a step-by-step guide to help PC players enable the security settings required to play online. The guide was published ahead of the first weekend of the Modern Warfare 4 beta to help users complete the setup in time. PC players must enable the listed features to access the beta’s online multiplayer.

Activision announced that the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 beta will, for the first time, include a playable campaign mission. The publisher set the beta's first leg to kick off Friday and published a detailed image on the official Call of Duty X account showing all content available to testers. This expands the scope of the public beta by giving players early access to single-player content alongside the usual multiplayer offerings.

Infinity Ward will include a playable chunk of Modern Warfare 4’s campaign—the mission named "Entrenched"—in the upcoming beta, putting players in a trench-based assault with South Korean marines and one embedded American. The beta begins August 21 for pre-orders, with a second, open weekend from August 28–September 1 that will include Warzone and the Zodiac Resurgence map. The test also includes standard multiplayer modes and aims to trial gameplay refinements to muzzle flash, hipfire, and movement. This is the first Call of Duty beta to offer a campaign mission and to feature Warzone.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 will run two public betas — an early access beta and an open beta — allowing players to play the game's campaign, Multiplayer, and Warzone modes before launch. The open beta will specifically include the new Warzone Resurgence map. These betas give players a chance to try maps and modes ahead of the full release.

The Modern Warfare 4 beta will include the campaign mission Entrenched and the Warzone mode Resurgence Zodiac in addition to multiplayer. Early access for players who preorder runs August 21–25, with the beta opening to everyone August 28–September 1; the game will be shown at Call of Duty: Next on August 21. Modern Warfare 4 releases October 23 on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S and Switch 2, and preorders grant campaign access a week early — the entry also skips PS4/Xbox One and will not launch on Xbox Game Pass.

Call of Duty: Warzone received a mid-season Season 5 Reloaded update that returns Black Ops Royale and introduces a new Resurgence variant called Loaded Resurgence. The update also adds new weapon camos and a deployable item that speeds up player redeployments. These changes alter playlist options and redeploy pacing across both Battle Royale and Resurgence modes.

Call of Duty NEXT 2026 will air on Aug. 21 as the official global showcase for Modern Warfare 4. The broadcast begins at 9 a.m. PT / 12 p.m. ET and will present live gameplay, developer insights, and a full multiplayer breakdown. The Modern Warfare 4 Early Access Beta goes live immediately after the show ends, giving players hands-on access the same day. This event previews multiplayer changes and launches the first playable build ahead of wider release.

A mid-season update for Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 and Warzone launches Aug. 20. The Season 5 Reloaded patch adds the final round-based Zombies map, Rex Infernus, plus a new Multiplayer map, returning modes and challenges, extra Endgame content, and the return of Black Ops Royale in Warzone. This update expands content across Zombies, Multiplayer, Endgame and Warzone, changing what players can access mid-season.

Discord Nitro subscribers can pick up an early access beta code for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 from the Nitro tab in Discord. Subscribers do not need to pre-order the game to obtain the code. The claimed code must be redeemed through an Activision account before a player can access the beta. This gives Nitro subscribers a way to play the beta early without purchasing the game.

The Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Esports World Cup 2026 will be held in August in Paris as the final major event of the game's competitive season. Teams from the Call of Duty League, Challengers, and a Last Chance Qualifier will compete for the last BO7-era world title and shares of a $1.8 million prize pool. FaZe Clan enters as favorites after winning the 2026 CDL Championship, while defending champions OpTic Gaming (OpTic Texas) seek redemption after being denied a three-peat at CoD Champs.

Halo: Campaign Evolved — a remake of Halo: Combat Evolved — released on PlayStation 5 after decades of Xbox exclusivity. Player interest and sales on PS5 are notably lower than recent Call of Duty: Black Ops ports. The weak performance shows the PlayStation audience did not embrace the long-awaited Halo crossover as expected.

Players of the newly released Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 PS4 and PS5 ports have seen 'account banned' messages that don't necessarily mean their accounts are banned. The ports continue to receive updates as millions of players drove the game to the top of PlayStation's most-played charts. The combination of false ban messages and active updates matters because it can alarm a large player base while the ports are under active maintenance.

The Machine of War limited-time collection event runs in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 and Warzone during Season 5. Players collect Fuel Cans in matches and exchange them to complete the collection and claim rewards. Free rewards include the new Mammoth LMG and an animated Soul Eater mastery camo, both usable across BO7 and Warzone.

The recent PlayStation ports of Call of Duty: Black Ops 1 and 2 attracted a large influx of players. Many matches now end up on the same three maps — Nuketown, Hijacked and Raid — because players keep voting for them. The repeated map selection narrows variety in lobbies and frustrates players looking for different match experiences.

Black Ops 7 Ranked Play uses a specific pool of maps and modes that closely mirrors the Call of Duty League. Matches run with tighter rules and settings to reflect competitive play. Knowing the current rotation helps players adapt and climb the ranks faster.

Activision announced it will include low-skill-based-matchmaking 'Open' playlists in the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 beta. The change, posted on Call of Duty's official X account, follows player data and community feedback. The publisher said it will continue offering Open playlists in Black Ops 7 and is introducing a new matchmaking system, with details to follow.

Black Ops 7 Endgame is a replayable PvE mode for up to 32 players in squads of four. Players progress through escalating exposure zones that raise their Combat Rating and difficulty. Abilities and Skill Tracks let teams customize power and playstyle to improve exfil chances, preserve progress, and earn rewards.

Call of Duty: Warzone adds a new set of camo challenges with the Black Ops 7 integration. This guide provides a complete, weapon-by-weapon list of BO7 camo requirements. It has been updated for Season 4 to help players track and complete the grind. Use it as a reference to plan camo progression.

A concise guide to every camo challenge in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Zombies, organized by weapon. Updated for Season 5, the breakdown lists requirements for each camo to help players plan their grind. Use it to track progression and ensure you complete all Zombies camo tasks.

Activision has announced a new matchmaking system for Call of Duty: Black Ops 7. The new system is available now with the launch of Season 5. Activision says players will soon be able to choose among three different matchmaking options.

This week was all about Call of Duty — Modern Warfare 4's unprecedented beta (campaign + Warzone) and mid‑season Warzone changes — while Halo's remake struggles and Overwatch ramps up with Busan events. Helldivers 2, Wardogs, and Remedy's design choices round out a week of divergent shooter visions.