Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 drops last-gen consoles and Day One Game Pass

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 launches October 23, 2026 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC — and it won't be available on PS4 or Xbox One, the first time the franchise has cut off an older console generation since 2013. It also won't land in Xbox Game Pass on day one, a sharp reversal from Black Ops 6's strategy that signals just how much pressure Activision is under after Black Ops 7 sold only 401,000 copies on Steam in its first 26 days, versus 2.3 million for Black Ops 6, per Gamermarkt analysis.

The setup

Infinity Ward is handling development, and the campaign centers on a conflict on the Korean Peninsula. North Korean missile strikes plunge South Korean cities into blackout and chaos, and a squad of American soldiers must support younger Korean fighters through the fallout. Captain Price returns — not as part of the global conflict, but running his own parallel war. Beyond Korea, the campaign visits New York, Paris, and Mumbai, keeping the cinematic globe-trotting that's been a Modern Warfare trademark.

Multiplayer details are being held back. A dedicated reveal is scheduled for June 7, 2026 — a date shown at the end of the announcement trailer. One confirmed addition: the DMZ extraction mode makes a return. Pre-orders are already open via the Official CoD blog.

Price and availability

The standard edition is priced at $70 in the US and £70 in the UK. The Vault Edition — which typically bundles the battle pass and operator packs — runs $100. A Nintendo Switch 2 version is confirmed but has no release date yet.

Game Pass subscribers hoping to play at no extra cost will have to wait. Activision has confirmed no Day One inclusion; the game is expected to arrive on the service roughly 12 months after launch, around late 2027.

The bigger picture

The October 23 date isn't accidental. GTA 6 is targeting November 2026, and CoD has historically struggled when launching alongside a Rockstar title. Getting out first is the safer bet. Whether dropping last-gen support and Game Pass Day One pays off depends on how many players have upgraded to current hardware — and whether the Korean Peninsula setting can win back players who walked away after Black Ops 7.