MW4 Season 1: New Maps, Weapons and Battle Pass Guide

Activision scheduled Modern Warfare 4 Season 1 to start at midnight ET on Nov. 6, 2026 (9 p.m. PT on Nov. 5). The launch list is three 6v6 maps (brand-new Backstab and Canyon, reimagined Shoot House), the Kill Block: Crash combo, two new guns in the Battle Pass and a 100-tier pass at 1,100 COD Points. Ministry, Overflow, the JAK 12, the ZLR Talonhawk, Verdansk and Rebirth Island all come later.

When was MW4 Season 1 scheduled to start?

Activision’s published start was 12 a.m. ET on Friday, Nov. 6, 2026, across all platforms. That works out to:

• Eastern: 12 a.m. Nov. 6
• Central: 11 p.m. Nov. 5
• Mountain: 10 p.m. Nov. 5
• Pacific: 9 p.m. Nov. 5
• UTC: 05:00 Nov. 6

As of 2:32 a.m. ET (07:32 UTC) on Nov. 6, the official store was selling the Season 1 Battle Pass and showing a “62 days left” counter. The Nov. 5 patch notes said an added set of fixes would roll out with the start of the season. Activision’s blog index showed no separate post announcing that the season was live, and we have not tested the game, so this page does not vouch for server status on any platform.

What new maps are in MW4 Season 1?

Backstab and Canyon are the two brand-new maps at launch, and Shoot House returns reimagined. The patch notes say four maps join the rotation, but that count includes Kill Block: Crash, which is a featured combo rather than a new location.

The table shows each named map, what kind of map it is, and when Activision says it arrives.

What Activision says about each one:

• Backstab: a snow-covered, war-torn town with long sightlines in the streets and closer fights inside open buildings.
• Canyon: hot, open terrain between high rock walls, with a river, a cliff path, a cave and a central mesa for height.
• Shoot House: the familiar three-lane layout, now set in North Korea during light snowfall.
• Kill Block: Crash: all three slabs stay fixed between rounds. Infinity Ward picked the combination from popular Beta setups, and it is also added to other Core playlists, including Search and Destroy.
• Ministry: fighting in and around an embassy during a Global Peace Summit.
• Overflow: a factory and the farmland around it.

Activision also promises more unnamed maps at mid-season, with details held back for its Season 1 Reloaded post.

Be careful with the “More than Six Maps” heading in Activision’s Oct. 28 post. It is not an itemized list and it isn’t a launch count, because it mixes launch maps, mid-season maps, unnamed maps and the pre-season Shipment.

Which Multiplayer modes come with Season 1?

Grind and Drop Zone are the two named modes at launch, along with 6v6 modes on Kill Block. Grind has you collect dog tags and bank them to score. Drop Zone has teams fight over a rotating objective that earns Killstreak drops.

The rest of the list falls into three groups:

• Already added in pre-season: Activision dated Possession to Oct. 29 and Infected to Oct. 30.
• Coming Soon, no date: Gauntlet 1v1, a limited-time mode reached through the Wager Match Event. The Oct. 28 post labeled it Launch, but the Nov. 5 patch notes changed it to Coming Soon.
• Mid-season: Counter Attack, where you detonate bombs at the enemy Comm Station while protecting your own, plus an unnamed twist on Team Deathmatch.

Wager Match uses in-game Trophies as its currency. Activision says no money or items of real-world value are available by taking part.

What new weapons does Season 1 add, and how do they unlock?

Season 1 adds four weapons, and only the Cronen Osprey and CSG-35 were scheduled for launch. The table lists each weapon, its class, and the unlock route Activision gives.

Activision’s published specs:

• Cronen Osprey: 882 RPM, 30 rounds plus 90 in reserve, and 70 weapon levels. The Apex Attachment is the Cronen Helix Mk. II. The “Kill Order” Blueprint sits at Tier 87.
• CSG-35: 1,200 RPM, 28 rounds plus 112 in reserve, and 42 weapon levels. The Apex Attachment is the CSG Crossfire, which makes it a dual-wield setup. The “Deathgrip” Blueprint sits at Tier 73.
• JAK 12: full-auto, 323 RPM, 8 rounds plus 16 in reserve. The Apex Attachment is the JAK Barrage. Activision has not named the Event or a date.
• ZLR Talonhawk: 10 weapon levels and no attachments. Activision has not named the Event or a date.

New attachments are also labeled in-season, not launch. They include the Hyeon Auto Apex and Kastov 545 Apex (both Wager Match rewards), the M16 Burst Attachment for the M4 (an Event reward), the TT Iron Guard Kit for the .50 GS Pistol and the ChainSAW Grip set for the FiNN LMG.

How much is the Season 1 Battle Pass?

The Battle Pass costs 1,100 COD Points, the Bundle costs 2,400 COD Points, and BlackCell was $29.99 on the US store when we read it at 2:32 a.m. ET on Nov. 6. The dollar price is a US store figure, so other regions may differ. The table lists each route, its price and what it adds.

Vault Edition owners must log in during Season 1 to get that access. If you buy the Battle Pass and later upgrade to BlackCell, Activision says you get 1,100 COD Points back.

Paying for any version of the pass unlocks these Instant Rewards:

• A 10% Battle Pass XP Boost for the whole season, plus up to 1,100 COD Points to earn back
• The “Downpour” Operator Skin for Blix
• The “Fortune’s Favor” FiNN LMG Blueprint
• The “Happy Boom” Frag Grenade skin and “Killing Demon” Weapon Sticker
• The “Ballistic Gel Armor Kit” DMZ Survival Kit

BlackCell adds the XERO Operator (with two more skins through challenges), 1,100 COD Points, the “Perimeter Lance” M4 Blueprint, the “Dog Food” Finishing Move with a dog companion, the “Enigma Bunker” lobby, a Mastery Camo track and a BlackCell clan tag. It also adds seven BlackCell Operator Skins and seven BlackCell Blueprints inside the pass, plus DMZ perks such as extra FOB Vendor slots and a daily FOB reward that does not stack.

What’s on the 100-tier track?

You level the pass by earning XP in Multiplayer, DMZ or Warzone, and the two new guns sit at Tiers 16 and 36. The table lists headline rewards by tier, as shown on the store and in the Nov. 5 post.

Three systems change how you move along it:

• Auto catch-up: paid owners who fall behind are moved up to the reward matching the current day of the season, up to day 50. Activision says this guarantees 50+ rewards, and it requires a paid pass.
• Tier Skip Tokens: Bundle owners can reach any of the 10 unlocked tiers ahead of them, and BlackCell owners can reach up to 20 tiers ahead. Spending a token does not change your in-progress position.
• Completion: paid owners who finish all 100 tiers get the “Vantage” Blix skin, the “Blue Viper” Hyeon Burst Blueprint, 200 COD Points and more. Eight bonus Operator Skins then become available to earn, but only from the start of Season 1 Reloaded.

Can you get the new guns without paying?

Activision calls the Cronen Osprey and CSG-35 free Base Weapons, but its posts do not spell out the route for players without a paid pass. Here is what it does publish:

• The two guns sit at Tiers 16 and 36.
• The Oct. 28 post says the 100-tier track runs “across a mix of free and premium tiers.”
• The store’s comparison table shows the Free Battle Pass with 20 tiers of content.

None of the pages we read lists which 20 tiers are free, so Tiers 1 to 20 is an assumption we won’t make. Check the track in-game before you plan around it.

What’s new in DMZ for Season 1?

DMZ gets X01, a GRANIT Arms black site that you reach by deploying through Hajin. The patch notes describe it as an underground facility beneath Hajin. Activision says it has cargo bays, underground labs, production lines and a sealed Deep Vault, and that the facility starts closing off extraction points.

• Orders: Ghost is the Watcher inside X01, with multiple pages of new DMZ Orders.
• Events: Threat Briefing: Battle Tank in Hajin, Threat Briefing: The Captain in X01, and Resupply Run. Activision’s Oct. 28 post describes these as the first part of the season, and more Threat Briefings are promised later. Of the three, the Nov. 5 patch notes name only Threat Briefing: Battle Tank and say more events arrive through Season 1 and Reloaded, so don’t assume all three run from day one.
• Bosses: Lieutenants Tae-Hyun (“Knuckle”) and Chol-Min (“The Wrench”), plus Commanders The Captain and an autonomous patrolling Wheelson.
• Withheld details: Activision lists new enemies and items as classified, so this guide doesn’t describe them.

The first time you unlock the Cronen Osprey or CSG-35 in the pass, you also get its DMZ Weapon Manual. Blueprints from the pass work in DMZ until you fail to exfil with one, and you can then rebuy it at a discount.

What does Season 1 change in Warzone?

Season 1 fully integrates MW4 into Warzone, with new launch maps Hajin (Battle Royale) and Zodiac (Resurgence). Hajin has 13 major points of interest across North and South Korea. Zodiac has 10, and Activision credits it to Beenox working with Infinity Ward. Verdansk and Rebirth Island are labeled in-season, so they aren’t launch-day maps, and they have no date.

Other changes Activision lists:

• Progression: Player Level resets, with optional Prestige shared across Multiplayer, DMZ and Warzone.
• Weapons: all 33 MW4 launch weapons plus the seasonal ones. Weapons from Modern Warfare II through Black Ops 7 move to a Legacy tab and can’t be edited in Gunsmith. Legacy Weapons come as five-attachment presets, and Legacy Blueprints start locked until you unlock them with Player XP in the Armory.
• Platforms: the season start marks Warzone’s launch on Nintendo Switch 2, and Warzone is no longer playable on PS4 and Xbox One. Progress carries over to a supported platform through the same linked Activision account.
• Modes: Battle Royale and Resurgence, each with a Casual variant, plus the Rally Point limited-time mode on Zodiac. The Nov. 2 post also lists Massive Resurgence and Loaded Resurgence at launch, but the Nov. 5 patch notes and roadmap name only Rally Point, so treat those two as unconfirmed for launch day. Rockets and Snipers and Extreme Resurgence are mid-season.
• Private Match: off for all of Season 1, and Activision says it returns in Season 2.
• Gameplay: Tactical Sprint no longer needs a Perk but runs slightly shorter, and you can drag allies while reviving them. The Zipline Launcher and Grabber Drone are new Field Upgrades.

Do you need to own MW4 to play Season 1?

Multiplayer and DMZ sit inside the paid game, while Warzone is free-to-play. The official MW4 store page lists Campaign, Multiplayer and DMZ as the game’s modes. The PlayStation Blog calls Season 1 the first free content update, while paid Battle Pass routes and store bundles cost extra. Activision’s Warzone roadmap marks its 26+ Operators with an MW4 Required note, so free Warzone players should not assume every Operator is available to them.

What’s not in Season 1 at launch?

These items are labeled later, Coming Soon or undated in Activision’s own posts as of Nov. 6:

• Ministry, Overflow and the unnamed mid-season maps
• Counter Attack and the Team Deathmatch twist
• Wager Match and Gauntlet 1v1 (Coming Soon)
• JAK 12, ZLR Talonhawk and the in-season attachments
• Verdansk and Rebirth Island
• Rockets and Snipers, and Extreme Resurgence
• Warzone Private Match (Season 2)
• The eight bonus Operator Skins (Season 1 Reloaded)

Zombies isn’t mentioned in Activision’s Season 1 announcement, Battle Pass post or Warzone post, and it isn’t in the MW4 store page’s mode list, so nothing here should be read as Zombies content for this season.

When does Season 1 end, and when is Season 1 Reloaded?

Activision has published neither date. The Battle Pass page showed “62 days left” at 2:32 a.m. ET on Nov. 6, but that is a store counter, not an announced end date. Neither official roadmap carries a Reloaded date, and Activision says the mid-season details will come in its Season 1 Reloaded post. Any date you see elsewhere didn’t come from these official pages.

What’s in the Season 1 store?

Activision highlights eight Season 1 bundles, and the store page we read showed prices for three of them. The highlighted bundles are Hollow Hunter Adaptive Camo, Tracer Pack: Bone Chiller II, The Valkyrie Mastercraft, Tracer Pack: Glitched State, The Captain, Into the Fight, Deltabeast and Elite Squad: Gaksuli. Activision doesn’t say all eight are on sale at the start, and it tells players to check the in-game Store throughout Season 1 for new bundles.

Prices shown on the official Battle Pass store page at 2:32 a.m. ET on Nov. 6:

• Into the Fight: 1,800 CP
• The Captain: 2,400 CP
• Glitched State: 3,000 CP (the Tracer Pack: Glitched State bundle)
• CDL Launch Pack 2027: 2,400 CP (a separate listing, not one of the eight)

Some of these bundles also affect DMZ, not just looks. Activision says certain Operator Skins from the Vault Edition or specific bundles carry a Permanent Prestige Trait. For example, the Ghost “Golden Wraith” skin from the Bone Chiller II bundle (the same post also spells it Bonechiller II) has Free Revive Pro. The trait applies only while you use that exact skin.

What else changed in the Season 1 patch notes?

The notes also change Hardcore health, console Performance Mode, weapon balance and enforcement against one third-party app:

• Maximum health in Hardcore modes drops from 30 to 22.
• Performance Mode (120Hz) opens to PS5 and Xbox Series X|S players with 120Hz displays regardless of VRR support, though Activision still recommends VRR.
• A long weapon-balance section gives pre- and post-patch numbers, so check the patch notes for your weapon.
• Activision says that beginning with Season 1 it detects Warzone Agent, a paid lobby-shopping app. Players who don’t close it are blocked from Multiplayer modes (Campaign is unaffected), and those who try to get around the block may face temporary or permanent account or hardware bans.

Sources

• Modern Warfare 4 and Warzone Season 1: All You Need to Know (Call of Duty blog, Oct. 28)
• Season 1 Battle Pass, BlackCell and Store Bundles (Call of Duty blog, Nov. 5)
• Warzone Season 1: Everything You Need to Know (Call of Duty blog, Nov. 2)
• Modern Warfare 4 Season 1 Patch Notes (Infinity Ward, Nov. 5)
• Warzone Season 1 Patch Notes (Nov. 5)
• Official store: Battle Pass
• Official store: BlackCell
• Official store: Modern Warfare 4
• Modern Warfare 4 Season 1: Everything You Need to Know (PlayStation Blog, Oct. 28)