Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 Open Beta Set for August 28
Activision and Nintendo have announced a free open beta for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 running August 28 through September 1, with no pre-order required. Switch 2 players will need an active Nintendo Switch Online subscription to participate.
An Open Beta, No Purchase Needed
Call of Duty is almost back on a Nintendo system, and players will not have to commit a single dollar to find out how it feels. Activision and Nintendo have announced that an open beta for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 will run from August 28 through September 1, 2026, as reported by Nintendo Life. The only requirements are an active Nintendo Switch Online subscription and a Nintendo Account.
Pre-orders open two days earlier, on August 26, but the beta access is not gated behind them. That is a meaningful distinction for anyone who wants to try before they buy, which is a reasonable position to take on a franchise returning to Nintendo hardware after a long absence.
Specific timing for each beta session has not been announced yet. Details on what modes and content the beta will include are also still forthcoming, though Nintendo Life reasonably speculates the focus will land on multiplayer, with Activision likely using the window to stress-test servers, hunt down bugs, and tune balance.
Early Access Is Skipping Switch 2
One thing worth flagging before you mark the calendar: Beta Early Access has been confirmed for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S, but the Switch 2 is not part of that arrangement. Nintendo players join the open beta window on August 28 alongside everyone else, rather than getting a head start. It is a small distinction, but worth knowing going in.
A Long Time Coming for Nintendo Players
Modern Warfare 4 is the first Call of Duty title to land on a Nintendo platform in quite some time. According to Nintendo Life, that is a direct result of Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard. As part of the deal, Microsoft committed to a 10-year agreement to bring Call of Duty to Nintendo platforms. Modern Warfare 4 will arrive day and date with other consoles on October 23, 2026.
The question that will hang over August is straightforward: how does it actually run? The Switch 2 has handled some genuinely demanding software since its 2025 launch. Nintendo Life points to Cyberpunk 2077, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, and Assassin’s Creed Shadows as examples of graphically intensive games the hardware has managed. Reader reactions to the Rebirth comparison were mixed, with some noting frame rate drops in handheld mode in later chapters, but the broader point stands that the platform has cleared a higher bar than many expected.
Call of Duty is a different kind of test, though. A role-playing game can weather an occasional stutter. A fast-paced online shooter absolutely cannot. Sixty frames per second and a stable network connection are the baseline, not a bonus. The beta exists, at least in part, to find out whether that baseline holds.
What to Expect Between Now and October
Activision has said specific beta timing will be shared closer to the start date. Given the relatively short runway, that announcement should not be far off. Players curious about the technical side already have one more data point to go on: Nintendo Life has previously reported on Infinity Ward describing the process of getting Modern Warfare 4 running on Switch 2 as “actually been pretty smooth,” with “no problems to report.”
That confidence will face a real test on August 28, when tens of thousands of players log in at once. That is, after all, the entire point of running a beta.
When does the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 open beta start?
According to Nintendo Life, the open beta runs from August 28 through September 1, 2026. No pre-order is required, but players will need an active Nintendo Switch Online subscription and a Nintendo Account.
Will Switch 2 players get Early Access to the Modern Warfare 4 beta?
No. As reported by Nintendo Life, Beta Early Access has been confirmed for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S, but Switch 2 is not included in that early window.
When does Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 fully release on Switch 2?
Modern Warfare 4 is scheduled to launch day and date with other consoles on October 23, 2026, according to Nintendo Life.
Why is Call of Duty coming to Nintendo platforms now?
As reported by Nintendo Life, Microsoft entered into a 10-year commitment with Nintendo to bring Call of Duty to Nintendo platforms following Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard.