Modern Warfare 4 beta dates locked — Switch 2 joins the open weekend, COD NEXT hits August 21
Call of Duty is done teasing the calendar. On July 20, Activision published the Modern Warfare 4 beta schedule, confirmed Call of Duty: NEXT for August 21, and — the headline for Nintendo players — put Switch 2 in the open beta weekend with pre-orders starting August 26.
The beta weekends
Weekend One is Early Access: August 21–25 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC for digital pre-order players. Weekend Two is the Open Beta: August 28–September 1 on every platform in the launch set — including Nintendo Switch 2 — with no pre-order required. Switch 2 players will need Nintendo Switch Online for the beta.
“Infinity Ward, in partnership with Digital Legends, is developing Modern Warfare 4 natively for Nintendo Switch 2.”
— Activision — Modern Warfare 4 platform notes (July 20, 2026)
COD NEXT + October 23 launch
Call of Duty: NEXT lands August 21 with live multiplayer briefing and beta-adjacent reveals — then the full game ships globally October 23, 2026 on Xbox Series, PS5, PC (Battle.net / Steam / Xbox on PC), and Switch 2. Vault Edition pre-order perks (operators, BlackCell season, etc.) still apply for players locking in early.
Official blog: callofduty.com — MW4 open beta & NEXT.
CoD on a Nintendo hybrid again is the story. The beta will tell us whether “native Switch 2” means competitive-ready or couch-friendly — August 28 is when the receipts arrive.
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