Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, the next big release in Activision’s long-running shooter franchise, is almost here. After a successful early access beta in August and an open beta in September, the game’s multiplayer mode is almost ready for the full release on October 23rd.
The number of players increased to 115,145 concurrent players during the beta, so server demand is expected to be high at launch. If you don’t want to wait until launch day, there is a trick you can try to get to the game early. Here’s how it works.
When will Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 unlock?
If you’ve already pre-ordered the digital version of Modern Warfare 4, you should already have access to the game’s campaign and DMZ extraction mode. Multiplayer is set to open at midnight local time on October 23, 2026. Activision will use a staggered release so players in certain regions will be able to access the game before others. You can still pre-order the game digitally on Call of Duty’s website, Xbox, or PlayStation before Friday’s release date to get early access to the campaign and DMZ mode.
Can you really play Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4’s Early?
Don’t want to wait for your copy of the game to unlock multiplayer mode? You may be able to play 17 hours early on Xbox by changing the location of your Activision account to New Zealand, as the game will be released on October 23rd at 12pm NZDT (7am EDT on October 22nd).
Here’s how to change your Activision account time zone:
Log in to your Activision account on the Call of Duty website
Go to Profile
Click on Basic info
Go to Address change to update your profile to a valid New Zealand address
Save your changes
From there, update the time zone settings on your Xbox. To change your Xbox region settings to New Zealand, follow these steps:
On your Xbox Dashboard, enter Settings
Scroll up System
On the right side, choose Language & Location
Change your region New Zealand
Hit Restart now to save your changes
If you play on PlayStation 5there is an unproven method that starts with updating your Activision account time zone. However, changing the time zone on your console is not that easy because your account is region locked. To do this, you need to create a separate account, probably with one virtual private network (VPN) that is set to New Zealand. You must then obtain a copy of the game through the New Zealand PlayStation Store. This may require a payment method compatible with the region and may also cost you more after converting currencies. Even after all this, there is no guarantee that it will actually work.
Is the time zone trick worth the effort?
Changing your time zone could get you early access to MW4, as it has worked for other Call of Duty games in the past. If you play on Xbox and it’s as easy as changing your Activision and Xbox account settings, it’s worth a try. But the complicated PlayStation method is not guaranteed to work and is probably not worth playing 17 hours before.
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How to pre-order Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4
While the beta has long since passed, you’ll still want to pre-order Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 to access the game’s campaign and extraction modes. You can pre-order the digital edition for Xbox, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch 2 (physical editions do not include early access). For PC, pre-orders are available on Battle.net, Steam or Xbox on PC.
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Can your PC run Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4?
Yes, your PC should be able to run the latest Call of Duty as long as it meets certain requirements. Here’s what your PC should have and what developers recommend:
Minimum system requirements (PC):
CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 1400, Intel: Intel Core i5-6600
RAM: 8 mbg
GPU: AMD Radeon RX 470, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 / 1060, Intel Arc A580
VRAM: 3GB
Storage: 115GB available on SSD
Recommended system requirements (PC):
CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 / Intel Core i7-8700
RAM: 16 GB
GPU: AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, Intel Arc B580
VRAM: 8 mbg
Storage: 115GB available on SSD
About Our Expert
Jason Cohen
Senior editor
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As PCMag’s content editor, I have to cover a wide variety of topics and also make our stories accessible to everyday users. Considering my history as a technical writer, copywriter, and all-around freelancer covering baseball, comics, and more at various outlets, I’m used to pretending to be an expert.
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