MW4 Beta Weekend 2: No Code Needed, Zodiac and Entrenched

Modern Warfare 4’s second beta weekend drops the paywall entirely: starting August 28, anyone on any platform can download and play without a pre-order or a beta code. That’s the headline out of the latest rollout from Activision and developer Infinity Ward, and it’s a real shift from the first weekend, which was locked behind pre-orders and codes. Here’s exactly when it runs, what’s playable, and why it’s worth logging in even if you already burned through Weekend One.

Weekend Two, the Open Beta, begins August 28 at 10:00 AM PT and runs through September 1 at 10:00 AM PT. Unlike the first weekend, Weekend Two is open to everyone with no pre-order or Beta Code required — you just download the Beta on your platform and jump in. That’s a clean break from Weekend One, which was only open to players who pre-ordered, either through a digital storefront or by redeeming a beta code from retailers or promotions. If you’ve been waiting to try it for free, this is that window — if you’re unclear on how the code system worked for the first weekend, the MW4 beta code guide breaks down every route that existed for early access.

Nintendo Switch 2 owners get their first look at the beta here too, since the Open Beta begins at 10:00 AM PT for players on XBOX Series X|S, XBOX on PC, PlayStation 5, Steam, Battle.net, and Nintendo Switch 2. If you already installed the beta for Weekend One, you don’t need to redownload anything — the client updates in place.

The core package is Multiplayer gameplay across a variety of maps and modes including core 6v6 maps and modes and Kill Block, plus the single-player Campaign mission “Entrenched”, which according to Activision sees players fighting to prevent a nuclear power station from falling into enemy hands. That mission was already playable in Weekend One and stays available through Weekend Two.

What’s new for Weekend Two is the bigger draw. Call of Duty: Warzone joins the beta with Resurgence on Zodiac, an all-new map set around a DRC Advanced Systems drone assembly and manufacturing headquarters, spanning offices, rooftops, tunnels, and shoreline. Alongside it, Weekend 2 introduces Ground War: Combat Outpost and the new Zodiac Resurgence map, with Combat Outpost specifically running as 24v24 across Imjin Farmlands and Wolves Stadium. If large-scale objective play is your thing, the Combat Outpost resource loop guide covers how that mode’s economy actually functions. For a full rundown of every map and mode across both weekends, the MW4 beta maps and modes guide has the complete list.

Somewhere in that four-day window is the real cost of chasing every reward: getting from Level 1 to the Level 30 cap across two beta weekends means putting in a genuine chunk of multiplayer time — realistically several hours of matches spread over the four days if you’re starting fresh in Weekend Two, since there’s no official fast-track and XP comes from normal play rather than one-off challenges.

The reason to log back in even after finishing Weekend One comes down to rewards. There are eight main cosmetic rewards to earn across the two weekends, and reaching Level 20 during Weekend One unlocks the Dread Tiger Operator Skin for Reece, while reaching the maximum Level 30 during Weekend Two awards the Beta Forged Weapon Blueprint for the Han 86 Assault Rifle. Everything you unlock is usable in the beta immediately, and all Beta Rewards you unlock via the game or Twitch Drops will be available in the full game when it releases on October 23. The full breakdown of what actually survives into launch versus what gets wiped is covered in the MW4 beta rewards guide.

The Level 20 and Level 30 milestones

These are the two rewards worth planning around. The first reward, an emblem, unlocks at level 4, the next, a charm, unlocks at level 8, running all the way up to level 30, where reaching the cap gets you a weapon blueprint. If your time is limited, prioritizing the climb to 30 gets you the whole track rather than stopping short.

Litmus Camo isn’t on the level track

There’s also a separate unlock that doesn’t care about your player level. Get 1,500 Operator Kills during the MW4 Beta, and Litmus has its own challenge — it’s not tied to the Level 20 or Level 30 progression track. It’s a grind that runs in the background across both weekends regardless of what rank you’ve hit.

Since Modern Warfare 4 doesn’t launch until October 23, this open weekend is also the last no-cost look at any of it — there’s no confirmed plan for a third public test before release.