Activision | GameTrader.SG

Activision has confirmed the open beta schedule for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 — and unlike previous years, Nintendo Switch 2 players get full access during the second weekend at no cost, with no pre-order required. Here’s what Singapore players need to know.

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 4 operators — Image courtesy of Activision

Modern Warfare 4 Open Beta — Two Weekends in August

The beta runs across two consecutive weekends:

Weekend 1 — Early Access: 21–25 August 2026. Open only to players who have pre-ordered any edition of Modern Warfare 4 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, or PC (Battle.net / Steam). Nintendo Switch 2 is not included in Weekend 1.
Weekend 2 — Open Beta: 28 August–1 September 2026. Free for all players on all platforms, including Nintendo Switch 2. No pre-order required.

Singapore players on Switch 2 who want to try before they buy can jump in during Weekend 2 without spending a cent. Notably, Xbox Game Pass subscribers receive no early access advantage this year — Weekend 1 is pre-order only, full stop.

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 4 Kill Block multiplayer mode — Image courtesy of Activision

What’s Playable in the Modern Warfare 4 Beta

Infinity Ward has confirmed the following content for the beta build:

Kill Block — the new flagship multiplayer mode, 10v10 in the Kill Block map. Players race to control a moving zone while holding it triggers elimination of the opposing team.
Search & Destroy — the classic round-based bomb mode, returning in full.
Training Mobility Course — an optional solo warmup for new players to learn movement mechanics.
Skirmishes from 3v3 up to large-scale tactical battles featuring vehicles including tanks.
Up to 19 unlockable weapons with customisable loadouts assisted by the new Gunny system.

The beta also introduces Ballistic Authority, a new gunplay philosophy Infinity Ward describes as “no bloom, no guesswork, no doubt” — prioritising precision over random weapon spread.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 | Reveal Trailer — via Call of Duty on YouTube

CoD: NEXT Reveal Event — 21 August

Alongside the start of Weekend 1, Activision is running Call of Duty: NEXT on 21 August — a livestream covering an in-depth breakdown of Modern Warfare 4’s full multiplayer offering, developer insights from Infinity Ward, and new reveals. Think of it as a Day One showcase for anyone still deciding whether to pre-order.

Nintendo Switch 2 Beta — How It Works

Switch 2 players get Weekend 2 access (28 August–1 September) for free. One catch worth noting: pre-orders for the Switch 2 version of Modern Warfare 4 don’t open until 26 August — which is after Weekend 2 begins. That means Switch 2 players have a two-day head start on playing the beta before they can even pre-order, which is either convenient or a little backwards depending on how you look at it. Switch 2 development is handled by Digital Legends in partnership with Infinity Ward.

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 4 gameplay — Image courtesy of Activision

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 — Full Game October 23

Modern Warfare 4 is developed by Infinity Ward, with support from Beenox, Treyarch, and Sledgehammer Games. The setting is the Korean Peninsula: North Korea launches a full-scale invasion threatening global stability, and Captain Price goes rogue to dismantle the system that built him. The campaign drops players into environments ranging from collapsing Korean trenches to city-wide assaults in occupied territory, with Private Park — a young South Korean soldier in his first live combat — as a new playable lead alongside Price, Ghost, and the rest of the Task Force 141 roster.

Multiplayer ships with 12 all-new 6v6 maps on day one, plus large-scale vehicle maps. The extraction-shooter mode DMZ returns, set in a sprawling exclusion zone called Hajin with narrative-driven Story Missions and persistent progression.

Launch platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, PC (Battle.net and Steam). Vault Edition holders get early access from 16 October; full launch is 23 October 2026.

If you’re still riding out Black Ops 7’s Season 5 launch on 23 July, the beta weekends give you a natural bridging point before the next annual instalment drops in October. Keep an eye on the Game News section for coverage as CoD: NEXT reveals more.

The Games PlayStation Players Have Been Locked Out Of

This is genuinely a big deal for the PlayStation community. Black Ops and Black Ops II have been playable on modern Xbox hardware through Xbox’s backwards compatibility for years, and they’ve been available on PC via Steam. But PlayStation players — on PS4 and PS5 — have had no way to access either game on current hardware. Today that changes.

Treyarch made the announcement via their official X account, with the studio confirming that “the original Black Ops and Black Ops 2 are being ported to PlayStation in July, courtesy of our partners at Iron Galaxy,” as relayed in reporting by GamesRadar.

Call of Duty: Black Ops classic multiplayer

Image courtesy of Activision

Campaign, Multiplayer, and Zombies — All Included

Both ports include the full package. No modes cut, no “campaign-only” release like we’ve seen elsewhere.

Call of Duty: Black Ops — the Cold War-era campaign that shocked players with its narrative twists, plus the multiplayer that defined a generation, and the Kino der Toten and Five zombie maps that launched the Zombies phenomenon.

Call of Duty: Black Ops II — a futuristic campaign with branching story choices, the best competitive multiplayer Black Ops ever delivered, and a Zombies mode that built on Origins and Tranzit to create the most expansive undead experience of the series.

File sizes have been confirmed: Black Ops at 22.7GB and Black Ops II at 30.3GB. Plan your storage accordingly.

What to Expect — and What Not to Expect

Treyarch and Iron Galaxy are delivering direct ports, not remasters. There will be no dramatic texture reworks or modern quality-of-life overhauls. These games will look and feel like you remember them, running natively on modern hardware. That’s a fair trade for titles that are 14–16 years old and still hold up remarkably well — especially in multiplayer and Zombies.

Iron Galaxy knows what they’re doing here. The studio has previously handled console ports of Diablo III, Overwatch, and Fallout 76, so technical execution should be solid. A specific date in July has not yet been announced, and pricing information has not been confirmed either.

Last Words

Singapore is a PlayStation-heavy market, and COD has a loyal following here that stretches back to the Black Ops era. If you’ve never had a chance to experience these two on PlayStation hardware — or want to revisit Zombies with your crew on PS5 — July is looking like a good month. Watch the official Call of Duty channels for the exact launch date, and check back on GameTrader.SG’s game news when it drops.

Tag Archives: Activision

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 Open Beta Dates Set for August 2026