Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 Season 1 goes live on November 6 at 05:00 UTC (midnight ET on Nov 6, 9 PM PT on Nov 5) on all platforms, according to Activision’s official Season 1 blog published on October 28. It is a free update that adds three multiplayer maps at launch, five modes, two new guns in the Battle Pass, a new DMZ zone called X01 and full Warzone integration. Here is everything Activision and Infinity Ward have confirmed, sorted by what arrives when.
Table of Contents
MW4 Season 1: quick answer
- Release: Nov 6, 05:00 UTC (00:00 ET Nov 6 / 21:00 PT Nov 5), all platforms.
- New maps at launch: Backstab and Canyon (new, 6v6), Shoot House (reimagined), plus the fixed Kill Block: Crash combo. Ministry and Overflow follow at mid-season.
- Modes: Possession (Oct 29) and Infected (Oct 30) before the season; Grind, Drop Zone and Gauntlet 1v1 at launch; Counter Attack later.
- New weapons: Cronen Osprey assault rifle (Battle Pass tier 16) and CSG-35 SMG (tier 36) at launch; JAK 12 shotgun and ZLR Talonhawk melee axe later as event rewards.
- DMZ: X01, a former GRANIT Arms black site reached through Hajin, with new Orders, bosses and a sealed Deep Vault.
- Battle Pass: 100 tiers, 1,100 COD Points (2,400 CP bundle), with a new catch-up system.
- Warzone: Hajin and Zodiac maps, Verdansk and Rebirth Island return; full Warzone intel is due on Nov 2.
The official Season 1 roadmap: Backstab, Canyon and Shoot House at launch, Overflow and Ministry in-season, plus X01 and the Deep Vault in DMZ. Image: Activision
MW4 Season 1 release date and time
Activision gives the start as 0000 ET on November 6 and 2100 PT on November 5. US clocks fall back on November 1, so both of those are standard time and land on the same moment: 05:00 UTC.
| Region | Season 1 start |
|---|---|
| UTC | Friday, Nov 6, 05:00 |
| US Pacific (PT) | Thursday, Nov 5, 9:00 PM |
| US Eastern (ET) | Friday, Nov 6, 12:00 AM |
| UK (GMT) | Friday, Nov 6, 5:00 AM |
| Central Europe (CET) | Friday, Nov 6, 6:00 AM |
| India (IST) | Friday, Nov 6, 10:30 AM |
| Japan (JST) | Friday, Nov 6, 2:00 PM |
| Sydney (AEDT) | Friday, Nov 6, 4:00 PM |
The date matches what our earlier MW4 Season 1 roadmap post reported from pre-launch coverage; the official blog now adds the hour. Activision did not give a download size or a pre-load time for the update.
Season 1 timeline: what arrives when
| Date | What’s coming |
|---|---|
| Oct 27 (live) | Shipment remaster, with a Shipment 24/7 playlist |
| Oct 29 | Possession mode (pre-season) |
| Oct 30 | Infected mode (pre-season) |
| Nov 2 | Separate Warzone Season 1 blog and roadmap |
| Nov 6 | Season 1: Backstab, Canyon, Shoot House, Kill Block: Crash, Grind, Drop Zone, Gauntlet 1v1, Cronen Osprey, CSG-35, X01, Battle Pass, BlackCell, Wager Match event |
| Later in Season 1 | JAK 12 and ZLR Talonhawk (event rewards), new attachments, more events |
| Season 1 Reloaded (mid-season, no date yet) | Ministry, Overflow and more unnamed maps; Counter Attack and a new Team Deathmatch variant |
New MW4 Season 1 maps
MW4 already has more than 20 multiplayer maps, as Infinity Ward pointed out in its Season 1 maps post on X. Season 1 adds three at launch and at least two at mid-season.
| Map | Type | When | What it is |
|---|---|---|---|
| Backstab | New, 6v6, medium | Nov 6 | Snowy war-torn town: long street sightlines plus open buildings with rooftop vantage points |
| Canyon | New, 6v6, medium | Nov 6 | Desert canyon with a river, Cliff Path, a northern cave and a central Mesa |
| Shoot House | Reimagined, 6v6, medium | Nov 6 | The classic three-lane layout (Junkyard, Center tunnels, Containers) moved to snowy North Korea |
| Kill Block: Crash | Fixed Kill Block combo | Nov 6 | Three static slabs (a helicopter crash site) picked from popular Beta combos; also in core playlists, including Search and Destroy |
| Ministry | New | Mid-season | An embassy under attack during a Global Peace Summit |
| Overflow | New | Mid-season | A factory and farmland with mobile rocket launchers firing in the distance |
| [Classified] | New | Mid-season | Activision says more maps will be detailed in the Season 1 Reloaded blog |
Shipment is not part of the Season 1 drop: it went live on October 27 as pre-season content (see our Shipment 24/7 playlist post). For the 20 launch maps, our MW4 maps list has the full table.
New MW4 modes in Season 1
Activision’s @CallofDuty modes thread and the blog list six modes for the first half of the season:
| Mode | When | How it works |
|---|---|---|
| Possession (new) | Oct 29 | Party mode: eliminate an enemy and you take over their body, location and loadout, which can put you straight onto a Hardpoint or bombsite |
| Infected (returning) | Oct 30 | Each Survivor killed joins the Infected (knives, Ninja); Survivors carry the Rezi 12 with explosive slugs |
| Grind (returning) | Nov 6 | Collect dog tags and bank them at one of two Banks; die and you drop every tag you carry |
| Drop Zone (returning) | Nov 6 | Hold a single rotating zone that drops random Killstreak care packages |
| Gauntlet 1v1 (LTM) | Nov 6 | 1v1 Gunfight inside the Wager Match event: wager trophies, the winner stays on |
| Counter Attack | Mid-season | Plant bombs at the enemy Comm Station while defending your own |
A Team Deathmatch variant is also due at mid-season. Wondering whether Possession and Infected mean a Zombies-style mode? Our MW4 Zombies explainer covers what is and isn’t in the game.
New weapons in MW4 Season 1 and how to unlock them
Four new weapons are confirmed. Two are free base weapons in the Season 1 Battle Pass at launch; the other two arrive later as event rewards. Stats below are Activision’s own numbers from the blog.
| Weapon | Class | How to unlock | Fire rate | Mag / reserve | Weapon levels | Apex attachment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cronen Osprey | Assault rifle (5.56) | Battle Pass tier 16 (Nov 6); BP blueprint at tier 87 | 882 RPM | 30 / 90 | 70 | Cronen Helix Mk. II (double-barrel, fires on trigger pull and release) |
| CSG-35 | SMG | Battle Pass tier 36 (Nov 6); BP blueprint at tier 73 | 1,200 RPM | 28 / 112 | 42 | CSG Crossfire (akimbo CSG-35s) |
| JAK 12 | Full-auto shotgun | Event reward, later in Season 1 | 323 RPM | 8 / 16 | Classified | JAK Barrage (sticky explosives) |
| ZLR Talonhawk | Melee (combat axe) | Event reward, later in Season 1 | n/a | n/a | 10 (has Mastery badges) | None (no attachments) |
The Cronen Osprey (Battle Pass tier 16) fires at 882 RPM; its Helix Mk. II Apex turns it into a double-barrel semi-auto. Image: Activision
What the numbers say
Activision describes the Cronen Osprey as “rivaled only by the M4” in fire rate, with moderate damage and recoil that kicks up and to the right in sustained fire. On paper it is a fast-killing all-rounder rather than a long-range laser. The CSG-35 is the opposite trade: the highest fire rate in its class but modest damage per round, and Activision itself says it overwhelms targets “within 20 meters” and gets harder to control past that. Treat it as a close-range room-clearer, not a mid-range SMG. Until live-game data exists, the picks in our MW4 best loadouts guide remain the baseline to compare against. If the CSG-35’s climbing recoil gives you trouble on a pad, our MW4 controller settings guide explains the deadzone and response curve options.
New attachments
- Hyeon Auto (Apex for the Hyeon Burst AR): converts it to full-auto. Wager Match event reward.
- Kastov 545 (Apex for the Kastov 762): switches to 5.45x39mm for smoother handling. Wager Match event reward.
- M16 Burst (for the M4): trades full-auto for bursts. Event reward.
- TT Iron Guard Kit for the .50 GS pistol and the ChainSAW Grip set for the FiNN LMG, both in-season.
MW4 Season 1 DMZ: the X01 zone
X01 is the headline DMZ addition. Activision calls it a former GRANIT Arms black site on the northern edge of Hajin, now held by North Korean forces, and you deploy into it through Hajin. Some coverage calls it an endgame zone; Activision’s blog doesn’t use that word, but the description fits: it is built for squads with specialised gear, and the facility “will take extreme measures” to remove intruders.
- Layout: cargo bays and vehicle depots, underground labs and production lines, multi-floor tunnels and a sealed Deep Vault.
- Watcher: Ghost guides squads through “multiple pages” of new DMZ Orders.
- Threats: 100 Spirits faction troops and specialists, plus stronger enemies Activision keeps classified.
- Extraction: the facility closes off exfil points as you go, so you must complete steps to escape.
- Loot: equipment that isn’t found anywhere else in DMZ (details classified).
The FOB gets a Battle Pass and Store station, a 3D Printer (classified), a Vendor selling extra gear for DMZ Cash to BlackCell owners, and two Boss Boards: Lieutenants Tae-Hyun (“Knuckle”) and Chol-Min (“The Wrench”), and Commanders including The Captain, a Juggernaut with an elite guard.
X01, a former GRANIT Arms black site reached through Hajin, opens in DMZ on Nov 6. Image: Activision
Season 1 DMZ events
| Event | Where | Goal |
|---|---|---|
| Threat Briefing: Battle Tank | Hajin | Fight a North Korean main battle tank and exfil with one tank part per deployment; more parts, better rewards |
| Threat Briefing: The Captain | X01 | Take pieces of the Juggernaut’s helmet and exfil with them |
| Resupply Run | Various POIs | Find specific items and trade them for Self Revives, 3-Plate Carriers and other high-value gear |
In Threat Briefings, the whole squad gets credit if one member exfils with a Commander part. New to DMZ? Start with our MW4 DMZ beginner guide before pushing into X01.
MW4 Season 1 Battle Pass and BlackCell
The Battle Pass is now a 100-tier linear track with free and premium tiers. It costs 1,100 COD Points, or 2,400 COD Points for the Battle Pass Bundle. The new part is a catch-up system: 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, which is how Activision guarantees “50+ rewards”.
| Battle Pass | What you get |
|---|---|
| Instant rewards (purchase) | 10% Battle Pass XP boost for the season, up to 1,100 COD Points, Blix “Downpour” skin, “Fortune’s Favor” FiNN LMG blueprint, “Happy Boom” Sticky Grenade blueprint, “Killing Demon” sticker, DMZ Survival Kit |
| Along the track | Cronen Osprey and CSG-35, blueprints, finishing moves, calling cards, charms, 2XP tokens, COD Points, DMZ Survival Kits |
| Completing all 100 tiers | Blix “Vantage” skin, “Blue Viper” Hyeon Burst blueprint, 200 COD Points, “Honor’s Harbinger” calling card, “Virtue’s Snarl” emblem, DMZ Survival Kit |
| Tier 100 | “Bellum” Ultra Mosin-Nagant blueprint |
| Bonus (later) | Eight extra Operator skins for premium owners who finish all 100 tiers |
BlackCell adds the XERO Operator, 1,100 COD Points, the “Perimeter Lance” M4 signature blueprint, 20 tier skips, a Mastery camo track, and seven BlackCell skins and blueprints (including the new CSG-35 and Cronen Osprey). Vault Edition owners get it included; the blog lists no separate BlackCell price. Upgrade after buying the Battle Pass and you get the 1,100 COD Points back.
Season 1 events: Wager Match and Joint Fire
- Wager Match (MP, DMZ, Warzone, from launch): win trophies in Gauntlet 1v1 and DMZ/Warzone challenges for the Hyeon Auto and Kastov 545 attachments, a skin, a blueprint and a camo; the top three get extra rewards.
- Weapon Camo events: earn camos by playing matches; useful alongside the ladder in our MW4 camo challenges guide.
- Joint Fire: an XP boost that grows with squad size, with blueprints, charms, 2XP tokens and a DMZ Survival Kit as rewards.
Warzone in MW4 Season 1
Season 1 is when MW4 becomes fully integrated with Warzone. Activision confirms two new Warzone maps, Hajin and Zodiac, plus the return of Verdansk and Rebirth Island, more modes and gameplay changes. Everything else is held for a separate blog and roadmap on Monday, November 2, which @CallofDuty says will include details on Hajin and Zodiac. It is MW4’s first big content drop since Xbox said Call of Duty had passed $40 billion in lifetime revenue.
Is 100% completion impossible in MW4?
Polygon reported on Oct 28 that a recent change may lock completionists out of one challenge. The change itself is official: on Oct 28 at 04:44 UTC the @CODUpdates account said Free-for-All party size is now limited to 2 players and the score limit was cut to 25 kills.
Polygon’s stated reason is that a Calling Card challenge asks for a Nuke in a Free-for-All match, and the Nuke needs 30 kills in a row, more than the new 25-kill limit allows. Polygon says that, unless the developers change the challenge or restore the old limit, players may have no way to finish it. This has nothing to do with the Season 1 update. As of 17:15 UTC on Oct 28 we found no reply from Activision or Infinity Ward on the challenge, and the Season 1 blog doesn’t mention Free-for-All. The 30-kill Nuke figure comes from outlets, not Activision patch notes (see our MW4 killstreaks list).
FAQ
When does MW4 Season 1 start?
November 6, 2026 at 05:00 UTC, which is midnight ET on Nov 6 and 9 PM PT on Nov 5, on all platforms.
Are the new MW4 Season 1 weapons free?
The Cronen Osprey (tier 16) and CSG-35 (tier 36) are free base weapons in the Season 1 Battle Pass. The JAK 12 and ZLR Talonhawk come later as event rewards.
How much is the MW4 Season 1 Battle Pass?
1,100 COD Points, or 2,400 COD Points for the Battle Pass Bundle. Vault Edition owners also get Season 1 BlackCell.
When is MW4 Season 1 Reloaded?
Activision has only said “mid-season”. Ministry, Overflow, more maps and Counter Attack arrive then; intel comes in the Season 1 Reloaded blog.
Sources: Call of Duty blog, “Modern Warfare 4 and Warzone Season 1: All You Need to Know” (Oct 28, 2026); @CallofDuty and @InfinityWard on X (Oct 28); @CODUpdates (Oct 28); Polygon (Oct 28). Checked Oct 28, 2026, 17:15 UTC.
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Featured image: Activision
