Modern Warfare 4 Beta Closes With Weapon Changes and Launch Priorities

What we know

Infinity Ward has closed the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 open beta with a final update covering weapon balance, Warzone Resurgence changes, and fixes. The studio has also identified the areas it will continue working on ahead of MW4’s October 23 launch.

The beta ends at 10 PM PT on September 1. Infinity Ward said the two beta weekends brought in millions of players and supplied feedback from a range of perspectives. The test also marked several firsts for Call of Duty, including a playable Campaign mission and the new Zodiac Resurgence map.

Multiplayer: further TTK, weapon, and spawn work ahead

Infinity Ward said it made extensive changes between the first and second beta weekends, affecting weapons, time-to-kill (TTK), movement, and spawns. While the studio believes average TTK moved much closer to its target after the first weekend, it is not fully satisfied and will continue tuning weapons before release.

The August 31 update includes targeted changes across multiple weapon classes. The Krait P68 received a small boost to its second mid-damage value and range; the PPSh-41 gained range in its earlier damage brackets; and the ISO Nightshade received higher maximum damage, modest range increases, and a headshot multiplier increase from 1.25 to 1.3.

Conversely, the FiNN LMG’s maximum damage dropped from 33 to 30, alongside a shorter portion of its mid-damage range. The Type 73 also lost damage and range in its earlier brackets, though its neck and upper-torso multipliers rose from 1 to 1.1. The Oris 8.6’s maximum-damage range was cut from 20.8 to 19 meters.

The Han 86 was improved, with maximum damage rising from 22 to 23 and minimum damage from 18 to 19. The Apex M4 Hurricane attachment had its maximum damage reduced from 30 to 27, while its headshot multiplier fell from 1.3 to 1.25. Long-barrel attachments for the Rezi 12 also had their damage-range bonuses reduced.

The beta further sped up handling for a number of weapons. General sprint speeds increased by 3% to 5% depending on weapon class, while ADS strafe movement increased by 6% to 10%. The Han 86, M4, ISO Nightshade, PPSh-41, FiNN LMG, Rezi 12, and several sniper rifles were among the weapons receiving improved aim-down-sight speeds or sprint-to-fire times. Combat Knife sprint speed increased by 3.5%, stacking with the general sprint adjustment.

The studio’s launch priorities include further TTK and weapon work, more aim-assist changes, and spawn improvements, particularly on certain map and mode combinations. It also plans to revisit perk tiers to make the choices more meaningful and is targeting performance improvements for Nintendo Switch 2.

Zodiac Resurgence gets visibility, audio, and movement changes

The Zodiac Resurgence open beta received updates aimed at visual clarity and combat readability. Infinity Ward adjusted global color balance, reduced bloom strength when moving between indoor and outdoor spaces, and made character outlines brighter and visible across a wider vertical area at close range. The studio described these as incremental improvements that it will continue to assess.

The patch cuts the button-hold time before Armor Plating begins by 30%, matching the behavior in the live game. It also raises the volume and priority of enemy Ascender audio, improves the prioritization of enemy parachute landing sounds, and reduces the distance at which Supply Box audio can be heard by about half.

Squadmate names now appear only when players aim directly at them. Their size and scaling while aiming were also adjusted to cut unnecessary screen clutter. A bug that could display a duplicate squadmate indicator above players was fixed as well.

Earlier beta updates allowed players to revive downed teammates while prone, disabled the Infil Gas Explosion, and made the Sang 9mm the Infil and backup pistol. The team increased sprint speed by 3% to 5% by weapon class, raised dedicated melee sprint speed by 3.5%, and increased ADS strafe movement by 6% to 10%.

Resurgence Quads gained a 55% increase to Player XP and a 13% increase to Weapon XP. Casual Resurgence Quads received increases of 46% to Player XP and 240% to Weapon XP. Warning radii were also reduced for Bombing Run, Impact Warhead, and Artillery Beacon.

Infinity Ward also changed ground-loot interaction range to prevent unintended weapon pickups when players were trying to collect nearby items. HUD Shake effects were disabled for the open beta, while screen-shake and gun-shake values were adjusted to reduce visual movement during gunfights.

Content additions and remaining work

The beta’s closing days added the Wolves Stadium and Imjin Farmlands Ground War maps, Ground War: Combat Outpost, a Transit 213 24/7 playlist, and 6v6 Gunfight on Kill Block. Double XP and Double Weapon XP were also enabled to help players reach Level 30 and unlock the Beta Forged Blueprint.

Heading toward launch, Infinity Ward says it will continue work on Warzone UI and HUD readability, audio—especially footsteps—movement feel, and overall map pacing. The studio plans to share more details in the coming weeks, with Warzone updates to follow.