Call of Duty NEXT (Activision’s annual pre-launch showcase for the upcoming premium Call of Duty release) is going live on August 21 at 9 AM Pacific / 12 PM Eastern. If you want to see Modern Warfare 4’s multiplayer in action, that is the date. If you have already preordered, the Early Access Beta unlocks through Call of Duty HQ (Activision’s launcher for every Call of Duty title) immediately after the broadcast ends. The event itself is short and the streaming format is the same one Activision has used for the last several years: a YouTube and Twitch livestream with developer commentary, gameplay clips, and a slate of streamers and esports personalities going live alongside the broadcast.
This year has some differences worth knowing about before you tune in, mostly because of how the beta and the showcase have been tied together for the first time.
What is changing in 2026
The biggest change for this year’s Call of Duty NEXT is that the beta goes live right after the showcase. In previous years there was usually a gap of a week or two between the broadcast and the beta opening, which gave Activision room to set up an in-person component and let streamers cycle through gameplay on a real LAN setup (a local network gaming setup where all the consoles are wired together in one venue) before the public got hands on the build.
That gap is gone. The Early Access Beta for Modern Warfare 4 opens immediately after the broadcast ends. The implication is that any streamer who would have been playing on stage will now be playing from home on the beta build, which makes the in-person component of the showcase mostly redundant. The official Call of Duty blog frames COD NEXT 2026 as a “global event featuring live gameplay, an in-depth briefing on the lineup of content coming to Modern Warfare 4’s Multiplayer, developer insights, and new reveals ahead of the Beta.” That is the same format as previous years, minus the venue.
The other thing changing is the platforms. The Modern Warfare 4 beta is not coming to last-gen consoles. The Early Access Beta is restricted to Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC, with PC distribution across Xbox on PC, Steam, and Battle.net. Modern Warfare 4 will be available on the Nintendo Switch 2 for the first time in the franchise’s history, but Switch 2 owners have to wait for the open beta on August 28 to try multiplayer.
When and where to actually watch
If you just want the basics: the showcase starts August 21 at 9 AM Pacific / 12 PM Eastern on Activision’s official Call of Duty channels on YouTube and Twitch. There is no separate registration. The Early Access Beta unlocks immediately after the broadcast for anyone with a preorder code or an early-access grant.
If you want to be specific about which platforms get the beta when, here is the clean summary of what has been confirmed by Activision and Infinity Ward (the developer of Modern Warfare 4):
- August 21, immediately after the broadcast. Early Access Beta opens for preorder holders on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC (Xbox on PC, Steam, Battle.net).
- August 28. Open Beta opens for everyone on the same platforms, plus the Nintendo Switch 2. The Switch 2 access is the open beta only, not the Early Access Beta.
- No last-gen. Modern Warfare 4 will not release on Xbox One or PlayStation 4. Anyone still on those consoles is finished with the franchise’s premium releases.
The two beta weekends are the standard Activision pattern for the franchise, and the timing lines up with the usual October launch.
What the showcase is actually going to cover
Activision has been unusually tight-lipped about specifics. The official blog post lists live gameplay, an in-depth briefing on the multiplayer content lineup, developer insights, and new reveals ahead of the beta. That is a careful phrasing that does not commit to anything specific, and Infinity Ward has not added much beyond confirming that multiplayer is the focus.
What that probably means in practice:
- Multiplayer maps. The franchise has rotated between old map remakes and new designs, and the showcase usually confirms at least a few of the launch maps. Last year’s release leaned heavily on remakes, and the community feedback since then has suggested more new ground.
- Multiplayer modes. Standard slate (Team Deathmatch, Domination, Search and Destroy) plus whatever the new flagship mode is for this entry. Activision usually surfaces one new mode in the showcase and lets the community discover the rest through the beta.
- Progression. Loadout systems, operator unlocks, and the seasonal progression structure for launch. Activision has been revamping how the seasonal content roll-out works for several entries now, and the launch configuration is usually confirmed in the showcase.
- DMZ. The third mode that was teased in the initial reveal is not expected to be playable during either of the two beta weekends. That is unusual for a marquee mode. The decision to hold it back suggests either it is not ready or it has been repositioned from how it was first described.
The third mode being held back is the part most worth paying attention to. Activision has been clearer about multiplayer than about the rest, and the absence of DMZ from the beta is a signal worth tracking.
What is not in the showcase
A few things are worth flagging that you might expect to see and probably will not.
- Single-player campaign gameplay. Modern Warfare 4 is shipping with a campaign. Activision has, in the past, treated campaign coverage as a separate event. The August 21 broadcast is a multiplayer showcase, and the campaign has historically been revealed through other channels at different times.
- Zombies. Activision has not confirmed a Zombies replacement or a postponement, and the absence of any mention in the official blog is conspicuous. The mode is a fan favorite and a meaningful chunk of the player base treats it as the reason to buy. The silence on Zombies going into the beta is the loudest signal Activision has sent about the launch lineup.
- Seasonal progression pricing. The seasonal progression structure for launch is usually confirmed at or before the showcase, but specific in-game store pricing tends to surface closer to launch. The showcase will probably confirm structure and tiers, not the price tag.
If you are tuning in to the showcase specifically for campaign footage, you will be disappointed. The campaign reveal is its own moment.
What you get if you preorder
The preorder situation in 2026 is the standard Activision tiered model. The base game is $69.99, the Vault Edition (the premium edition with bonus cosmetic and progression content) is $99.99, and digital preorders unlock early access to the MW4 Campaign starting on October 16. The Vault Edition includes the base game plus the Hostile Alliance Operator Pack, the Special Forces Operator Pack, the Signature Weapon Collection, one Season of BlackCell (Activision’s premium subscription tier), and a DMZ Deployment Bonus. Preorders also unlock early access to the Open Beta ahead of launch and one week of early access to the Campaign.
The Vault Edition math is roughly the same as it has been for the last several entries. If you play Call of Duty for the cosmetics and the progression perks, the Vault Edition pays for itself over a single season. If you only play the multiplayer and skip the cosmetics, the base game is the only thing you need.
Trade-offs
The decision to watch the showcase is the easy one. The decision to preorder and get into the Early Access Beta is the one worth thinking about, and the trade-offs are real.
- The Early Access Beta is a real gameplay preview, not a demo. You will play the launch build with the launch maps. If you want to know whether Modern Warfare 4 is worth the upgrade from your current Call of Duty, the Early Access Beta is the cheapest way to find out.
- Preordering locks in the price. Activision has historically kept Call of Duty prices flat between reveal and launch. Preordering at the listed price avoids any last-minute changes.
- The beta is restricted to current-gen. Last-gen console owners cannot play the beta, which removes the only reason to preorder on older hardware. If you are on Xbox One or PlayStation 4, the standard wait-for-launch path is the only option.
- Switch 2 access is delayed. Nintendo Switch 2 owners cannot play the Early Access Beta and have to wait until the open beta on August 28. If you are on Switch 2, the timing is not in your favor.
- DMZ is not in the beta. If you are tuning in specifically to decide whether DMZ is the reason to buy, the beta will not tell you. You will be buying on faith or waiting for launch reviews.
The cleanest decision tree is this. If you are on current-gen hardware and you play Call of Duty annually, preordering is the default. If you are on last-gen or Switch 2, the showcase is the moment to decide whether to upgrade. If you have been away from the franchise for a year or two, the Early Access Beta is the cheapest commitment you can make.
Bottom line
The showcase is on August 21 at 9 AM Pacific / 12 PM Eastern, on Activision’s official YouTube and Twitch channels. The Early Access Beta opens immediately after for preorder holders on current-gen consoles and PC. The open beta on August 28 includes the Switch 2. The launch window is October, and the price tag is the standard $69.99 base / $99.99 Vault Edition.
The thing to pay attention to is what Activision does not say. The third mode’s absence from the beta, the campaign being held back for a separate reveal, and the silence on Zombies are the signals that the showcase is most likely to confirm. If those answers come out of August 21 the way the rest of the industry expects, the launch lineup is going to look a lot like the last several entries. If they do not, the showcase is the moment that becomes clear.