Modern Warfare 4 has barely been out a week and Activision has already laid out its first full season. On October 28, 2026, the official Call of Duty blog published the full Season 1 intel drop, and the short version is: three new multiplayer maps at launch, a brand-new DMZ location called X01, two Warzone maps, four new weapons over the season and a reworked Battle Pass with a catch-up system that guarantees value for anyone who buys it late.
Season 1 goes live on Thursday, November 5 at 11:00 PM CT (midnight ET on November 6). Before that, the Halloween pre-season is already running, and today, October 29, is the day the new Possession party mode arrives. This guide covers everything announced so far, with times converted to Central, and what you should do this week to be ready.
Sources used: the Call of Duty Season 1 announcement and the PlayStation Blog Season 1 overview, both posted October 28.
When Does Modern Warfare 4 Season 1 Start?
According to Activision, Season 1 goes live at 0000 (midnight) ET on November 6, which is 9:00 PM PT on November 5 and 11:00 PM CT on Thursday, November 5. It launches at the same time across all platforms.
Here is the full timeline we know about right now:
The Warzone side of Season 1 gets its own blog and roadmap on Monday, November 2. Activision's October 28 post focuses on Multiplayer, DMZ and the shared systems like weapons and the Battle Pass, so expect a second wave of details early next week.
Pre-Season: Shipment, Possession and Infected
You don't have to wait for November 6 for new content. The pre-season is already running and has a Halloween theme.
Shipment (Live Since October 27)
The remastered Shipment is already in the game. It is a small 6v6 map set on a Russian harbor, squeezed between the water and concrete panel buildings, and Activision says the layout is "true to form" with the classic version. The blog's advice is the same as every Call of Duty player's: use its nonstop pace to level up your early weapon ranks before Season 1 adds a flood of new unlocks.
Possession (Arrives October 29)
Possession is a new Halloween party mode that arrives today. When you eliminate an enemy, you possess them: you jump to their location and take their loadout. Activision describes it as a "fast, visceral party mode moshpit," and the twist is that possession is automatic. Kill someone on the far side of the map and you get thrown over there, which can carry you onto a Hardpoint or clear a Search and Destroy bombsite. It can also drop you somewhere terrible, so the blog warns you to "check your targets before committing to the kill."
Infected (Arrives October 30)
The classic Infected mode returns on October 30. One random player starts as Infected, and every Survivor they kill joins the swarm. The loadouts are fixed:
- Infected: FSS Carbon Edge Combat Knife, Throwing Knife and the Ninja Perk
- Survivors: Rezi 12 Shotgun with explosive slugs via the Enforcer Apex Attachment, Trip Wire and a Concussion Grenade
New Multiplayer Maps
Season 1 brings three 6v6 medium maps at launch, two named maps at mid-season, and more that are still listed as classified.
Backstab (Launch)
A brand-new map set in a snowy, war-torn town full of abandoned tanks. Long sightlines rule the streets, while open buildings give you closer fights. Activision calls out the key vantage points: the roof of the Stronghold House and the upper levels of the Sniper House, Grandpa's House and the Destroyed Building. Blasted walls open up flank routes all over the map, so expect a lot of off-angle kills until people learn it.
Canyon (Launch)
A sun-scorched desert map with towering rock walls. You can push along the River near the Convoy Ambush site or take the Cliff Path up high. There is a lot of open ground broken up by huge natural walls, so timing your movement between cover matters. The northern Cave leads to an Abandoned Shack that looks built for ambushes, and the central Mesa gives you a view toward both ends of the map.
Shoot House (Launch, Reimagined)
Shoot House is back, rebuilt for MW4's movement and combat systems. Veterans will recognize the layout, but it is now set in the rugged terrain of North Korea during a light snowfall. It keeps the classic three lanes: the southern Junkyard, the tunnels through the Center, and the northern Containers. The overhead Hospital and Apartment are the power positions.
Mid-Season Maps (Season 1 Reloaded)
- Ministry: A fight in and around an embassy during a Global Peace Summit.
- Overflow: A factory and its surrounding farmland, with mobile rocket launchers firing in the distance.
- Additional classified maps, with details coming in the Season 1 Reloaded blog.
Kill Block: Crash
MW4's Kill Block system normally shuffles map slabs between rounds. For Season 1, Infinity Ward is adding a featured static Kill Block combo called Crash, where all three slabs stay fixed. The combination was hand-picked from the most popular setups in the MW4 Beta, and it will appear across a variety of Core playlists, including Search and Destroy. If you play competitive modes, that is a welcome change, since a fixed layout lets you learn real setups and spawns.
New Multiplayer Modes
At Season 1 launch, three modes join the rotation:
- Grind (returning): Eliminate players, collect their dog tags and bank them at one of two Banks to score. You drop every tag you are carrying when you die, so greedy runs can swing a match.
- Drop Zone (returning): Teams fight over a single rotating objective while airdrops deliver random Killstreak packages onto it.
- Gauntlet 1v1 (limited-time): A 1v1 Gunfight variant tied to the Wager Match Event. You wager trophies, and the winner stays on to face the next challenger.
DMZ Season 1: Designation X01
DMZ gets the most mysterious part of the drop. North Korean forces have taken over a former Russian facility on the edge of Hajin, codenamed X01. According to the blog, it was a GRANIT Arms black site, and you get in through an infiltration point in Hajin.
What we know about X01:
- It is a dimly lit maze of passageways, tunnels and chambers built around a hidden weapons assembly line.
- You will search cargo bays and vehicle depots, go down to underground labs and production lines, and try to break into a sealed Deep Vault.
- Ground-penetrating radar shows multiple floors of vertical traversal, so expect a lot of fighting up and down stairwells and shafts.
- Troops and specialists from the 100 Spirits NK Faction are active inside, and Activision says "stronger, more brutal entities" patrol the interior.
- As the facility starts closing off extraction points, you will need to complete required steps to escape. The blog warns the facility "will take extreme measures to remove intruders," so always know where the nearest exfil is.
New DMZ Orders
Ghost is the Watcher for X01, acting as your squad's voice on the ground. He tracks your route, flags new threats and drops hints as you open up new areas. Expect multiple pages of new DMZ Orders tied to the facility.
FOB Upgrades
Your Forward Operating Base is getting several new stations:
- Battle Pass and Store Station next to the Survival Kit Station
- 3D Printer (details still classified)
- Vendor that sells extra weapons and gear for DMZ Cash, but only if you own Season 1 BlackCell
- Boss Board: Lieutenants, with intel on Tae-Hyun ("Knuckle") and Chol-Min ("The Wrench")
- Boss Board: Commanders, including The Captain (a Juggernaut with an elite guard) and an autonomous patrolling Wheelson
DMZ Events
Season 1 opens with two main DMZ event types:
- Threat Briefing: Battle Tank. Go into Hajin, fight a North Korean main battle tank and pull one tank part per deployment. More parts over multiple deployments means better rewards.
- Threat Briefing: The Captain. Go into X01, fight The Captain and collect pieces of his Juggernaut helmet for rewards when you exfil.
- Resupply Run. Track down specific items across POIs and trade them in for high-value gear like Self Revives and 3-Plate Carriers.
New Weapons and Attachments
Four new weapons are coming across Season 1:
Apex Attachments Worth Knowing
Each new gun has its own Apex Attachment, and some of them completely change how the weapon plays:
- Cronen Helix Mk. II (Cronen Osprey): A double-barrel receiver that fires on both trigger pull and release, turning the rifle into a semi-auto weapon with, in Activision's words, "an unmatched rate of fire among semi-automatic weapons."
- CSG Crossfire (CSG-35): Akimbo CSG-35s. You trade accuracy for a lot of bullets.
- JAK Barrage (JAK 12): Launches sticky explosives that attach to surfaces and targets before detonating.
- Hyeon Auto for the Hyeon Burst Assault Rifle, converting it to full-auto (Wager Match Event reward)
- Kastov 545 for the Kastov 762, switching it to 5.45x39mm rounds for smoother handling (Wager Match Event reward)
- M16 Burst for the M4, trading full-auto for controlled bursts (event reward)
- TT Iron Guard Kit for the .50 GS Pistol and the ChainSAW Grip set for the FiNN LMG
Season 1 Battle Pass and BlackCell
The Battle Pass is the biggest structural change this season.
The New Catch-Up System
The Season 1 Battle Pass is a linear 100-tier track with 100+ rewards. The new part is a catch-up system: if you buy the premium pass and fall behind, you are automatically caught up to the reward matching the current day of the season, up to day 50. Activision says this guarantees 50+ rewards for anyone who purchases it.
In practice, this means buying the pass late no longer feels like a waste. If you pick it up on day 30, you are not starting at tier 1 and racing the clock.
Price and Instant Rewards
- Season 1 Battle Pass: 1,100 COD Points
- Season 1 Battle Pass Bundle: 2,400 COD Points
- 10% Battle Pass XP Boost for the whole season
- Up to 1,100 COD Points
- "Downpour" Operator Skin for Blix (and "Downpour BlackCell" for BlackCell owners)
- "Fortune's Favor" FiNN LMG Weapon Blueprint
- "Happy Boom" Sticky Grenade Blueprint
- "Killing Demon" Weapon Sticker
- DMZ Survival Kit
Completion Rewards
Finish all 100 tiers of the premium pass and you get the "Vantage" Operator Skin for Blix, the "Blue Viper" Hyeon Burst Blueprint, 200 COD Points, the "Honor's Harbinger" Calling Card, the "Virtue's Snarl" Emblem and a DMZ Survival Kit. The Tier 100 reward itself is the "Bellum" Ultra rarity Mosin-Nagant Weapon Blueprint. Later in the season, players who finish the pass can unlock eight additional Operator Skins as bonus rewards, with details in the Reloaded blog.
BlackCell
BlackCell owners get the new Operator XERO, plus "Cowled" and "Adder" variants through BlackCell Challenges, 1,100 COD Points, the "Perimeter Lance" M4 Signature Blueprint with two variants, the "Dog Food" Companion Finishing Move, a custom lobby scene, a Mastery Camo track, 20 Tier Skip Tokens, a DMZ Survival Pack and the "BlackCell" clan tag. Inside the pass, BlackCell adds seven extra Operator Skins and seven Weapon Blueprints.
If you bought the Vault Edition, Season 1 BlackCell is included. Standard Edition owners can upgrade to Vault later, as long as the upgrade is on the same platform as the original purchase. If you buy the Battle Pass first and upgrade to BlackCell later, you get 1,100 COD Points back.
Season 1 Events
- Wager Match (MP, DMZ, Warzone): Trophies are the currency. Collect them through the Gauntlet 1v1 playlist and DMZ and Warzone challenges to unlock attachments, an Operator Skin, a Blueprint and a camo. The top three winners get extra rewards. Activision notes that no money or items of real-world value are involved.
- Weapon Camo Events: Play matches and earn XP for new camos.
- Joint Fire Event: An XP boost that grows with squad size, with Blueprints, Charms, 2XP Tokens and a DMZ Survival Kit as rewards.
- More events are coming at mid-season.
Warzone in Season 1
Warzone gets two new maps, Hajin and Zodiac, plus the return of Verdansk and Rebirth Island, as Modern Warfare 4 becomes fully integrated with the free-to-play game. Full Warzone details and a separate roadmap arrive on Monday, November 2.
Free Camo for Verifying Your Email
One quick win: verifying your Call of Duty account email unlocks the "Locked Down" Universal Weapon Camo. Activision says email verification helps strengthen account security, which is worth doing anyway. If you have put time into unlocks, camos and paid bundles, a verified email makes it a lot easier to recover your account if something goes wrong.
How to Get Ready This Week
- Play Possession and Infected while they are around, and use Shipment to level your weapons.
- Verify your account email for the free Locked Down camo.
- Save COD Points if you plan to buy the pass. You need 1,100 for the standard pass.
- Check your edition. If you have the Vault Edition, BlackCell is already covered.
- Read the Warzone roadmap on November 2 if you play the battle royale side.
- Plan for a late-night update on November 5. With launch at 11:00 PM CT, it makes sense to download the update before you go to bed.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time does Modern Warfare 4 Season 1 start?
Season 1 goes live at midnight ET on November 6, 2026. That is 11:00 PM CT and 9:00 PM PT on Thursday, November 5, at the same time on all platforms.
What maps are in MW4 Season 1?
Backstab, Canyon and a reimagined Shoot House arrive at launch. Ministry, Overflow and more classified maps come at mid-season. Shipment is already live since October 27, and Kill Block: Crash adds a fixed slab combo to several playlists.
What is the new DMZ map in MW4 Season 1?
It is X01, a former Russian weapons facility on the edge of Hajin, now held by North Korean forces. It is a multi-floor maze of tunnels, labs and production lines with a sealed Deep Vault, and its extraction points close off as you go deeper.
When does Possession mode come to MW4?
Possession arrives on October 29, 2026, as part of the Halloween pre-season. Infected returns on October 30.
What new weapons are in MW4 Season 1?
The Cronen Osprey assault rifle and CSG-35 SMG launch with the Battle Pass. The JAK 12 shotgun and the ZLR Talonhawk combat axe arrive later in the season as event rewards.
How much is the MW4 Season 1 Battle Pass?
The Battle Pass costs 1,100 COD Points, and the Battle Pass Bundle costs 2,400 COD Points. Both include instant rewards and access to the new catch-up system.
How does the MW4 Battle Pass catch-up system work?
If you own the premium pass and fall behind, you are automatically caught up to the reward matching the current day of the season, up to day 50. Activision says this guarantees 50+ rewards.
Is BlackCell included with the Vault Edition?
Yes. Vault Edition owners can unlock the Season 1 BlackCell offering. Standard Edition owners can upgrade to Vault on the same platform they bought the game on.
What is coming to Warzone in Season 1?
Hajin and Zodiac are new, and Verdansk and Rebirth Island return, as Modern Warfare 4 integrates with Warzone. A full Warzone roadmap is due on Monday, November 2.
How do I get the Locked Down camo?
Verify the email on your Call of Duty account. The Locked Down Universal Weapon Camo is added to your account once verification is complete.
