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Modern Warfare 4's Final Beta Patch Rebalances Weapons and Warzone Mechanics

Activision closed out Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4's second open beta weekend with a patch that retunes several weapons and changes how players revive teammates in Warzone, seven weeks before the game's October launch.

Meridians Tech Desk

Published 1 September 2026 · Updated 1 September 2026 · 3 min read

Modern Warfare 4's Final Beta Patch Rebalances Weapons and Warzone MechanicsGaming
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The short answer

  • Activision published patch notes for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4's Open Beta on August 31, 2026, the final day of the second beta weekend.
  • Weapon changes included a damage-range increase for the PPSh-41 SMG and a damage reduction for the FiNN LMG.
  • Warzone updates let players revive downed squadmates while prone, disable Infil gas explosions, and increase sprint speeds by 3-5% depending on weapon class.
  • The full game launches October 23, 2026, with campaign early access starting October 16 for digital pre-order customers.

Activision released a new patch for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4's open beta on August 31, 2026, the closing day of the second beta weekend. The update adjusted weapon damage across multiple categories and changed several mechanics in the Warzone Resurgence mode, ahead of the full game's release in October.

Key facts

  • The beta's second weekend ran from August 28 at 10:00 AM PT to September 1 at 10:00 AM PT, across Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, PlayStation 5, Steam, Battle.net, and Nintendo Switch 2.
  • Weapon tuning touched pistols, SMGs, LMGs, marksman rifles, assault rifles, and shotguns to adjust time-to-kill.
  • The PPSh-41 SMG's max damage range increased from 0-10.4m to 0-10.8m, while the FiNN LMG's max damage dropped from 33 to 30.
  • On Warzone's Zodiac map, visibility was improved through adjusted color balance and reduced bloom.

Warzone and progression changes

Beyond weapon balancing, the patch changed how players interact with teammates in Warzone. Players can now revive downed squadmates while prone, and the Infil gas explosion was disabled outright. Sprint speeds increased by 3-5% depending on weapon class, and squadmate nameplates now only display when a player aims directly at a teammate, rather than remaining visible more broadly. Double XP and Double Weapon XP stayed active through the weekend, letting beta participants progress toward the level 30 cap that unlocks in-beta cosmetic rewards.

What the beta covered

The second beta weekend included the campaign mission "Entrenched," which Activision says marks the first time a campaign mission has appeared in a Call of Duty beta. Players also had access to a Mobility Course training facility, seven multiplayer modes including two new ones called Inflation and Hijack, six core 6v6 maps, a Kill Block variant in 3v3 and 10v10 formats, 24v24 Ground War on two large maps, and 19 multiplayer weapons across nine classes. Players who reached level 30 in the beta earn eight cosmetic rewards that carry over into the full game.

Release timeline

Modern Warfare 4 is scheduled to launch October 23, 2026. Campaign early access begins October 16 for customers who digitally pre-order the game.

Sources

Every factual claim above is traceable to these documents. Check them — that is why they are here.

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Meridians Tech Desk is an editorial desk at Meridians, not an individual. A desk byline means the article was produced and fact-checked to that desk's published standards. Read our editorial standards and corrections policy.

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