Entertainment · Gaming · 4 hrs ago
Modern Warfare 4 campaign draws positive early reactions
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4’s campaign is getting positive early reactions from players and reviewers.
The story follows Captain Price and other characters in South Korea as war breaks out between North and South Korea.
The six-hour campaign has 16 missions, including large battles and missions that draw on the game’s DMZ mode.
Its reception is a contrast with the criticism aimed at last year’s Black Ops 7 campaign.
Some reviewers praised the missions but said the story feels rushed, so early praise does not mean everyone considers it one of the series’ best.
Digital pre-order customers can play the campaign now, while the game’s stated release date is October 23.
DMZ access for those customers is due October 20, and broader reviews are pending more time with multiplayer.
Early reactions to the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 campaign are largely positive from players and reviewers.
The campaign became available on Oct. 16 to people who pre-ordered the game digitally.
Reviewers praised its missions and action, while some said the story felt rushed or fell short of the series’ best campaigns.
The six-hour campaign has 16 missions and takes place partly in South Korea amid a war between North and South Korea.
The game’s publicized release date is Oct. 23, and digital pre-order players are due to get access to DMZ on Oct. 20.
- Who
- Players and reviewers have shared early reactions to the campaign.
- What
- Modern Warfare 4’s campaign has received mostly positive early reviews, though some reviewers criticized its story.
- When
- It became available to digital pre-order customers on Oct. 16, 2026; articles reporting reactions were published on Oct. 17.
- Where
- The campaign takes the action to South Korea.
- Why
- Reviewers praised its missions and action, while some said the story was rushed or did not reach the series’ highest standards.
Positive reviewers and players
Reviewers with reservations
Overall quality
Positive reviewers and players
GameSpot called it the best campaign since Modern Warfare 2019, and players praised it as a return to form.
Reviewers with reservations
IGN said it may not rank among the very best Call of Duty campaigns.
Story
Positive reviewers and players
GameSpot praised the pacing and said the campaign ends on a high note.
Reviewers with reservations
PC Gamer found the story rushed and unsatisfying, and IGN also raised critiques.
The campaign became available to people who pre-ordered the game digitally.
Polygon and Kotaku published reports on players’ reactions and early reviews.
Digital pre-order customers are due to gain access to the DMZ extraction shooter mode.
The game’s publicized release date, covering its physical release and traditional multiplayer modes.
- Campaign length
- Six hours
- Mission count
- 16
- Setting
- South Korea
- Digital campaign access
- Oct. 16, 2026
- DMZ access for digital pre-orders
- Oct. 20, 2026
- Publicized release date
- Oct. 23, 2026
3 sources
What people are saying
This was billed as the conclusion of the Modern Warfare story that started in 2019, but in practice, it’s more like a sprint to be done with it all
Because of that, Modern Warfare 4’s campaign ranks as the best we’ve seen since Modern Warfare 2019.
A consistently strong set of missions manages to juggle a bloated cast successfully, saying goodbye to familiar faces while building impressive bonds with new ones.
best campaign since original trilogy