Quick answer (TL;DR): The Modern Warfare 4 Open Beta runs Friday, August 28 (10:00 AM PT) to Tuesday, September 1 (10:00 AM PT), and this second weekend is free for everyone — no pre-order and no beta code required. Just download "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 Beta" from your platform store (Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, Xbox on PC, Steam, Battle.net, and now Nintendo Switch 2), sign in with your Activision account, and play. Progress the same Player Level bar to earn eight tiered Beta Rewards from Level 4 to Level 30, ending with the "Beta Forged" Han 86 weapon blueprint at Level 30 — a permanent cosmetic that carries into the full game when Modern Warfare 4 launches October 23, 2026. Note: only the rewards carry over — your beta Player Level, Rank and weapon unlocks reset at launch. PC players must have TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot enabled or you can't play online.
The Early Access Beta (Weekend One) ends today, August 25 at 10:00 AM PT, and it was locked behind a pre-order or a code. The Open Beta is the one everyone's been waiting for: the same maps and modes, plus new content, opened up to the entire player base for free. If you skipped Weekend One, this is your window to try Modern Warfare 4 before dropping money on it — and to lock in a stack of cosmetics you'll keep forever. Below is the exact schedule in your timezone, how to get in on every platform without paying, the full reward ladder with level thresholds, what's new in Weekend Two, and the fastest way to reach Level 30 before the servers go dark on September 1.
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When does the Modern Warfare 4 Open Beta start and end?
The Modern Warfare 4 beta runs across two weekends. Weekend One was Early Access (paywalled); Weekend Two is the free Open Beta. Per Activision's official schedule, here are the exact windows:
| Beta weekend | Access | Start | End |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weekend One — Early Access | Pre-order / code only | Aug 21, 11:00 AM PT | Aug 25, 10:00 AM PT (ends today) |
| Weekend Two — Open Beta | Free for all players | Aug 28, 10:00 AM PT | Sep 1, 10:00 AM PT |
To convert the August 28, 10:00 AM PT start to your local time: that's 1:00 PM ET, 6:00 PM BST in the UK, 7:00 PM CEST in Europe, and 8:00 PM MSK. The beta then runs continuously until it shuts off at 10:00 AM PT on Tuesday, September 1 — so you have roughly a four-day window, not just the weekend, to grind out rewards.
After the beta ends, the next time you'll play Modern Warfare 4 is at full launch on Friday, October 23, 2026, when it releases on Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, PC (Battle.net, Xbox on PC, Steam) and Nintendo Switch 2.
How do I play the MW4 Open Beta for free (no pre-order)?
This is the key difference between the two weekends. The Early Access Beta required you to pre-order Modern Warfare 4 (Standard or Vault Edition) or redeem a beta code. The Open Beta has no such gate — it's open to everyone at no cost. Here's how to get in on each platform:
- PlayStation 5: Open the PlayStation Store, search "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 Beta," and select Download. No PS Plus subscription is required to play a Call of Duty free beta.
- Xbox Series X/S: Open the Xbox Store, search for the MW4 Beta, and Install. No Xbox Game Pass or Core membership needed for the open weekend.
- Steam (PC): Go to the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 Store page, select Play Now / Install Beta, and Steam adds it to your Library.
- Battle.net (PC): Open Battle.net, select Modern Warfare 4, choose the Beta version if prompted, and Install.
- Xbox on PC: Search the MW4 Beta in the Xbox PC app and Install.
- Nintendo Switch 2: New for Weekend Two — the Open Beta is the first time MW4 is playable on Switch 2. Download it from the Nintendo eShop.
Before you queue into a match, sign in with your Activision account. This matters: your Beta Rewards are tied to that profile, so if you don't sign in, the cosmetics you earn won't follow you to the full game. If you already played Weekend One, you don't need to reinstall — the same client updates in place, and your Weekend One progression carries straight into Weekend Two.
What are all the MW4 beta rewards and level requirements?
Every reward is earned by leveling up your Player Level in multiplayer matches — the same bar carries across both weekends. There are eight tiered rewards from Level 4 to Level 30. Here's the complete, official ladder:
| Player Level | Reward | Type |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | "Through the Paces" | Legendary Emblem |
| 8 | "First Served" | Weapon Charm |
| 12 | "Meonjeo" | Legendary Weapon Sticker |
| 16 | "Last Charge" | Legendary Calling Card |
| 20 | "Dread Tiger" | Operator Skin — Reece |
| 23 | "Field Tested" | Epic Spray |
| 26 | "Beta Rights" | Epic Loading Screen |
| 30 | "Beta Forged" | Weapon Blueprint — Han 86 |
The two headline unlocks are the "Dread Tiger" Operator Skin for Reece at Level 20 and the "Beta Forged" Han 86 assault-rifle blueprint at Level 30. As Activision states in the official beta intel, "These rewards can only be earned during the Modern Warfare 4 Beta and will be available in the full game at launch for players who unlock them" (callofduty.com). In other words: they're limited-time and will not return — Level 30 is the only way to get that Han 86 blueprint permanently.
There's more beyond the level ladder, too:
- Default drop-ins (immediate): 3 Emblems, 3 Calling Cards, 1 Spray, and 3 Loading Screens the moment you log in.
- Mobility Course Challenge: the "Clockwork" Charm for completing the obstacle course.
- Combat Record Rewards: a [CLASSIFIED] Weapon Blueprint, an Emblem, and a Charm.
- Twitch Drops: link your Activision and Twitch accounts and watch any MW4 creator to earn the "Get Tactical" Emblem (15 min), "Clearing House" Calling Card (30 min), and "Action Ready" Charm (45 min).
Does MW4 beta progress carry over to the full game?
This is the single most-asked beta question, and the answer has a catch. Only the Beta Rewards carry over. The cosmetics you unlock on the level ladder — the emblem, charm, sticker, calling card, Reece skin, spray, loading screen, and Han 86 blueprint — will all be waiting in your inventory when the full game launches on October 23, as long as you were signed into your Activision account when you earned them.
Everything else resets. Your beta Player Level, your Rank, and every weapon you unlocked are wiped when Modern Warfare 4 goes live. That's standard for a Call of Duty beta — you start the full game at Level 1 with base loadouts like everyone else. So don't treat the beta as a head start on progression; treat it as a cosmetics grab and a test drive. The one bit of internal carryover: progression from Weekend One flows into Weekend Two, so if you hit Level 15 in Early Access, you resume there in the Open Beta rather than restarting the ladder.
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What's new in the Open Beta (Weekend Two)?
Weekend Two isn't just a repeat of Early Access — Activision added maps and modes for the open weekend. Here's what's playable from August 28:
- New maps: Lithium (core 6v6), plus two Ground War maps — Imjin Farmland and Wolves Stadium — and a brand-new Warzone Resurgence map, Zodiac.
- Returning core maps: Rooftops, Silkworm, Transit 213, Cachette, and the large-scale Kill Block (10v10 and 3v3 Gunfight).
- New modes: Hijack and Ground War: Combat Outpost join the rotation alongside Team Deathmatch, Domination, Hardpoint, Kill Confirmed, Inflation, and Search & Destroy.
- Campaign taste: the first campaign mission, "Entrenched," is playable across both weekends — a rare chance to try MW4's story before launch.
- Mobility Course: the movement gauntlet returns, and clearing it drops the Clockwork Charm.
That Warzone Resurgence map, Zodiac, is worth a look if you're a battle-royale player — it's your first hands-on with how MW4's movement and gunplay feel in the Warzone sandbox ahead of the full integration.
PC players: TPM 2.0, Secure Boot and system requirements
If you're on PC, do this before Friday: enable TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot in your BIOS. Activision is explicit that these are mandatory — "If TPM 2.0 or Secure Boot isn't enabled, you won't be able to play the Beta online." These features anchor RICOCHET Anti-Cheat, and the requirement carries into the full game. If you hit the dreaded "BIOS firmware update required" wall even after enabling them, we walk through the exact fix in our Modern Warfare 4 Secure Boot / TPM error guide. And if the client won't get past the account screen, see our COD HQ "not signed in to a profile" fix.
Here are the official PC specs for the beta (they may differ slightly for the full game):
| Spec | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Windows 10 64-bit | Windows 11 64-bit |
| CPU | Ryzen 5 1600 / Core i5-8400 | Ryzen 5 3600 / Core i7-8700 |
| RAM | 12 GB | 16 GB |
| GPU | RX 470 / GTX 970 (or 1060) / Arc A580 | RX 6700 XT / RTX 3060 Ti / Arc B580 |
| VRAM | 3 GB | 8 GB |
| Storage | SSD required | SSD required |
New this year: Shader Preloading on PC prepares your GPU's shaders in the background before you launch, cutting the wait to your first match and reducing in-game stutter. If you see a "Shader Pre-Loading Will Start" tray notification after installing, that's expected — let it run.
How to reach Level 30 fast before the beta ends
With only a four-day window, Level 30 is a real grind — you're looking at a lot of matches, and casual players often stall around Level 20–25 and miss the Han 86 blueprint. To max the ladder efficiently:
- Play objective modes. Hardpoint, Domination and Kill Confirmed pay far more XP per minute than Team Deathmatch because you're banking objective XP on top of kills. Hardpoint in particular is the classic CoD XP factory.
- Chain your first-win-of-the-day and challenge bonuses early — they front-load big XP lumps.
- Complete the Mobility Course and Combat Record challenges — they hand out flat XP and bonus cosmetics.
- Don't quit mid-match. Match-completion bonuses are a meaningful chunk of the total.
- Play in the first 48 hours. Servers are healthiest at launch, and you avoid the last-day panic when everyone's scrambling for Level 30.
If you're short on time and don't want to risk missing the Level 30 blueprint, our step-by-step MW4 beta fast-leveling guide breaks down the exact XP-per-mode math. And if you'd rather skip the grind entirely, timesaver.gg's leveling and bot-lobby services get your account to the reward tiers fast and safely.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Modern Warfare 4 Open Beta free? Yes. The Open Beta (Weekend Two, August 28–September 1) is completely free for all players on every platform — no pre-order, no beta code, and no PS Plus or Xbox Game Pass subscription required to play. Only the Early Access weekend (August 21–25) needed a pre-order or code.
What time does the MW4 Open Beta start on August 28? It goes live at 10:00 AM PT / 1:00 PM ET / 6:00 PM BST / 7:00 PM CEST on Friday, August 28, and runs until 10:00 AM PT on Tuesday, September 1.
Do MW4 beta rewards carry over to the full game? Yes — the eight tiered Beta Rewards (Levels 4–30, including the Reece "Dread Tiger" skin and the "Beta Forged" Han 86 blueprint) carry into the full game at launch, as long as you're signed into your Activision account when you earn them. However, your beta Player Level, Rank and weapon unlocks all reset when the full game launches on October 23, 2026.
What is the Level 30 beta reward in MW4? The "Beta Forged" weapon blueprint for the Han 86 assault rifle. It's the final reward on the ladder and can only be earned by reaching Player Level 30 during the beta — it will not return after September 1.
Do I need TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot to play the MW4 beta on PC? Yes. Activision requires both TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot to be enabled to play online, as part of RICOCHET Anti-Cheat. If they're disabled, you'll be blocked from matchmaking. Enable them in your BIOS before the beta starts.
Can I play the MW4 Open Beta on Nintendo Switch 2? Yes — Weekend Two is the first time Modern Warfare 4 is playable on Nintendo Switch 2, alongside PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC via Steam, Battle.net and Xbox on PC.
