Activision has confirmed that its annual Call of Duty NEXT showcase will take place on August 21, 2026, headlining Modern Warfare 4 ahead of its October 23 launch. NEXT is the series' yearly live event where developers pull back the curtain on the upcoming entry, past editions having revealed Black Ops 6's Omnimovement and Black Ops 7's round-based map, and this year the spotlight falls squarely on MW4's multiplayer. Expect live gameplay, an in-depth briefing on the multiplayer content lineup, developer insights, and fresh reveals, including a proper look at the maps.
The Beta Drops the Instant NEXT Ends
The headline change to the format is a genuine first for the franchise. Rather than making players wait days after the showcase, the Modern Warfare 4 Early Access Beta will launch immediately after the NEXT broadcast wraps on August 21. It's a smart bit of scheduling, funnelling the hype from the live reveal straight into hands-on play.
The beta itself runs across two weekends:
Weekend One (August 21–25): Early access for anyone who pre-orders MW4 on Xbox Series XS, PS5, or PC.
Weekend Two (August 28–September 1): A fully open beta available to everyone on all platforms, no pre-order required, and this is where Nintendo Switch 2 joins in.
Content-wise, players can expect to unlock and use 19 weapons across modes including Search and Destroy and the new 10v10 Kill Block, set in the West Bridge Advanced Military Training Facility. There's also a Training Mobility Course to test the reworked movement, though notably Omnimovement is gone this time, with the team promising a more "grounded" system. Vault Edition pre-orderers get to use that edition's operators and weapons during the beta. A small caveat worth flagging: the fine print notes an online multiplayer subscription may be required.
Switch 2 Details and the Subscription Catch
Modern Warfare 4 pre-orders for the Nintendo Switch 2 open on August 26, which is precisely why Switch 2 players can't access Weekend One's early access, since pre-orders simply aren't live yet. They can, however, jump into the open Weekend Two beta on August 28 without pre-ordering, giving them a no-commitment way to gauge how the game runs on Nintendo's hardware before deciding whether to buy.
One important detail the initial announcement glossed over: Switch 2 players will reportedly need an active Nintendo Switch Online subscription to participate in the beta. The MW4 Switch 2 version is being developed natively by Infinity Ward in partnership with Digital Legends, and it'll be interesting to see how much pent-up demand exists for Call of Duty on a Nintendo platform.
Pre-Order Bonuses and Camo Challenges
Activision also bolted on some pre-order incentives tied to the wider ecosystem. Players who digitally pre-order either the Standard or Vault Edition before July 23 instantly unlock the "Moonlit Pearl" Universal Weapon Camo, usable right away in Black Ops 7 Season 5 (which launches July 23). There's also a serialized twist: completing a special Black Ops 7 challenge earns a second camo called "Gilded Ruin," with a uniquely numbered variant reserved for the first 100,000 players to unlock it, a first-of-its-kind serialized cosmetic. Both rewards then carry over into Modern Warfare 4.
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