Call of Duty Modern Warfare 4 will let you in a week early, but only for the campaign

Once rumored, now official - Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 campaign early access will give you a full week to play through the new story mode ahead of launch. The latest installment in Activision and Infinity Ward's all-consuming FPS games takes us to the Korean Peninsula, and a hypothetical North Korean invasion of the South. It follows young South Korean recruit Private Park as he's thrust into action for the first time.

There's always been an internal conflict in the mind of any player picking up the latest Call of Duty at launch. Do you experience the single-player story first, absorbing whatever tale of bombast and brutality has been cooked up this year before diving into multiplayer? Or do you head straight into matchmaking and attempt to get a headstart on learning the maps, upgrading your loadout, and perfecting your start-of-round angles before everyone else has done the same?

It's a clash that Modern Warfare 4 is set to sidestep by granting you the ability to play its campaign a full week before the multiplayer servers spring to life. It's a feature that was offered by the previous two Modern Warfare entries, but one that was absent in Black Ops 7 and BO6. While we don't have a figure on the MW4 story length yet, I'd guess that you shouldn't have too much trouble getting through it if you can find a couple of evenings free in that first week.

Paul got the full rundown on everything from the Modern Warfare 4 release date to exactly how the new game is tweaking core fundamentals. That includes both fresh movement tech and improved weapon bloom, which should make bullet spray feel more realistic and rewarding. While its story might be traveling to a largely new locale for the series, you can still expect fan favorites like Price and Ghost to make their return. As for whether it'll stick the landing? We'll find out in October.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 campaign early access begins on Friday October 16, one week ahead of the full game's October 23 launch date. Anyone with a digital preorder or pre-purchase of either the Standard or Vault Editions will be able to join. Just don't expect to have it included with your Game Pass subscription this year.