Everything you need to know about the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare cross-play beta

Guide by Sherif Saed Contributing Editor

Published on Sept. 19, 2019

With the first Call of Duty: Modern Warfare beta weekend now behind us, it's time to prepare for the even bigger second phase.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is kicking off the second of two beta weekends on PS4, Xbox One and PC this Thursday. The beta will be a significant upgrade over the 2v2 Gunfight alpha in terms of content.

This is a more recent build of the game, so many of the issues players ran into in the alpha and the first beta weekend have been fixed. By the same token, you can expect a more robust settings menu, louder enemy footsteps, and more customisation options for players using mouse and keyboard on consoles.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare beta schedule

The schedule for the Modern Warfare beta is a bit convoluted, thanks to PS4 exclusivity and the fact some days are available for all players while others are limited to those with pre-orders. That said, we've broken it down into an easy-to-understand format.

Each beta weekend is split into two portions: one exclusive to players who pre-ordered the full game, followed by another open to all for the rest of that weekend.

Second weekend (all platforms)

The PS4-exclusive first weekend is now over, but this week's test promises to be even more content-packed.

This weekend is when things get interesting. Not only will the beta be expanded to include PC and Xbox One players, PS4 players will also get another chance to play.

Like the first weekend, the second test is also split into two legs. The first takes place on Thursday, September 19 and Friday, September 20 - available only to pre-order players on PC and Xbox One, and to everyone on PS4.

Late on Friday, September 20 (early morning Saturday in Europe) the beta opens up to players on all three platforms, regardless of pre-orders. The whole thing ends on Monday, September 23.

Here's when the action starts:

PC/Xbox One pre-order-only and PS4 open: Thursday at 10am PT, 1pm ET, 6pm BST, 7pm CEST.
All platforms open beta: Friday at 6pm PT, 9pm ET, 2am BST (Saturday), 3am CEST (Saturday).

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare beta pre-load

PS4 pre-load

The Modern Warfare beta client is available now to pre-load on PS4 for all players, since the beta is open for the entire duration on PS4. You can queue up the download remotely from the PlayStation Store here: US PSN/UK PSN.

PC pre-load

PC Battle.net pre-load is available now for all players, regardless of pre-order status. Just download Battle.net and hit download from the Modern Warfare tab. Those who did not pre-order won't be able to play, however, until later on Friday.

Xbox One pre-load

Xbox One pre-load is available now, but only for those who pre-ordered. The beta's Xbox Store page won't allow you to download it without a code. This is a bummer for those only interested in the open portion of the beta.

That said, the pre-load should be available without need of a code on Friday.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare beta download size

The Modern Warfare beta pre-load comes in at 42GB on PS4 (despite the store only saying 28GB). On Xbox One, you're looking at 38GB, and 39GB on PC.

How to get a code for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare beta

As previously explained, the Modern Warfare beta weekend's first two days are exclusive to players who pre-ordered the full game. The only exception to this is PS4, where players get all days of this weekend regardless of whether they pre-ordered.

For PC and Xbox One, if your pre-order was made at retail, you should already have a code which you'll need to redeem on the official Call of Duty site.

You'll need to create an account if you don't have one, and hit Redeem Code. You'll then have to wait for the site to email you your platform's actual beta code, which you can then redeem on the PlayStation Store/Xbox Store/Battle.net.

If your email doesn't show up, visit the beta FAQ page and hit 'Check My Beta Status'. Doing that should take you to another page where your code will be shown.

Keep in mind, the code you receive from your retailer is not your beta code, this is a token code that only works on the Call of Duty website.

You can also get the same code from online giveaways, such the one we ran for VG247 newsletter subscribers (now over). Failing all that, you can just wait for Saturday of each weekend when the beta goes open.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare beta PS Plus/Xbox Live Gold

The Modern Warfare beta does not require an active PlayStation Plus subscription, except in Germany. This goes for all weekends running on PS4.

On Xbox One, however, you're going to need a valid Xbox Live Gold subscription regardless of whether you're playing the early access or open beta.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare beta PC drivers

Nvidia has released a new set of Geforce drivers designed for the Modern Warfare beta. Make sure to download and install them if you have an Nvidia GPU.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare beta PC specs

Infinity Ward has released the full set of minimum and recommended PC requirements for the Modern Warfare beta.

Minimum

Requires DirectX 12 compatible system.
OS: Windows 7 64-Bit (SP1) or Windows 10 64-Bit (1709 or later).
CPU: Intel Core i5 2500k or AMD equivalent.
GPU: Nvidia Geforce GTX 670 2GB / GTX 1650 4GB or AMD Radeon HD 7950.
RAM: 8GB.
HDD: 45GB of free space.
Network: Broadband Internet connection.
Sound Card: DirectX Compatible.

Requires DirectX 12 compatible system.
OS: Windows 10 64 Bit (latest Service Pack).
CPU: Intel Core i7 4770k or AMD equivalent.
GPU: Nvidia Geforce GTX 970 4GB / GTX 1660 6GB or AMD Radeon R9 390 / AMD RX 580.
RAM: 16GB.
HDD: 45GB HD of free space.
Network: Broadband Internet connection.
Sound Card: DirectX Compatible.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare beta cross-play

This weekend's test supports cross-play by default, meaning you can party up with friends on other platforms. This also means you may see players from other platforms in your lobby.

The game will only match you with/against others using the same controlling method. So mouse and keyboard players shouldn't end up in controller lobbies, regardless of platform.

How to play Call of Duty: Modern Warfare beta with friends on other platforms

To make sure you can invite players on other platforms to your game, add them to your Call of Duty account's friends list. This is separate from your console's own friends list, and carries over across consoles and PC.

To do this, first create a Call of Duty account - if you don't have one, and use that account to log into the beta. Under the in-game friends list, you'll find two lists: one corresponding to your console and another universal list.

While you're on the Call of Duty website, you can also link your PlayStation/Xbox/Battle.net accounts to the profile. This is not necessary, but doing so will let you maintain a single identity across the different platforms.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare beta content

The Modern Warfare beta offers significantly more content compared to the alpha. For starters, the 2v2 Gunfight mode will itself be part of the beta, alongside the more traditional 6v6 and 10v10 modes.

To make things interesting, Infinity Ward will be changing up the available modes throughout the beta. The developer already confirmed the new 32v32 Ground War mode will be part of this beta, for instance.

You can also expect a different assortment of maps, in both their day and night (NVGs) configurations. The level cap may be changed throughout, but it will likely start at level 10 or 20.

Many of Modern Warfare's new mechanics and features will be there as well, including the Gunsmith weapon customisation tool, a few different operators per faction, some killstreaks, field upgrades and perks.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare alpha to beta upgrade

Unfortunately, you won't be able to update your existing Modern Warfare 2v2 Gunfight alpha download to turn it into the beta client. The two are completely separate, so you may as well remove the alpha from your system to save up some space.

That said, you can keep your existing week 1 beta download for weekend 2, though you may need to download a small patch.

We'll update this story with more details throughout the week, so keep checking back.