Last checked October 30, 2026, against Activision's official Modern Warfare 4 and Warzone Season 1 announcement (published October 28). Season 1 is not live yet, so everything below is announced content. We'll update this page once the pass is in-game.
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TL;DR: what's in the MW4 Season 1 Battle Pass?
Quick answer: The Modern Warfare 4 Season 1 Battle Pass goes live with the season at midnight ET on November 6, 2026 (9 PM PT on November 5). It is a linear 100-tier track that costs 1,100 COD Points, or 2,400 COD Points for the Battle Pass Bundle. The pass can pay back up to 1,100 COD Points. The big change this year is a catch-up system: premium owners who fall behind are automatically moved up to the reward that matches the current day of the season, up to day 50. Tier 100 is the "Bellum" Ultra Mosin-Nagant blueprint. Finishing all 100 tiers also gives the "Vantage" Blix skin, the "Blue Viper" Hyeon Burst blueprint and 200 COD Points. The two new base weapons, the Cronen Osprey (Tier 16) and CSG-35 (Tier 36), are free.
Key numbers (all from the official Season 1 blog):
- 100 tiers on one linear track, with "100+ rewards" in total
- 1,100 / 2,400 COD Points for the Battle Pass or the Battle Pass Bundle
- Day 50: the catch-up limit, which guarantees "50+ rewards" to premium owners
- 10%: Battle Pass XP boost for the whole season if you buy premium
- 20 Tier Skips and 1,100 COD Points instantly with BlackCell
- 7 + 7: BlackCell Operator skins and BlackCell weapon blueprints inside the pass
Activision's own wording on the catch-up, from the Season 1 blog:
"Players who fall behind in the premium Battle Pass will be automatically caught up to the Reward matching the current day of the season, up to day 50." (Call of Duty Staff, callofduty.com, October 28, 2026)
When does the MW4 Season 1 Battle Pass start?
The pass unlocks with Season 1 at 0000 ET on Friday, November 6, 2026. That's 2100 PT on Thursday, November 5, and 0500 GMT / 0800 MSK on November 6. The official MW4 site already says BlackCell, the Battle Pass, COD Points and Tier Skips arrive "upon availability of the Season 1 Battle Pass in-game", so there is nothing to buy or progress before that time.
That also means the Black Ops 7 Season 6 pass ends that day. If you still have BO7 tiers to finish, see our BO7 Season 6 Battle Pass end date guide before you switch over. Players on r/blackops7 are already asking whether BO7 gets one last end-of-season Double XP weekend. Activision hadn't announced one when we checked, so don't plan around it.
For the timeline behind the November 6 date, our earlier explainer on when the MW4 Battle Pass unlocks walks through it.
How much does the MW4 Season 1 Battle Pass cost?
| Option | Price | What it gets you (official) |
|---|---|---|
| Free track | Free | Free tiers on the same 100-tier track, including the Cronen Osprey and CSG-35 base weapons |
| Battle Pass | 1,100 COD Points | All premium tiers, the catch-up system, Instant Rewards and the 10% Battle Pass XP boost |
| Battle Pass Bundle | 2,400 COD Points | The same access and Instant Rewards as the base pass. The S1 blog doesn't itemize the bundle's extras |
| BlackCell | Sold separately (or included with the Vault Edition) | Everything in the premium pass, 20 Tier Skips, 1,100 COD Points, XERO and 7 + 7 BlackCell skins and blueprints |
Two details are worth knowing before you spend:
- The pass can pay for itself. The track gives back up to 1,100 COD Points, the same as the base price. Activision words it as "up to", which in past passes meant the points were spread through the tiers, so plan on earning them rather than getting them all on day one.
- If you upgrade to BlackCell after buying the pass, you get 1,100 COD Points back, so buying the base pass first doesn't cost you anything extra.
Vault Edition owners get Season 1 BlackCell included. If you own the Digital Standard Edition, you can still upgrade to Vault later, but only on the same platform you bought the game on.
What are the Instant Rewards when you buy premium?
Buying the 1,100 CP pass or the 2,400 CP bundle immediately unlocks:
- 10% Battle Pass XP boost for all of Season 1
- "Downpour" Operator skin for Blix ("Downpour BlackCell" if you own BlackCell)
- "Fortune's Favor" FiNN LMG weapon blueprint
- "Happy Boom" Sticky Grenade lethal equipment blueprint
- "Killing Demon" weapon sticker
- DMZ Survival Kit
Blix is the Season 1 Battle Pass Operator. Activision's bio describes him as a former South Korean Special Warfare Command operator recruited by Nikto.
What's on the 100 tiers?
Activision hasn't published a tier-by-tier list yet, but it has confirmed what the track contains and where the guns sit:
| Tier | Reward | Free or premium? |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 16 | Cronen Osprey assault rifle (base weapon) | Free (Activision calls both new base weapons free) |
| Tier 36 | CSG-35 SMG (base weapon) | Free |
| Tier 73 | CSG-35 Battle Pass blueprint | Premium |
| Tier 87 | Cronen Osprey Battle Pass blueprint | Premium |
| Tier 100 | "Bellum" Ultra rarity Mosin-Nagant blueprint | Premium |
The rest of the track is filled with Operator skins, weapon blueprints, finishing moves, calling cards, emblems, weapon charms, stickers and decals, equipment skins, loading screens, reticles, COD Points, Double XP tokens (Player, Weapon and Battle Pass) and DMZ Survival Kits. The Survival Kits are new this year and give the pass some value in DMZ, not just cosmetics.
For the stats, Apex attachments and fastest way to level the two Battle Pass guns, see our MW4 Season 1 weapons guide. In short, the Osprey has 70 levels and fires at 882 RPM, and the CSG-35 has 42 levels and fires at 1,200 RPM.
How does the new catch-up system work?
This is the biggest change from the Black Ops 7 passes. In plain terms:
- It's premium-only. You need the 1,100 CP pass, the bundle or BlackCell. Free-track players don't get caught up.
- It's tied to the calendar, not your XP. On each day of the season, your premium track is guaranteed to have at least that day's reward unlocked. If you're behind, the game moves you up.
- It stops at day 50. After day 50, any remaining tiers have to be earned with Battle Pass XP or Tier Skips. That's why Activision describes it as "50+ rewards" guaranteed, not 100.
If you count November 6 as day 1, day 50 lands on December 25, 2026. That's our calculation from the official start date. Activision hasn't confirmed how it numbers the days.
What this means for you: if you buy the pass and barely play, you'll still have roughly half of it unlocked by the holidays. The back half, including Tier 100 and the Bellum Mosin, still needs real Battle Pass XP. Finishing all 100 tiers is also what unlocks the completion rewards and the bonus Operator skins below.
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What do you get for finishing all 100 tiers?
Premium owners who complete every tier get:
- "Bellum" Ultra Mosin-Nagant blueprint (the Tier 100 reward itself)
- "Vantage" Operator skin for Blix ("Vantage BlackCell" with BlackCell)
- "Blue Viper" Hyeon Burst assault rifle blueprint
- 200 COD Points
- "Honor's Harbinger" calling card
- "Virtue's Snarl" emblem
- DMZ Survival Kit
There's also a bonus layer. Later in the season, premium owners who've finished all 100 tiers can unlock eight more Operator skins. Activision says the details will come in the Season 1 Reloaded blog.
What does BlackCell add in Season 1?
BlackCell includes everything in the premium pass. It also unlocks these right away:
- XERO, the BlackCell Operator, plus his "Cowled" and "Adder" variants through BlackCell Challenges
- 1,100 COD Points
- "Perimeter Lance" M4 Signature Weapon Blueprint, plus "Occultus" and "Exitium" variants through challenges
- "Dog Food" Companion finishing move
- A custom BlackCell lobby scene, a Mastery Camo Track, the "BlackCell" clan tag and a DMZ Survival Pack
- 20 Tier Skip Tokens
Inside the pass, BlackCell adds seven Operator skins (two for Blix, plus Oh-Ji, Velikan, Min-Hee, Luca and Dallas) and seven weapon blueprints for the Kastov 762, Axion, KG-7 Vulcan, ISO Nightshade, CSG-35, Cronen Osprey and Mosin-Nagant. In DMZ, BlackCell owners also get a FOB Vendor that sells extra weapons and gear for DMZ Cash. Activision says more DMZ perks will be detailed before launch.
BlackCell challenges also unlock exclusive Universal Weapon Camos, which Activision hadn't revealed when we checked. For the bigger "is BlackCell worth it" question, see our MW4 BlackCell explainer.
Is the MW4 Season 1 Battle Pass worth it?
Our verdict: yes, if you'll play more than a few hours a week. It's a harder call if you mainly want the guns.
- Buy it if you want the Blix skins, the Bellum Mosin or the DMZ Survival Kits. The catch-up system makes it hard to waste the 1,100 CP, and the pass can give back up to 1,100 CP.
- Skip it if you only want the Cronen Osprey and CSG-35. Both are free at Tiers 16 and 36.
- Go BlackCell if you'd buy 20 Tier Skips anyway, or you want XERO and the signature M4. If you already own the Vault Edition, you have BlackCell for Season 1.
How do you finish the 100 tiers faster?
The catch-up gets you to about day 50. Everything past that depends on how much Battle Pass XP you earn. Here's what helps:
- Stack your boosts. Premium gives a permanent 10% BP XP boost, and the pass itself drops Battle Pass Double XP tokens. In MW4, Double XP tokens only count down while you're in a match, so you don't lose time sitting in menus (see our MW4 Double XP token guide).
- Play fast, high-kill modes. Shipment is in rotation now. Our Shipment XP farm guide covers the setup. Season 1 adds Grind and Drop Zone, plus the new maps Backstab, Canyon and Shoot House (full Season 1 maps rundown).
- Use the Joint Fire Event. Season 1's squad event gives an XP boost that gets bigger with larger squads, and its rewards include 2XP tokens.
- Save Tier Skips for the end. Use BlackCell's 20 skips after day 50, when the catch-up stops helping.
Want the Season 1 grind done without losing your evenings? These services run alongside the new pass:
- MW4 Account Leveling: rank and Prestige handled, so your playtime goes into the pass and not the level bar
- MW4 Weapon Leveling: max the Cronen Osprey, CSG-35 or any gun and unlock its attachments and Apex
- MW4 Bot Lobbies: easy lobbies for XP and camo challenges on the new Season 1 maps
- MW4 Mastery Camo Unlock: Mastery camos on the guns you actually use
FAQ
When does the MW4 Season 1 Battle Pass come out? With Season 1, at midnight ET on November 6, 2026 (9 PM PT on November 5). You can't buy the pass, BlackCell or Tier Skips in MW4 before then.
How much is the MW4 Season 1 Battle Pass? 1,100 COD Points for the Battle Pass or 2,400 COD Points for the Battle Pass Bundle. BlackCell is sold separately and is included with the Vault Edition. The pass can give back up to 1,100 COD Points as you level it.
What is the Tier 100 reward in MW4 Season 1? The "Bellum" Ultra rarity Mosin-Nagant weapon blueprint. Finishing all 100 tiers also gives the "Vantage" Blix skin, the "Blue Viper" Hyeon Burst blueprint, 200 COD Points, a calling card, an emblem and a DMZ Survival Kit.
Does the catch-up system complete the whole pass for me? No. It only applies to premium owners, and it only moves you up to the reward for the current day of the season, up to day 50. The tiers after that, including Tier 100, need Battle Pass XP or Tier Skips.
Are the Cronen Osprey and CSG-35 free? Yes. Activision says the two new base weapons in the Season 1 pass are free. The Osprey is at Tier 16 and the CSG-35 is at Tier 36. Their Battle Pass blueprints (Tiers 87 and 73) are premium.
Does BO7 Battle Pass progress carry over to MW4 Season 1? No. They're separate passes, and the BO7 Season 6 pass ends when MW4 Season 1 starts. COD Points do carry over between titles, but only on the same platform.
