The MW4 Season 1 release date is Friday, November 6, according to the content roadmap Activision posted on October 14. That’s two weeks after Modern Warfare 4 launches on October 23, and it’s also the day the new Warzone arrives. Before that, three free drops land in the week after launch: Shipment on October 27, Possession on October 29 and Infected on October 30.
Only Shipment’s date appears in Activision’s own written posts. The other three dates come from the roadmap graphic as described by outlets. Here’s what each source actually says, so you know what’s locked in on launch night.
Table of Contents
MW4 roadmap: every date from launch to Season 1
| Date | What arrives | Where it’s confirmed |
|---|---|---|
| Fri, Oct 23 | Full launch: 12 core 6v6 maps, Kill Block, 3 Ground War maps, 4 Gunfight maps, DMZ, campaign | Call of Duty blog |
| Tue, Oct 27 | Shipment (6v6 map) | Call of Duty blog, @CallofDuty and @InfinityWard |
| Thu, Oct 29 | Possession (new Halloween party mode) | Roadmap date per outlets; launch patch notes say “next week” |
| Fri, Oct 30 | Infected (returning party mode) | Roadmap date per outlets; launch patch notes say “next week” |
| Fri, Nov 6 | Season 1 for MW4 and Warzone, first Battle Pass | Roadmap per Insider Gaming and Inven Global; Activision’s blog still says “shortly after launch” |
No start time has been announced for any of these drops (checked October 22, 22:40 UTC).
Shipment returns on October 27 in a Russian harbor container yard. Image: Activision
When does Shipment come out in MW4?
Shipment returns on Tuesday, October 27. Activision’s Ready for Launch maps and modes post lists it as a post-launch 6v6 map “arriving shortly after launch on October 27”, now set in a container yard on a Russian harbor. Infinity Ward repeated the date on X on October 21. It’s the only post-launch date Activision has put in writing so far.
When do Possession and Infected start?
The maps and modes post only says the two modes arrive “just in time for Halloween in the leadup to Season 1”. The MW4 launch patch notes, published October 21, say Infected and Possession are “dropping next week as a Halloween treat”. That points to the week of October 26.
The exact days come from the October 14 roadmap graphic. Inven Global read Possession on October 29 and Infected on October 30 from that image. Those dates fit the patch notes, but Activision hasn’t confirmed them in text.
- Possession: a new mode. Eliminating an enemy makes you possess them: you jump to their position and take their loadout, even onto a Hardpoint or a Search and Destroy bombsite.
- Infected: one random player starts as Infected, and every Survivor they kill joins the horde.
When does MW4 Season 1 start?
Insider Gaming reported on October 14 that Activision had confirmed Friday, November 6. Inven Global saw the same date on the roadmap, labelled as Season 01 for both Modern Warfare 4 and Warzone. Activision’s own blog posts, including the October 19 progression post, still only say Season 1 comes “shortly after launch”. We cover that gap in our MW4 Prestige guide.
Activision’s posts do confirm what Season 1 switches on:
- Battle Pass and BlackCell: the editions page says BlackCell, the Battle Pass, COD Points and Tier Skips become available in MW4 with the Season 1 Battle Pass. Vault Edition BlackCell access starts then too.
- Warzone integration: MW4 level unlocks, XP and camo progress start counting in Warzone, and the Warzone Mastery camo challenges get revealed.
- Old Warzone ends on last-gen: Warzone stops working on PS4 and Xbox One when Season 1 starts. On PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, Warzone’s Performance Mode will need VRR, according to @CODUpdates.
- No Weekly Challenges: the patch notes say Season 1 replaces them with events.
Season 1 adds the Battle Pass, BlackCell and Warzone progression. Image: Activision
Is Hajin coming to Warzone in Season 1?
Yes. In August, Insider Gaming reported that Hajin, the Korean exclusion zone you already explore in DMZ, is the new Warzone battle royale map for Season 1. If you’ve been learning its POIs in our MW4 DMZ beginner guide, that knowledge carries over. One caution for launch night: installing Warzone from the MW4 menu before Season 1 gives you the current live version, not the Hajin one.
What’s next
Activision has typically published a full season blog and trailer in the days before a new season starts. That should confirm the November 6 date, the start time and the Battle Pass contents. Until then, our MW4 release time guide shows when the game unlocks in your region tonight. If you’re starting with the campaign, our MW4 YOLO mode guide covers the hardest difficulty, and our MW4 carry forward guide explains what moves over from Black Ops 7 when Warzone switches over.
Sources: Call of Duty blog (maps and modes), MW4 launch patch notes, Call of Duty blog (progression), Call of Duty blog (editions), @InfinityWard, @CODUpdates, Insider Gaming, Insider Gaming (Hajin), Inven Global.
Live: Follow today’s gaming news as it happens
Featured image: Activision
