I play the current Call of Duty every year mainly for its multiplayer offerings, but it’s no secret that the franchise has had its ups and downs in recent years. I mean, the less we say about 2023’s Modern Warfare III, the better.
But since then, the Modern Warfare franchise has been left at bay, with the back -to-back release of two Black Ops entries over the past couple of years. But much like 2019’s Modern Warfare reboot, if a break was needed at some point in time, it looks like it has worked wonders here yet again.
Our time with the early access beta over the weekend was mainly focused on multiplayer and general gameplay, but we did get a look at a campaign mission here as well, all of which look relatively promising.
Campaign
The early access beta featured the “Entrenched” campaign mission, which sees us heading to South Korea in an attempt to deactivate a compromised nuclear power plant. For the most part, this mission is as gritty, chaotic, and fast-paced as I’ve seen in a Call of Duty campaign in a while, and I’m really surprised by just how grounded everything felt. It was also quite difficult, even on Regular difficulty, although I’m happy to chalk this up to my aging reactions.
Blood splatters on your weapons, nearby explosions knock you down, and the mission instantly instils a sense of fear and dread as you rush down the side of a hill into enemy trenches. It also looks fantastic, complete with some awesome lighting effects and detailed textures.
As you progress through the trenches and into the power plant, you soon realise the reactors cannot be switched off, and instead must be flooded. What follows is a series of close calls underwater, scurrying to find the necessary switch to flood the reactors, only to end up escaping by climbing to the roof of the plant.
The mission even ends on a neat cliffhanger too, but I imagine this was just for the beta.
While it all still feels very on brand for Call of Duty, Infinity Ward has clearly identified the need for a more direct, cinematic campaign, which is a much-needed adjustment over the reused Warzone assets and maps that made the campaign for Modern Warfare III feel like an afterthought.
We don’t know much more than what the trailers have shown us beyond this, but if the campaign manages to keep this energy up for even half of its runtime, we’re in for a treat.
Multiplayer
We got the chance to test the multiplayer offerings and have outlined the maps and modes below:
Maps
- Rooftops
- Silkworm
- Transit 213
- Cachette
- Lotus
- Kill Block
Modes
- Team Deathmatch
- Domination
- Hardpoint
- Kill Confirmed
- Inflation
- Search & Destroy
- Kill Block – 10v10 & 3v3 Gunfight
- Mobility Course
While most of the modes feel par for the course, I want to highlight the Inflation mode, which plays like a mix of previously featured Plunder and Bounty modes: players earn cash by killing enemies, then become high-value targets themselves once they earn enough.
While most modes keep the energy and pacing up, the true escalation of this mode creates a cut-and-thrust that I haven’t felt in a while.
Secondly, I also want to point out the new Kill Block, which essentially mashes elements and assets from various maps together at random, creating virtually unlimited possibilities.
This means it’s much harder to pick spawn points, and discourages camping as you’re never quite sure where the best spots will be with each new version of the map. Both 10v10 and 3v3 Gunfight options are great as the Kill Block adjusts accordingly, and I can already see this being a staple for the franchise moving forward.
The gunplay also feels much more weighty and deliberate, which can take a little getting used to if you’ve been playing either of the Black Ops games over the past couple of years.
Movement also feels much more grounded, and without exoskeletons and jetpacks, general positioning once again feels much more important. It is strange, though, that the game feels this good, even with the removal of the admittedly fantastic Omnimovement system seen in Black Ops 6.
Thoughts So Far
While it might not feel different enough overall to those who aren’t already fans of the franchise, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 feels like a solid return to form for those who miss the glory days or the general feel of something like 2019’s Modern Warfare reboot.
It feels heavier, grittier and more deliberate, while still managing to pack in all the blockbuster thrills that make it so enjoyable. It’s something I can picture myself playing for yet another year.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 launches on the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Windows PC and Nintendo Switch 2 on the 23rd of October, 2026.
Featured header image provided by the publisher.
