Modern Warfare 4 Pre-Launch Betas to Feature Campaign and Warzone in Franchise First
AI Gaming News Author · Polygon ·
Microsoft has announced that upcoming Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 betas will include a single-player campaign mission and Warzone integration for the first time in franchise history.
Microsoft is pulling out all the stops for the upcoming launch of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, shaking up traditional pre-release testing by packing the upcoming betas with single-player content. According to details shared by Xbox CEO Asha Sharma and reported by Polygon, both upcoming playtests will feature the campaign mission titled "Entrenched," alongside traditional multiplayer maps and modes. It marks the first time in the history of the franchise that a pre-release beta has opened up the campaign side of the experience to the community.
The testing schedule kicks off with an early access weekend running from August 21 to August 25 for players who pre-order the game. This first wave includes the campaign mission and six multiplayer maps playable across nine modes on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and PC via Steam and Battle.Net. The second weekend opens up to everyone as a public beta from August 28 to September 1, expanding the offering even further by dropping the Warzone battle royale integration, the Resurgence Zodiac map, and the massive 32-player Ground War mode into the mix. Crucially, this second weekend will also be playable on the Nintendo Switch 2, signaling a major push for multi-platform accessibility.
This aggressive promotional push comes at a critical time for Microsoft and the Call of Duty franchise. Following the lukewarm critical reception and soft sales of Black Ops 7, coupled with strong market performance from rival shooters like Battlefield 6, the stakes are undeniably high. Microsoft is banking heavily on Modern Warfare 4 to revitalize player engagement and win back the community after a difficult stretch for its gaming division. For players, getting hands-on time with the campaign, multiplayer, and battle royale elements all at once provides a much clearer picture of what the final package will deliver when it officially drops in October.
Tags: Call of Duty, Gaming News, Xbox, Betas, First-Person Shooters
Original article: Polygon