Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 Season 1 goes live at midnight ET on Friday, November 6, which is 9 p.m. PT on Thursday, November 5. Activision confirmed the time in its Season 1 announcement on the Call of Duty blog on October 28, and the update lands on every platform at once.
It's the game's first big content drop since the October 23 launch, with three multiplayer maps, a new DMZ zone and Modern Warfare 4's full integration into Warzone, which also gets new maps. The battle pass costs 1,100 COD Points and runs 100 tiers.
Season 1 start time by time zone
Season 1 unlocks at the same moment worldwide:
- Eastern: 12 a.m. Friday, November 6. - Central: 11 p.m. Thursday, November 5. - Mountain: 10 p.m. Thursday, November 5. - Pacific: 9 p.m. Thursday, November 5. - UK: 5 a.m. Friday, November 6.
Activision hasn't said how big the download will be or whether there will be a preload. Part of the season is already playable. Shipment, the tiny container-yard map, went live on October 27, and the Halloween modes Possession and Infected followed on October 29 and 30.
New multiplayer maps and modes
Three medium-sized 6v6 maps arrive on November 6:
- Backstab (new): a snowbound, war-torn town with long streets for distance fights and houses for close quarters. - Canyon (new): a sun-baked canyon with a river, a cave and a central mesa that looks down both ends of the map. - Shoot House (reimagined): the classic three-lane layout, now set in snowy North Korea.
Grind also returns, where you score by banking dog tags from fallen enemies, along with Drop Zone, a control zone that keeps moving.
The midseason Season 1 Reloaded update adds the Ministry and Overflow maps plus more that haven't been announced. It doesn't have a date yet.
The new maps arrive after two weeks of player pushback over matchmaking, spawns and the launch map pool. The Season 1 post doesn't mention any matchmaking changes.
DMZ: the X01 facility
DMZ is Modern Warfare 4's extraction mode. You drop in with a squad, loot, complete missions and keep what you find only if you make it out. Season 1 opens X01, a former Russian weapons site on the edge of Hajin, now held by North Korean forces.
The multi-floor complex is sealed off and shuts its exits as you go, so escaping means completing specific steps. New bosses guard it, including The Captain, a heavily armored Juggernaut with an elite guard.
What changes in Warzone
Warzone, the series' free-to-play battle royale, adds the Hajin and Zodiac maps and brings back Verdansk and Rebirth Island. Modern Warfare 4 also becomes fully integrated into Warzone, but the October 28 post doesn't spell out what that means in practice. Activision will cover it, along with a Warzone roadmap, in a separate post on Monday, November 2.
Back in September, Activision tied this season to a filter that hides skins from older games. The Season 1 announcement doesn't revisit it.
Battle pass price, tiers and new weapons
The battle pass costs 1,100 COD Points, the game's premium currency, sold in packs on each platform's store. A 2,400-point battle pass bundle is also available, though Activision doesn't say what it adds.
The pass has 100 tiers mixing free and premium rewards, and it introduces automatic catch-up. If you buy the premium pass and fall behind, the game moves you up to the reward for the current day of the season, up to day 50. That guarantees buyers more than 50 rewards, even if they don't play much.
Buying it immediately unlocks a 10% battle pass XP boost for the whole season and the Downpour skin for the operator Blix. The track also pays out up to 1,100 COD Points, the same amount the pass costs.
Both new base weapons on the pass are free:
- Cronen Osprey assault rifle, tier 16. It fires 882 rounds per minute, and Activision says only the M4 comes close on fire rate. - CSG-35 SMG, tier 36. Activision calls it the fastest in its class at 1,200 rounds per minute, and it's at its best inside 20 meters.
BlackCell and the Vault Edition
BlackCell is the premium tier above the pass. On top of pass access, it instantly unlocks the XERO operator, 1,100 COD Points and 20 tier skips, which jump you 20 tiers ahead, and it adds seven exclusive operator skins and seven weapon blueprints along the track. Activision hasn't listed a standalone price. If you buy the regular pass first and then upgrade to BlackCell, you get the 1,100 COD Points back.
The Modern Warfare 4 Vault Edition includes one season of BlackCell. According to Activision's edition guide, Vault owners who play before or during Season 1 get this season's BlackCell. Digital Standard owners can upgrade to the Vault Edition for $30 on the same platform where they bought the game.
Frequently asked questions
What time does Modern Warfare 4 Season 1 start?
Season 1 goes live at midnight ET on Friday, November 6, which is 9 p.m. PT on Thursday, November 5, on every platform at once. US clocks fall back on November 1, so those are standard-time hours. In the meantime, Shipment and the Halloween modes Possession and Infected are already playable.
How much is the Modern Warfare 4 Season 1 battle pass?
The pass costs 1,100 COD Points, and the battle pass bundle costs 2,400. It has 100 tiers, and premium owners who fall behind are automatically caught up to the current day of the season, up to day 50, which guarantees more than 50 rewards. The track also pays back up to 1,100 COD Points.
What new maps are in MW4 Season 1?
Backstab and Canyon are new 6v6 maps, and Shoot House returns reimagined in a snowy North Korean setting. Kill Block gets a fixed layout called Crash. Ministry, Overflow and more unannounced maps arrive with the midseason Season 1 Reloaded update, which doesn't have a date yet.
When does Modern Warfare 4 come to Warzone?
With Season 1 on November 6. That update makes Modern Warfare 4 fully integrated with Warzone, adds the Hajin and Zodiac maps and brings back Verdansk and Rebirth Island. Activision plans a separate Warzone post with a full roadmap on Monday, November 2.
Do you need to buy Modern Warfare 4 to play Warzone Season 1?
No. Warzone is free to play and gets the Season 1 update whether or not you own Modern Warfare 4. The paid extras are the premium battle pass, at 1,100 COD Points, and BlackCell, which comes with the Vault Edition of the game.
What is BlackCell in Modern Warfare 4?
BlackCell is the top-tier version of the battle pass. It includes pass access, the XERO operator, 1,100 COD Points, 20 tier skips and exclusive skins and blueprints. The Vault Edition includes one season of it, and upgrading from the regular pass refunds the 1,100 COD Points you spent.
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