Modern Warfare 4 Campaign Early Access Achieves Best Steam Reception in a Decade

Key points

• Campaign early access launched on October 16 for pre-order customers, receiving 90% positive Steam reviews as of October 17.
• This marks the best Steam reception for a Call of Duty title since Black Ops III in 2015, with previous titles like Black Ops 7 and Modern Warfare III receiving significantly lower scores.
• Full launch is scheduled for October 23, with multiplayer and DMZ modes arriving then, while DMZ early access begins on October 20.
• The campaign features 16 missions across the Korean Peninsula, Paris, New York, and Mumbai, following Private Park Hyun Jun and John Price.
• PC players must enable TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot to play the game.

Background

Modern Warfare 4 follows a series of recent Call of Duty releases that received poor Steam reviews, with Black Ops 7 at 38.71% and Modern Warfare III at 48.19%. Activision's CMO previously cited declining player engagement as the 'Call of Duty tax.' The game is part of a major October 2026 Xbox lineup alongside Battlefield 6.

How outlets are covering it

TechPowerUp and Windows Central both highlight the strong early Steam reception, with TechPowerUp noting the 90% positive score and Windows Central expressing surprise at the positive reception. Xbox Wire confirms the standalone release date of October 23. The official Call of Duty blog details the campaign's 16 missions and completion rewards. All sources agree on the early access timeline and full launch date, but differ in emphasis on the review scores versus the game's content and features.

Why it matters

The strong early reception suggests a potential turnaround for the Call of Duty franchise after several poorly received titles. It may indicate improved player engagement and critical reception for the series, potentially impacting Activision's performance and the broader gaming market.

What to watch

DMZ early access begins on October 20, followed by the full launch of Modern Warfare 4 on October 23, including multiplayer and DMZ modes. The game's Steam review score may change as more players access the full release.