Modern Warfare 4 is coming to Xbox Game Pass, but not for a long time

As hype continues to build for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, a new notification from Xbox has confirmed that the next installment of the franchise will arrive on Game Pass, although it won't be on launch day. In fact, it won't appear on the service for another year, after the release of the next CoD title.

For the last two years, new Call of Duty games have been released on Xbox Game Pass on launch day, giving those with an Ultimate subscription the ability to play the FPS game without buying the full thing outright. While both Black Ops 6 and 7 were included in the membership, Xbox confirmed earlier this year that Modern Warfare 4 would not follow them to Game Pass.

While some assumed that the days of Call of Duty on Xbox Game Pass might be completely over, it has now been confirmed that that won't be the case. Modern Warfare 4 will arrive on the service - but not for a long, long time.

As Xbox continues to advertise Modern Warfare 4 ahead of its October 23 release date, it has been sending out notifications to Game Pass subscribers urging them to buy the full game and warning them that MW4 won't be on the platform at launch.

As spotted by CharlieIntel, it reads: "Xbox Game Pass members: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 won't be available in Game Pass at launch. Game Pass availability starts Holiday 2027. If you'd like to jump in on day one, you'll need to purchase the game."

So while it won't be on Game Pass at launch, it will come to the service eventually. That Holiday 2027 window is a long way away, though, especially when you consider that a new CoD game will launch in Fall 2027, unless there's a major change to the franchise's yearly release schedule. 2027's game is currently believed to be developed by Sledgehammer Games and to feature a new franchise away from the likes of Black Ops and Modern Warfare, and will be out and playable before MW4 hits Game Pass.

So, whether you want to wait around for MW4 to launch on Game Pass and miss out on a year of FPS action is really up to you. Activision and Xbox are trying their best to entice people into buying the full game though, as Microsoft's gaming arm continues to struggle. Accepting the fact that Xbox isn't sustainable and a need to cut costs, which includes the reported closure of studios under their umbrella, they'll be hoping for an influx of cash from this year's big CoD launch.

Modern Warfare 4 includes new bullet tech, a new movement system, and major upgrades to DMZ, and launches on October 23, 2026.