Modern Warfare 4 open and closed beta dates announced, including for Switch 2, alongside the return of Call of Duty: Next

Activision has finally revealed some worthwhile new details about what the next few months will look like in the lead-up to the release of Modern Warfare 4. The company officially announced the return of Call of Duty: Next, the event that has, for the last several years, served as the home for the debut of multiplayer gameplay.

This year's Next event, set for 21st August, will seemingly switch to being entirely online rather than in person; Activision referred to it as "a global event". You can expect a developer briefing on what the show will feature, before it throws it to live gameplay from creators.

This is not the only thing being done differently this year, as the beta will also begin after the broadcast's conclusion, rather than a day later. The Modern Warfare 4 beta takes place over two weekends. The first is only available to players who pre-ordered the full game, while the second is open to all.

Image credit: Infinity Ward, Activision.

This year, the first leg of the beta takes place 21st-25th August across PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. The open portion follows from 28th August to 1st September. The latter is when the game will be playable on Switch 2 for the first time, alongside the other platforms from the prior portion. Speaking of which, Activision finally confirmed that Switch 2 pre-orders will go live on 26th August.

The Call of Duty blog post didn't share details about what we can expect from the beta, but did confirm it will feature 19 weapons playable across a variety of maps ranging from small, 3v3 maps, to large battles featuring vehicles. In terms of modes, the post name-dropped Search & Destroy alongside new arrival Kill Block. The beta will also include the Training Mobility Course, which is seemingly designed to teach players how to master the game's new movement mechanics.

The news follows a weekend of Modern Warfare 4 gameplay livestreams from Fanatics Fest NYC, where a handful of creators got to demonstrate multiplayer gameplay for the first time. Aside from this being a strange way to debut multiplayer footage, players were also divided about what they saw, especially the rapid pace of combat and high movement speed.

Modern Warfare 4 is set for release 23rd October on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S and Switch 2.