Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® is live! You’re about to dive into the game’s Open Beta,* where you can help Infinity Ward test the game, the servers, and polish the game ready for final release.

Read this before beginning the Beta!

Setting Up and Logging on the Beta

So, you’ve downloaded the Modern Warfare Beta to your gaming platform of choice and booted up the game. Here’s how to set everything up:

Step 1: After reading and accepting the Beta Participation Program Agreement, you will be asked to adjust the game’s Brightness, which should be done accordingly to fit your screen and gaming environment.

Step 2: Then there is the Quick Setup menu, which is a boiled down version of the main Settings menu.

Accessibility: The first options subsection – Accessibility – is for colorblind gamers. Here, you can choose the Colorblind Type (None, Protanopia, Deuteranopia, and Tritanopia), which changes the hues of various interface elements to match your type and apply a Colorblind Target filter over the entire game world, the HUD interface, or everything on screen.

Controls: Next up, for those playing on consoles, you’ll have the option to change Controls. Veterans of the franchise will know what Button Layout Preset and Stick Layout Preset they love, but for those just getting started, keep it at Default and experiment with different presets in game to see what works for you. Below this is the option to Invert Vertical Look, which inverts camera movements on the vertical axis when Enabled.

Sensitivity: Finally, this submenu has options for Horizontal and Vertical Stick Sensitivity, which is set to 3 – Medium – by Default. These define how fast your aim moves on both the horizontal and vertical axis in-game, with 1 being the slowest aiming speed and 20 being Insane. Newcomers might want to keep this at 3, then adjust according to their comfort level after playing and experimenting in Multiplayer.

Graphics and Audio: Rounding out the Quick Setup menu are the Graphics and Audio options. The Graphics option contains the Safe Area matrix, which allows you to adjust the in-game Heads-Up Display (HUD) safe area to fit the screen. As for Audio, this is where you can turn on Subtitles, change the Audio Mix across multiple presets to fit a variety of audio set-ups (i.e. Headphones, TV, etc.), and adjust individual levels for Music, Effects, Dialogue, and Master Volume.

Don’t worry if you accidentally click through this screen; the bigger Options menu can be accessed any time by pressing the Options button on the PlayStation® 4 Dualshock® 4 controller, or the button on the controller or keyboard of choice that is mapped to the pause function. All these options, as well as in-game controls, will be covered in a blog post in the near future.

With those settings adjusted, you will then be asked to login to an Activision Account or sign up for a new one. An Activision Account allows you to connect with friends across all platforms, and gives you exclusive rewards in-game. If you don’t have an Activision account already, sign up for one in game or create an account here.

After one last Terms of Use and Private Policy agreement, the Modern Warfare Beta will restart and, only a minute or two after booting up the game, you’ll be ready to drop into the multiplayer Beta experience!

Picking an Operator and Browsing the Barracks

MOTD: Click into Multiplayer, the main option on the Beta’s main menu, and you’ll be greeted with the Message of the Day. This will give you some intel on what to expect in the Beta, such as the current playlists, active maps and game modes. This changes as the Beta continues, so be sure to check back for the latest intel.

Operators: Before hopping into a Multiplayer match, tab over twice – R1 on the PlayStation® 4 Dualshock® 4 controller – to the Operators section to meet your soldiers. Here, you can select a preferred faction – done by pressing Square on the PlayStation® 4 Dualshock® 4 – which the game will try to put you in for Multiplayer matches. You won’t always get placed in that preferred faction, however, depending on available players in the lobby and other game elements.

Pick a side (or explore both) and select a faction to see what Operator you want to bring into battle. The Coalition and Allegiance have a number of soldiers ready for combat, including the Default Operator, whose appearance changes depending on your Loadout.

Barracks: What are some other ways to customize and personalize this Modern Warfare experience? We’re glad you asked; tab over to the Barracks to get an Identity; specifically, an in-game Calling Card, Emblem, and Clan Tag.

There’s a variety of Calling Card and Emblem combinations to personalize your profile! You can also rep a four-letter Clan Tag to make you stand out even further in-game.

Another part of the Barracks is the Rank Progression chart. But first, let’s dive into that first match…

Your First Match and Making Progress

The settings are set, and the personalization options are personalized: Let’s get into a game! Hit the Quick Play button on the Play menu and get ready to roll out.

Preset Loadouts: Once you get in a game, choose one of the preset Loadouts: Assault, Ghost, Heavy Support, and two more that are unlocked within the first few levels of progression: Demolition and Sniper.

Assault is recommended for medium-range fights, with the Scavenger Perk ensuring that running out of ammo will not be much of a problem.

The Ghost loadout is great for those who want to make silent takedowns, as the equipped silencers on the Primary Weapon and the Perk selection make for a ninja-like class.

Heavy Support is for those who love to spray down a boatload of bullets; with a Light Machine Gun and a Shotgun, you will have no shortage of firepower here.

Speaking of firepower, Demolition is a preset Loadout with enough explosive power to send those enemies sky high, while the Sniper class is for, as you might expect, those who want to snipe, usually from longer distances.

Getting into the Game: After loading up on a loadout, drop in and work with your team to defeat enemy players while gaining experience points needed to level up. These experience points can be earned by taking down enemies and completing objectives, such as capturing a flag or defusing a bomb.

While in game, taking out multiple enemies without dying earns you Killstreaks, and over time, you’ll gain access to powerful tools on the battlefield called Field Upgrades.

Don’t worry; the Blog is covering how to play the various game modes and maps, as well as the various Killstreaks and Field Upgrades that are planned to be included in this Beta period.

As you level up during the Beta, you will be able to access more Killstreak and Field Upgrade options, as well as the ability to create your own Loadouts. You can see what each level unlocks through the Rank Progression section of the Barracks. Note that any leveling up you complete during the Beta is not carried over into the final release of the game.

To assist in creating a Custom Loadout and for visiting the Gunsmith, we have a handy guide on the Blog that will break down how to put together a Loadout like a pro.

An Ever-Evolving Experience

Remember this is a Beta, so over the course of both weekends, more game modes, maps, and Loadout options will become available to play. Keep checking back into the Beta each day to see what’s new.

If you feel like more experienced players are getting ahead in levels, don’t worry; player progression will not carry over to the main game when it releases on October 25.

That means over the course of these two weekends, your focus should be having fun and experiencing this pre-release version of the multiplayer experience well before its full debut next month.

Technical Support during the Beta

By playing this Beta, you are helping Infinity Ward, and all those who developed this game, test the game’s functionality before its release.

If you experience problems playing the Beta, or require other technical information or help, head over to Activision’s Beta Support Page and get your questions answered.

Thank you for downloading and playing this Beta, and we’ll see you online!

Pre-Launch Intel: Additional Information and Content

Check back at the Activision Games Blog throughout the coming days and weeks for further intel. Check the Related Articles for further Call of Duty: Modern Warfare information.

Pre-orders at participating retailers are available now, or at CallofDuty.com. 

*MP Beta Early Access starts September 12, 2019; Open MP Beta begins September 14, 2019 on PS4™ system. Actual platform availability and launch date(s) of MP Beta subject to change. See www.callofduty.com/beta for more details. Minimum Open Beta duration is 2 days. Limited time only, while Early Access Beta Codes last, at participating retailers. Internet connection required.

For more information and the latest intel on Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare®, check out: www.callofduty.com, www.youtube.com/callofduty and follow @InfinityWard and @CallofDuty on Twitter and Instagram and Facebook.

For more information on Activision games, follow @Activision on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.