What it is
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 is the next mainline entry in the Modern Warfare reboot series from Infinity Ward and Activision. Officially announced on 28 May 2026, it will launch worldwide on Friday 23 October 2026 and arrives with a single-player campaign, traditional multiplayer, and the return of DMZ-style extraction gameplay. Below is a concise, UK-facing guide to what has been confirmed so far, what was shown in trailers and publisher posts, and which details remain unannounced.
- UK release
- Friday, 23 October 2026 (global launch date confirmed by Activision)
- Platforms
- Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, PC (Battle.net, Steam, Xbox on PC), Nintendo Switch 2
- Developer
- Infinity Ward (lead), with support from Beenox, Raven, High Moon and others
- Publisher
- Activision
- UK price
- Standard edition listed around £69.99 (digital PS Store), Vault/Digital Deluxe listed £99.99 (UK store listings vary by retailer)
- PEGI
- PEGI 18
- Genre
- First-person shooter
- Online mode
- Yes — online multiplayer, DMZ extraction mode and co-op confirmed at launch
- Engine
- IW Engine (Infinity Ward)
Story and setting
The campaign is set around a full-scale invasion of South Korea by North Korea. You play at least two named perspectives: Private Park, a young South Korean soldier on his first combat deployment, and Captain Price operating off the official books on a personal mission. The publisher’s announcement and campaign trailer show multiple theatres of action — frontline trench warfare in Korea, close-quarters combat in New York, a high-speed chase through Paris, SAS night raids in Mumbai and large-scale urban assaults — with the narrative billed as driving long-running Modern Warfare storylines towards a tense, darker turning point.
Infinity Ward’s announcement describes Price’s storyline as a personal vendetta that collides with the forces behind the invasion, escalating the conflict beyond the peninsula. That plot framework and the footage released so far are what Infinity Ward has confirmed; finer story beats, mission count, and character fate are still under wraps.
How it plays
Modern Warfare 4 returns to first-person shooting with a mix of small-team, tight engagements and larger vehicle-enabled battles. Multiplayer has been described as keeping combat 'fast' and 'tactical' with maps designed to offer multiple routes and adaptive play. A new dynamic multiplayer map system called Kill Block was demonstrated in publisher materials: maps can reconfigure between rounds to reshape sightlines, cover and routes, forcing players to adapt each match.
DMZ — the extraction-style mode introduced in previous years — is confirmed to return as a live, persistent-risk deployment option at launch. Publisher briefings and developer interviews also confirm co-operative elements and that classic multiplayer formats (including 6v6 core maps and larger-scale vehicle maps) will ship at launch. Technical notes from the PC trailer/tech posts show a heavy focus on modern PC features (DLSS, XeSS, FSR, HDR improvements) and performance options.
Platforms, editions and UK price
Modern Warfare 4 is developed by Infinity Ward with support from multiple studios and will release on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, PC (Battle.net, Steam and Xbox on PC) and Nintendo Switch 2 on 23 October 2026. It is a current‑generation and PC release only; last‑gen consoles are not supported.
UK digital store listings and publisher pre-order pages list the Standard Edition at the usual AAA price point (store pages show £69.99 for PS5 in the UK market) and a Vault/Vault Edition (digital deluxe) at around £99.99; participating retailers are offering pre-order bundles, steelbooks and typical retailer discounts. Activision’s pre-order blog details Vault Edition content, pre-order bonuses and a loyalty discount for players who own recent Call of Duty titles. The game is PEGI 18 in the UK.
Trailers, coverage and what was shown
Infinity Ward and Activision released the official reveal trailer alongside the 28 May 2026 announcement; that trailer sets the tone for the campaign and confirms the Korean invasion premise and Price/Private Park perspectives. Subsequent developer posts and a PC tech trailer expanded on platform support, the Kill Block concept for multiplayer maps and details about DMZ returning as a live extraction mode at launch. Xbox Wire and Blizzard/ Battle.net developer notes have also published interviews and technical breakdowns, especially around PC features and cross‑platform availability.
Pre-order messaging and store pages have shown edition breakdowns and the promise of an open beta; regional retailer pages (UK) detail pre-order bonuses such as weapon blueprints and cosmetic packs tied to the Vault Edition or retailer exclusives.
What is still unconfirmed
Exact single-player campaign length, full mission list, and final multiplayer playlist composition at launch (map-by-map breakdown) have not been published. Details such as precise UK boxed retail stock lists, final post-launch season schedule, and whether the game will be included day-one on any subscription service in the UK (for example Game Pass or PS Plus Extra/Premium slots) are unannounced. Pricing for boxed retail editions can vary by high-street retailer; the publisher has published digital UK prices but some physical RRP and special retailer bundles remain variable.
Any rumoured features not present in Activision’s official announcements (for example exclusive platform content beyond standard Vault Edition cosmetics, or cross-progression caveats) should be treated as unconfirmed until the publisher specifies them.
Not yet confirmed
- Exact campaign length, individual mission names and full endgame story outcomes.
- Complete launch map list and full multiplayer playlist schedule (publisher has outlined map types and Kill Block but not the final map slate).
- Whether the game will be included day-one on Xbox Game Pass or PlayStation subscription tiers in the UK.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4: your questions
Is Modern Warfare 4 coming to PS5 and Nintendo Switch 2?
Yes. Activision's announcement and platform pages list PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch 2 alongside Xbox Series X|S and PC as confirmed platforms for 23 October 2026.
Will Modern Warfare 4 have DMZ or extraction mode at launch?
Yes. Activision and Xbox developer posts confirm DMZ-style extraction returns at launch as a persistent extraction experience.
What is the UK price and are there pre-order bonuses?
Digital store listings show the Standard edition at about £69.99 in the UK and a Vault/Digital Deluxe at around £99.99; Activision's pre-order blog details Vault Edition bonuses, loyalty discounts and retailer pre-order extras.
What age rating does it have in the UK?
Modern Warfare 4 is listed as PEGI 18.
