Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 has opened to an unusually positive reception on Steam after its campaign early access began on October 16, 2026. The game currently holds a Very Positive rating, with roughly 90 percent of more than 1,800 user reviews recommending it. That figure stands out sharply against recent entries in the series.
Strongest Steam Showing in a Decade
Infinity Ward's latest title is the first Call of Duty to reach this level of Steam approval in over a decade. Black Ops III from 2015 previously set the high mark near 84 percent. By contrast, Black Ops 7 sits around 39 percent positive, Black Ops 6 near 46 percent, Modern Warfare III around 48 percent, and Modern Warfare II near 47 percent. Early access players have driven the current score upward from the low 80s as more reviews arrived.
Campaign Early Access Drives the Praise
The warm response centers almost entirely on the single-player campaign. Digital pre-order owners gained access a week before the full October 23 launch, which will also open multiplayer and the DMZ mode. Reviewers and players describe the campaign as focused, brutal, and emotionally charged. It serves as a conclusion to the rebooted Modern Warfare storyline that began in 2019.
Dual Storylines Across the Globe
The plot follows two parallel threads. In South Korea, young Private Park and his mixed squad of South Korean and American Marines face a sudden full-scale invasion by North Korean forces after an EMP strike on Seoul. Half a world away, Captain John Price operates outside official channels after earlier events forced him underground. He pursues a larger threat while forming uneasy alliances. Missions move across the Korean Peninsula, New York, Paris, and Mumbai, mixing ground combat, set pieces, and character-driven moments.
Early Player Numbers and What Comes Next
Critics have called the campaign one of the strongest in recent Call of Duty history, noting its production values, pacing, and willingness to push darker tones. Steam concurrent players exceeded 100,000 during the first days of early access, higher than some recent series launches. The game is not available on Xbox Game Pass at release.
It remains early. Current reviews reflect only the campaign experience from pre-order players. Multiplayer and DMZ will arrive with the full launch, and those modes have shaped long-term reception for past Call of Duty titles. For now, the campaign has delivered a rare stretch of strong early Steam feedback for the franchise.
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