Modern Warfare 4 Beta Adds a Campaign Mission, Switch 2 Support, and Background Shader Compilation

Activision has announced the start date, contents, and system requirements for the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 open beta. This beta introduces several features not seen in previous Call of Duty betas.

For the first time, players can try a campaign mission in addition to multiplayer content. The beta also provides the first look at the Nintendo Switch 2 version. On PC, a new feature compiles shaders in the background to cut down on waiting time. The full game is set to launch on October 23.

The beta is split into two phases: an early access weekend and an open weekend.

Modern Warfare 4 Beta Campaign Mission, Multiplayer Content, and Schedule

The beta includes a campaign mission for the first time. The mission, called "Entrenched," puts players in control of a South Korean soldier during a modern-day North Korean invasion. A short trailer shows snowy trench warfare. The initial reveal trailer also highlighted other missions featuring Captain Price.

The first phase is open to players who preorder. It features six multiplayer maps and eight modes: Team Deathmatch, Domination, Hardpoint, Kill Confirmed, Inflation, Search & Destroy, Kill Block, and Mobility Course.

The early access beta runs from 2 PM ET on August 21 to 1 PM on August 25 on Steam, Battle.net, the Microsoft Store, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S. Preloads begin at noon on August 20.

The open beta is available to all players the following week, from 1 PM on August 28 to 1 PM on September 1. This phase adds two Ground War maps, a Warzone map, two more multiplayer maps, and support for Nintendo Switch 2. Preorders for Switch 2 open when beta preloads begin at noon on August 26.

Modern Warfare 4 Beta PC Requirements and Background Shader Compilation

Modern Warfare 4 drops support for last-generation consoles and adds new ray tracing features, but the beta system requirements are similar to last year's Black Ops 7.

According to Activision, the beta runs on older graphics cards like the AMD Radeon RX 470 and Nvidia GeForce GTX 970 with at least 3GB of VRAM. Recommended specs are an RX 6700 XT or RTX 3060 Ti with 8GB of VRAM. TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot are still required, as they were last year.

To cut down on waiting after the first launch, the beta can now compile shaders without starting the game. After installing or updating, PC users see a Windows system tray notification showing that pre-compiling has started, along with a progress percentage.

Steam users still need to compile some additional shaders after launching the game, while Battle.net handles the whole process in the background. Activision says shader pre-compilation uses minimal system resources, so players can use their PCs as usual while waiting.

Modern Warfare 4 Beta Access, Preload Times, and Platform Availability

Players who want early access should get ready before the first weekend:

1. Preorder Modern Warfare 4 on Steam, Battle.net, the Microsoft Store, PlayStation 5, or Xbox Series X and S to access the August 21 early access beta.
2. Begin preloading at noon on August 20 to be ready when the beta opens.
3. Let shader pre-compilation run after installing or updating, as it reduces waiting time on the first launch.
4. For the open beta, install the client ahead of the August 28 start, with Switch 2 preorders and preloads opening at noon on Au

The early access beta runs from August 21 to 25 for players who preorder. The open beta runs from August 28 to September 1 for everyone, including Nintendo Switch 2 users.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 launches October 23 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, Battle.net, Steam, and Nintendo Switch 2. Activision has not shared the full launch map and mode list beyond what is included in the beta.

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