Quick answer
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Full release | Friday, October 23, 2026 |
| North America | 12:00 AM ET, October 23 — 9:00 PM PT, October 22 |
| Europe | 12:00 AM local time, October 23 |
| Asia-Pacific | 12:00 AM local time, October 23 |
| PC preload | October 15, 9:00 AM PT |
| Campaign early access | October 16, digital preorders only |
| DMZ early access | October 20, 1:00 PM ET, digital preorders only |
| Multiplayer | Locked until the full release |
Unlock times by city
The game rolls across time zones at local midnight, except that the US West Coast and Mexico unlock together with New York. The last column converts each unlock to Eastern Time so you can plan a session with friends overseas.
| City | Local unlock | Same moment in ET |
|---|---|---|
| Wellington | 12:00 AM NZDT, Oct 23 | 7:00 AM ET, Oct 22 |
| Sydney | 12:00 AM AEDT, Oct 23 | 9:00 AM ET, Oct 22 |
| Tokyo | 12:00 AM JST, Oct 23 | 11:00 AM ET, Oct 22 |
| Seoul | 12:00 AM KST, Oct 23 | 11:00 AM ET, Oct 22 |
| Beijing / Hong Kong | 12:00 AM CST / HKT, Oct 23 | 12:00 PM ET, Oct 22 |
| Singapore | 12:00 AM SGT, Oct 23 | 12:00 PM ET, Oct 22 |
| Colombo | 12:00 AM IST, Oct 23 | 2:30 PM ET, Oct 22 |
| Dubai | 12:00 AM GST, Oct 23 | 4:00 PM ET, Oct 22 |
| Moscow / Minsk | 12:00 AM MSK, Oct 23 | 5:00 PM ET, Oct 22 |
| Vilnius / Chișinău | 12:00 AM EEST, Oct 23 | 5:00 PM ET, Oct 22 |
| Paris / Berlin / Warsaw / Prague / Budapest | 12:00 AM CEST, Oct 23 | 6:00 PM ET, Oct 22 |
| Johannesburg | 12:00 AM SAST, Oct 23 | 6:00 PM ET, Oct 22 |
| London | 12:00 AM BST, Oct 23 | 7:00 PM ET, Oct 22 |
| São Paulo | 12:00 AM BRT, Oct 23 | 11:00 PM ET, Oct 22 |
| New York | 12:00 AM ET, Oct 23 | 12:00 AM ET, Oct 23 |
| Mexico City | 10:00 PM CST, Oct 22 | 12:00 AM ET, Oct 23 |
| Los Angeles | 9:00 PM PT, Oct 22 | 12:00 AM ET, Oct 23 |
Store clocks are not always identical to the in-game timer. The PlayStation listing shows a UTC midnight timestamp, Steam shows October 22 because it displays US Pacific time, and regional storefronts may update at their own local midnight. If two sources disagree, trust the countdown inside the game client.
What is already playable
Campaign early access opened October 16 for anyone with a digital preorder or pre-purchase, including the Standard Edition. DMZ early access opened October 20 at 1 PM ET. Both are tied to the same digital entitlement, so a physical console preorder does not qualify.
Progress rules matter here. Campaign completion rewards — operators, calling cards, XP tokens — carry into the full game. Multiplayer progression starts at zero on launch day even if you finished the campaign. DMZ progress earned during early access stays on your account.
Preload and day-one checklist
PC preloading officially began October 15 at 9 AM PT on Battle.net, Steam and Xbox on PC. Console preloads are live from the store library as of October 21; if the download button is missing, check that your preorder is fully processed and that you have 115 GB or more free on an SSD.
Verify the install
Confirm the game and its mode packs are installed. On console, open Manage Game and check that Campaign, Multiplayer and DMZ are all selected.
Update the GPU driver
Official recommended versions are AMD 26.7.1, NVIDIA 616.56 and Intel 32.0.101.8974. Install the driver before launch, not during it.
Enable TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot
MW4 will not launch on PC without both. Check them in Windows Security and your motherboard firmware before October 23.
Link your account
Use one Activision account across platforms so progression and cross-play work. Turn on 2FA; launch-week account theft attempts spike.
Clear the calendar, not the drive
Leave at least 15–20 GB free beyond the 115 GB install for shaders, day-one patches and cache.
If the game will not unlock
A game that stays locked after the official time is almost always one of four things: the store has not processed the payment, the console region does not match the account region, the preorder was physical, or the platform's clock is behind. Restart the console or launcher, restore licences on PlayStation, and check the store listing for a countdown rather than a release date. Do not delete and re-download the whole game before trying a licence restore.
For connection failures after unlock, use the server status page and the launch fix guide.
FAQ
What time does Modern Warfare 4 come out on PC?
PC uses the same midnight-local rollout as console this year, not a separate global PC time. In North America that means 12 AM ET on October 23, or 9 PM PT on October 22. Steam may display October 22 because its store clock uses Pacific time.
Can I play MW4 early without preordering?
No. Campaign early access (October 16) and DMZ early access (October 20) require a digital preorder or pre-purchase. Physical preorders and Game Pass do not qualify.
Does campaign progress carry into multiplayer?
Campaign completion rewards such as operators and XP tokens carry over, but multiplayer rank and weapon levels start fresh at launch. DMZ progress made during early access persists.
When does Warzone get MW4 content?
With Season 1, which multiple publication roadmaps date to November 6, 2026. Activision has confirmed the integration but has not published a final Season 1 timestamp on every regional page.