Patch Notes

The newest Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 patch notes are Infinity Ward's Oct 24, 2026 update, which improved spawns in Hijack, stopped players defusing the bomb in Search and Destroy from an unintended distance, and fixed DMZ bugs such as party leaders pulling teammates out of a match (Call of Duty, Oct 24, 2026). Infinity Ward keeps every launch update on one official page, newest first, under the Oct 21 launch patch notes; this page lists them the same way, dated, then the beta's changes. Infinity Ward said on Oct 23 that it was "already looking at potential weapon tuning for next week", so the first balance patch is expected the week of Oct 26.

Quick facts

Sources: Call of Duty, Oct 21, 2026 (updated Oct 24, 2026); Call of Duty, Oct 21, 2026; Insider Gaming, Oct 22, 2026.

Oct 24, 2026 update

Infinity Ward called it "another round of fixes and improvements" for Multiplayer and DMZ (Call of Duty, Oct 24, 2026). PCGamesN summed it up as improving respawns and stopping Search and Destroy exploits (PCGamesN, Oct 25, 2026).

Multiplayer

• Improved spawn locations and respawn timing in Hijack.
• Fixed Search and Destroy players defusing the bomb from an unintended distance or position.
• Fixed the Deathstalker killstreak traveling outside the map on Rooftops.
• Fixed the Portable Radar Field Upgrade not showing the minimap in Hardcore.
• Fixed Favorite Operators not equipping in Collateral.

Global

• Stability and crash fixes; front-end menus closing unexpectedly; DMZ weapon builds appearing usable in Multiplayer.
• Fixed DMZ cash being deducted for applying some camos or reticles in DMZ Gunsmith.
• Fixed a weapon's attachments not resetting when Prestiging it in Gunsmith.
• Fixed a wrong M4 muzzle attachment and floating bullets in the La Sombra Venenosa blueprint's magazine.
• PC: the Split keybind now follows a custom Ping keybind, so inventory stacks can be split.

DMZ

• Fixed Party Leaders pulling teammates out of DMZ without consent, which marked their Active Duty Operators MIA.
• Fixed the exfil helicopter disappearing with players inside.
• Fixed more rocks on Hajin that players could get stuck in, an out-of-bounds spot in the FOB, wrong objective markers in the Dark Zone story mission, and too-frequent AI reinforcements in the Shopping Mission.
• Fixed the Philanthropist Order on Page 19 not counting Weekly Mission Challenges done earlier; closed various exploits.

Added later the same day: a fix for player models stuck in static or wrong animations, and more PC stability fixes.

Known issues: the regional map animation while searching for a lobby is disabled while Infinity Ward tests a fix for hitching; some players are kicked while spectating in Multiplayer; on PC, extracting from DMZ with a looted Dog Tag can cause a network error. Weapon and Player Prestige are unavailable while searching for a match. More on DMZ is on DMZ.

Oct 23, 2026 update (launch day)

"Modern Warfare 4 is here!" Infinity Ward wrote, promising a series of updates "over the coming days, including upcoming Multiplayer Patch Notes" (Call of Duty, Oct 23, 2026).

• Weapon tuning: "We are already looking at potential weapon tuning for next week." Multiplayer and DMZ have separate weapon tuning.
• Apex Attachments: the ones in the beta were early seasonal-event items; "They will return soon." See Gunsmith and Attachments.
• Free-for-All: parties of up to 4 can now queue together.
• DMZ: players can steal back UAV Towers from enemy control; Disposable Parachutes now have three uses, and Gas Masks (including Durable ones) no longer break on entering radiation; fixes for disconnects, Bounty and Lieutenant Hunt tracking, FOB Upgrade challenges, AI helicopters stuck in the "Fallout" mission and players stuck in rocks on Hajin.
• Progression fixes: Military Camos and Apex Attachments appearing locked again after Prestiging a weapon, several inaccurate camo unlock requirements, and a DMZ challenge that listed Longshot kills instead of Headshot kills.
• Multiplayer: Portable Radar now works in Free-for-All; invisible collision near the Barracks on Summit no longer blocks a Deathstalker.
• Known issue: AI cars in DMZ moving without drivers or getting stuck.

Oct 21, 2026: launch patch notes

4:26 The launch patch notes, posted two days before release, set out what changed since the beta (Call of Duty, Oct 21, 2026). The game launched with 20 Multiplayer maps (12 Core 6v6, three Ground War, four Gunfight and Kill Block), over a dozen modes, 33 weapons, 33 Operators and progression to Level 55. See Multiplayer Maps and Game Modes. In the clip GamingBolt counts the 33 launch weapons: 24 primaries, eight secondaries and one melee weapon.

Time to kill and weapons. Infinity Ward said it "swung hard" on time-to-kill changes for the second beta weekend and that Weekend 2's TTK "was strongly preferred by all skill levels", so it stays. Since then, SMGs are "more efficient in close to mid-range combat", one-hit-kill weapons are "tempered with flinch and damage tuning", every weapon and attachment had a balance pass, and Advanced Weapon Stats are in Gunsmith. Shared attachments unlock for every weapon that can use them; Weapon Prestige relocks a weapon's attachments into a classic level path; new Optic Rail Placement and reticle customization arrived. See Weapons and Movement and Gunplay.

Perks. The 18 perks were reshuffled across the three slots, Battle Hardened now better negates Flash, Concussion and Screamer Mine, Resupply's first recharge is faster, and with Blood Rush pressing sprint triggers Tactical Sprint by default. See Perks.

Movement. Tactical Sprint stays off by default and lives on Blood Rush, now a Perk 2; in return the usual Tac Sprint sprint-out penalty was removed, and the default input is "single tap run". Bugs where enemy movement looked different in first and third person, which allowed "a few snaking opportunities", were fixed.

5:58 Killstreaks. There are 17, attachable to individual loadouts for the first time in a Modern Warfare game, with a Smart Streak Meter that credits objective play. The beta's +1 cost increase stays, "meaning UAVs are 5 kills (or 4 kills with the Hardline perk equipped)". UAV health rose from 100 to 150, and the Wheelson's pathing and targeting were made more aggressive. See Killstreaks.

Equipment. 9 Tacticals, 11 Lethals and 12 Field Upgrades; Flash and Concussion range and duration slightly reduced. See Equipment and Field Upgrades.

Spawns and interface. More work on player separation, squad spawning and Hardpoint spawn predictability. Pre-game countdown timers meant for previous-generation consoles were cut or removed, maps pre-load earlier, Weapon Build saving in Gunsmith became manual, and Gunny tutorials were trimmed.

Events. Weekly Challenges are not in Season 1; events with recurring tracks replace them, and the first started on launch day.

DMZ fixes from early access (Oct 20 and Oct 21). A crash when breaching the door in Breaking New Ground; double completion credit for story missions; the ISO Apex Attachment not working in DMZ; AI running over players during infil, including in NK Wilderness; the King Slayer calling card counting only the final blow; on Switch 2, a missing prompt in the Chemical Denial Dynamic Op at NuriGO Mall and saved blueprint modifications that could not be bought.

Campaign. Fixed a progression blocker in the Hotel sequence of Counter Attack.

Also: a Multiplayer server crash, Seeker Drones deploying out of bounds, the killstreak counter resetting after the Argonaut, and a 0.00 TTK shown for the Rezi 12 in the Firing Range. "Several hundred bugs. Killed dead."

Beta patches (August 2026)

The beta ran over two weekends, Aug 21 to 25 and Aug 28 to Sep 1, and Infinity Ward patched it as it went (Call of Duty, Sep 1, 2026). The changes that shaped the launch game:

• Aug 22 and 23: Cachette and Inflation joined, then Lotus and 3v3 Gunfight on Kill Block. PCGamesN reports the Aug 22 update cut Frangible Rounds' slow duration by 26.8% and its slow strength by 21.4%, and nerfed footstep audio.
• Weekend 2 (from Aug 28): every weapon retuned to raise the time to kill slightly without changing base health, sniper flinch up 28%; aim assist reduced globally, Warzone included; Tactical Sprint moved to the Blood Rush perk, slide distance cut 10%, slide speed 9% and stamina 8%; every killstreak cost raised by one kill; Team Deathmatch's score limit raised from 75 to 100 and Kill Confirmed's from 65 to 75; Lithium, Hijack and, on Aug 29, Ground War: Combat Outpost added; a 1st Person Camera Movement setting with a Minimal (25%) option.

More on the beta is on Open Beta.

What comes next

• Weapon tuning the week after launch, as promised on Oct 23.
• Shipment on Tuesday, Oct 27, 2026, in all Core and Hardcore modes (Game Rant, Oct 22, 2026); see Shipment.
• Possession (new) and Infected (returning) "just in time for Halloween" (Call of Duty, Oct 21, 2026).
• Season 1 on Nov 6, 2026, with the first Battle Pass and the Modern Warfare 4 version of Warzone (Insider Gaming, Oct 22, 2026); see Season 1 and Roadmap.

Frequently asked questions

When was the last MW4 update? The latest Modern Warfare 4 update listed by Infinity Ward is from Oct 24, 2026, with Hijack spawn improvements, a Search and Destroy defuse fix and DMZ fixes.

Where are the official MW4 patch notes? Infinity Ward posts Modern Warfare 4's patch notes on callofduty.com, with each launch update added to the top of the Oct 21 launch patch notes page, and tracks live issues on its Trello board and @CODUpdates.

Did MW4 change the time to kill at launch? Modern Warfare 4 kept the higher time to kill from the second beta weekend, then made SMGs stronger at close to mid range and tempered one-hit-kill weapons.

How much does a UAV cost in MW4? A UAV costs 5 kills in Modern Warfare 4 since the launch patch notes, or 4 with the Hardline perk, because the beta's +1 increase to every killstreak stayed.

When is the next MW4 weapon balance patch? On Oct 23, 2026 Infinity Ward said it was looking at Modern Warfare 4 weapon tuning "for next week", the week of Oct 26; no date was given.

Where did Apex Attachments go in MW4? Infinity Ward said the Apex Attachments in Modern Warfare 4's beta were early seasonal event items and "will return soon".

Sources

• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 Beta Patch Notes, Infinity Ward, Sep 1, 2026
• A Modern Warfare 4 beta update nerfs footsteps, and adds a new map and mode, PCGamesN, Aug 22, 2026
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 Launch Patch Notes, Infinity Ward, Oct 21, 2026 (updated Oct 23 and Oct 24, 2026)
• Ready for Launch: Multiplayer Maps and Modes Confirmed, Call of Duty, Oct 21, 2026
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 Shipment Release Date Officially Confirmed, Game Rant, Oct 22, 2026
• Modern Warfare 4 Season 1 Release Date & Expected Start Times, Insider Gaming, Oct 22, 2026
• New Modern Warfare 4 patch notes improve respawns and stop S&D exploits, PCGamesN, Oct 25, 2026
• Call of Duty Modern Warfare 4 (2026) Multiplayer - 15 Things You Need To Know Before You Buy, GamingBolt, Oct 11, 2026 (video)