Modern Warfare 4 Tops Steam in Campaign Early Access as Game Pass Waits Until Holiday 2027

Why this matters: a full-price Call of Duty is topping Steam while Game Pass subscribers wait a year

October 18, 2026 — Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 topped Steam's global Top Sellers chart when checked on October 18, during campaign early access. Publisher Activision has confirmed it will not join Xbox Game Pass until Holiday 2027 — a standalone purchase at launch on October 23.

Image: A lone soldier surveys a glowing sales chart and a distant holiday calendar. Credit: AI-generated illustration / Red Eye Eagle News, original illustration.

Editor's Highlight: Buyers have pushed the game to the top of Steam and early players rate the campaign well — while subscribers must wait over a year or pay full price.

Table of Contents

• Key Facts
• A Steam Lead That Needs Careful Reading
• The Campaign Early Players Are Praising
• Game Pass Waits Until Holiday 2027
• Editions, Prices and Platforms
• What Arrives Between Now and Launch Day
• Bottom Line
• FAQ
• Sources

Key Facts

A Steam Lead That Needs Careful Reading

Modern Warfare 4 topped Steam's global Top Sellers during campaign early access — strong for a game whose multiplayer has not opened yet.

The player number needs context. The 108,551 peak recorded on October 18 belongs to the shared Call of Duty app, which also supports Black Ops 7 and Warzone — so it is not a campaign-only audience, just a busy launch week.

Newsroom Focus: Sales position and concurrent players measure different things. Together, they show real buying activity before October 23, not a verdict on the full game.

The Campaign Early Players Are Praising

Early access opened October 16 for digital pre-orders, with the full 16-mission campaign playable.

On Steam, players rate it 82% positive, from just over 1,000 reviews. Early ratings often shift as more people play.

The story starts on the Korean Peninsula, spreading into a global war across New York, Paris and Mumbai. One thread follows Private Park Hyun Jun, a South Korean soldier defending his homeland; the other follows Captain John Price, now operating outside the military he once served.

Early coverage praises the cinematic presentation, varied missions and large-scale South Korean battles. The villain, the Archer, is played by Mads Mikkelsen.

The criticism is consistent: a heavily scripted campaign, failures for leaving the intended path, and a Price storyline some found less compelling. The game closes the arc begun with the 2019 reboot; Activision says the next game starts a new sub-series.

Analysis Note: A roughly six-hour campaign, per early playthroughs, is being judged on quality, not length — unlike the divisive 2023 Modern Warfare III campaign.

Game Pass Waits Until Holiday 2027

In an official post on October 15, Activision stated that Modern Warfare 4 launches October 23 as a standalone release, outside Game Pass until Holiday 2027.

That breaks from the day-one availability of recent Black Ops releases. There is no specific date, and the post notes availability and start dates can change.

Power Up Gaming reports a policy of adding new Call of Duty games a year after launch, expecting arrival around November 2027 — the outlet's reading, not a promise.

According to Activision, Game Pass Ultimate keeps Black Ops 7, Black Ops 6 and Modern Warfare III. The back catalog stays; the new game does not join it.

One perk applies at purchase: buying on the Microsoft Store makes it Xbox Play Anywhere, covering Xbox and PC, with cloud streaming for Ultimate members who own it.

Editions, Prices and Platforms

Both digital editions include campaign and DMZ early access when pre-ordered.

PS4 and Xbox One are not supported, according to the official Call of Duty blog cited in coverage.

The Nintendo Switch 2 version, ported by Digital Legends, makes this the first Call of Duty on a Nintendo console since Ghosts in 2013.

On PC, sold via Steam, Battle.net and the Xbox app, Activision lists DLSS 4.5, FSR Redstone, XeSS 3 and ray tracing — the publisher's targets, not independent tests.

What Arrives Between Now and Launch Day

DMZ returns in the Hajin exclusion zone, where squads complete objectives, fight rival operators and extract with loot. Zombies is not a launch mode — Infinity Ward is focusing on Campaign, Multiplayer and DMZ.

Practical Takeaway: Game Pass players face a stark choice — buy at $69.99 or wait until Holiday 2027. Buyers get the same early access and core game with Standard as with Vault.

Bottom Line

Modern Warfare 4 opened launch week topping Steam and earning early goodwill for its campaign.

The open question is multiplayer. The verdict waits for public servers after October 23 — and the Game Pass decision will shape those lobbies for a year.

FAQ

Is Modern Warfare 4 on Game Pass at launch?

No. It is a standalone purchase on October 23, 2026, and joins Game Pass only in Holiday 2027, per Activision. No exact date is set.

When can I play the campaign?

Digital pre-orders have had the full campaign since October 16. Everyone else gets it on October 23.

What does the 108,551 Steam peak actually mean?

It is the peak for the shared Call of Duty app, which also covers Black Ops 7 and Warzone — not a campaign-only count.

Which platforms can play Modern Warfare 4?

PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC and Nintendo Switch 2. PS4 and Xbox One are not supported.

Is Zombies in Modern Warfare 4 at launch?

No. The launch lineup is Campaign, Multiplayer and DMZ, with DMZ early access from October 20.

Sources

• Games 2 Egypt — Steam lead, shared-app peak, rollout dates: https://www.games2egypt.com/news/11827/modern-warfare-4-tops-steam-as-game-pass-waits-until-2027
• FPSHub — Campaign, story, editions, PC requirements: https://www.fpshub.com/1120411/modern-warfare-4-release-date-campaign-game-pass-update/
• Gagadget — Campaign reception and 82% Steam rating: https://gagadget.com/en/730519-modern-warfare-4s-campaign-is-winning-over-early-players/
• Pixel Herald — Game Pass status, prices, Play Anywhere: https://pixelherald.com/is-modern-warfare-4-on-game-pass-or-ps-plus-what-subscribers-need-to-know/
• HardcoreSND — Activision's October 15 confirmation: https://hardcoresnd.com/news/mw4-game-pass-day-one-purchase-required/
• Power Up Gaming — One-year Game Pass policy: https://powerupgaming.co.uk/2026/10/17/why-call-of-duty-modern-warfare-4-wont-be-on-game-pass-day-one/
• Image: Original AI-generated illustration for Red Eye Eagle News.