Modern Warfare 4 skips Game Pass at launch, arrives 23 October

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 will skip Game Pass at launch.

Players who want it on day one will have to buy it outright. The game launches on 23 October 2026, and will not join Game Pass, Microsoft's monthly games subscription, until Holiday 2027, Call of Duty said.

The wait will be long. That makes this year's release a separate purchase for subscribers and non-subscribers alike.

The shooter will be available on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, PC and Nintendo Switch 2. It is offered in Standard Edition and Vault Edition. On Xbox, players can pre-order through the Xbox Store on console, the Xbox app on PC and the Microsoft Store.

Digital pre-orders unlock two early starts. Campaign Early Access, a chance to play the story before launch, begins on 16 October. DMZ Early Access follows on 20 October. DMZ is the series' extraction mode, where squads collect loot and try to get out alive.

Digital buyers also receive the Hunter Killer Operator Skin, a character outfit, and the Gilded Pearl Camo Pack, a decorative finish for weapons. Every digital edition adds the Inner Circuit M4 Weapon Blueprint, a ready-made gun build with its own look. On Xbox consoles, that blueprint gets an OG Green translucent treatment to mark 25 years of Xbox.

Game Pass Ultimate subscribers will still have three recent titles to play. The service keeps Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III.

That is a change from the previous approach. Black Ops 6 was available to Game Pass members on day one in 2024, Xbox said. Xbox now says future Call of Duty titles will not join Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass at launch, but will be added about a year later, Xbox. Day-one releases are also not included with the Premium and Essential tiers.

For fans, this means a clear choice. Buy in October for early access and extra custom items, or wait for the subscription arrival in late 2027.