Modern Warfare 4 Early Access Dates Revealed for Campaign and DMZ, With a Multiplayer Head Start Also Possible

Modern Warfare 4 is gearing up for a multi-stage launch, with early access to the campaign and DMZ planned before the full game arrives on October 23. With the major early access details now revealed, you can prepare for each launch stage, including the preload, campaign, DMZ, and multiplayer. Although multiplayer won't officially have an early access period, you can still get into the game ahead of its worldwide release.

First up, Modern Warfare 4 will offer an early download for everyone, letting you preload the game before launch. While the exact dates and times haven't been confirmed for every platform, PlayStation appears to be the first platform with a reported preload date. According to information Detonate found in the PlayStation Store and its database, preloading is expected to begin on October 14.

Notably, this appears to be a preload for the entire game rather than separate downloads for the campaign and DMZ early access periods.

In other words, you should be able to download the full package ahead of launch instead of dealing with separate, staggered downloads for each mode. The download will naturally be substantial, and preloading is expected to be available across every platform, although the specific dates and times remain unconfirmed. If you're playing on PlayStation, keep October 14 in mind.

The preload could also coincide with a major Call of Duty HQ overhaul. When Modern Warfare 4 gets the spotlight, the UI might get a rework to include the upcoming Warzone integration at the start of November with Season 1. That would probably mean moving the main Black Ops 7 content into its own side menu, similar to how previous Call of Duty titles have handled a new entry.

Once the preload is available, the early access rollout will begin with the campaign on October 16. However, you'll need to digitally pre-order Modern Warfare 4 to participate in this first stage. Physical pre-orders won't offer the same early access, so you'll need to buy the digital version to start playing before the full launch.

Activision hasn't confirmed when campaign early access will go live.

Based on previous Call of Duty releases, however, the launch will likely happen around 9 or 10 A.M. Pacific Time. Early access has historically followed a global rollout, meaning players across regions gain access at the same time rather than waiting for midnight in their local time.

This approach can sometimes cause server problems, as many players try to launch the game at once. Nevertheless, October 16 will mark the first major opportunity to jump into Modern Warfare 4 before its official release.

You also won't necessarily have to pre-order the game before October 16 to access the campaign early. If you initially decide to wait but later see positive impressions from players who have already started playing, you can still digitally pre-order the game on October 17 or October 18 and receive immediate access to the early access period. Digital pre-orders will remain available until the full game launches on October 23, so there's still time to change your mind.

The second stage of the rollout will introduce DMZ early access on October 20, once again exclusively for digital pre-order customers. This staggered release should give you a few days to explore DMZ, progress, and prepare for multiplayer before the full game arrives. Instead of splitting your time between multiple modes on launch day, you'll have a chance to start with DMZ first.

As with the campaign, you don't necessarily need to pre-order before October 20.

If you decide on October 21 or October 22 that you want to try DMZ, you can still digitally pre-order Modern Warfare 4 and get immediate access, as long as you do so before the pre-order window ends. The exact launch time for DMZ early access also remains unconfirmed, although around 9 to 10 A.M. Pacific Time is a reasonable expectation based on previous releases.

One of the biggest advantages of DMZ early access is that your progress will carry over to the full game. This means you won't spend a few days playing a separate mode without gaining anything for multiplayer. Instead, some of the progression you earn in DMZ will help you get ahead when multiplayer becomes available on October 23.

DMZ has its own leveling system, letting you progress from level 1 to level 70 for your DMZ rank. However, the XP you earn while working toward level 70 will also contribute to your standard Call of Duty progression, which runs from rank 1 to rank 55 before you can enter the prestige system.

As a result, you can use the early access period to level up your regular character while playing DMZ.

Weapon progression will also carry over. You won't be able to level up every weapon you want right away, since you'll need to find or buy weapons during your DMZ runs and successfully exfil with them. Nevertheless, using weapons, eliminating enemies, and taking out bots will earn you weapon XP that also contributes to your multiplayer weapon levels.

This could give you a useful head start before multiplayer launches. If you spend October 20, 21, and 22 playing DMZ, you could enter multiplayer with your regular character already leveled up and some weapons ready for further progression. You'll still need to work toward the weapons and attachments you want, but the early access period should help you get started instead of starting from scratch on launch day.

The third and final stage arrives on October 23, when Modern Warfare 4 launches worldwide and multiplayer becomes officially available. This is also when players who haven't digitally pre-ordered the game can finally jump into the campaign, DMZ, and multiplayer without participating in the early access periods.

Unlike the campaign and DMZ, multiplayer won't have an official early access window.

Instead, the game is expected to unlock at midnight local time, meaning it will roll out by region rather than launch globally at once. Players in regions that reach midnight earlier will gain access before those in regions further behind.

New Zealand will therefore be among the first places where players can access Modern Warfare 4, followed by Australia and other regions as the launch gradually moves across the globe. This is where the familiar New Zealand trick could help players access multiplayer before it becomes available in their own region.

On Xbox and PC, if you're playing through the Microsoft Store, changing your region to New Zealand may allow you to access the game earlier. You'll also need to make sure your Microsoft and Activision account details comply with the relevant regional requirements. How you do it depends on your platform and account setup, so check the specific requirements before you try.

PlayStation can be a little more complicated.

Depending on your setup, you may need a New Zealand-based primary account and to purchase that account to access the game when midnight arrives in the region. Other users may then be able to play through the primary account, but you also need to consider the Activision account's regional details.

Plenty of guides cover the finer details of this method, and players familiar with previous Call of Duty releases may already know how it works. While it doesn't count as official early access, the regional rollout could allow some players to start playing multiplayer on October 22, potentially around 6 or 7 A.M. Eastern Time, ahead of the full global launch.

With the preload expected to begin on October 14 for PlayStation, campaign early access starting on October 16, DMZ early access arriving on October 20, and the full launch scheduled for October 23, Modern Warfare 4 is taking a different approach to its release. Digital pre-orders will give you several chances to get started before launch day, while DMZ progression could make the multiplayer wait more productive. Even without an official multiplayer early access period, the regional rollout may offer another way to jump in a little sooner.