How to Get Ready for MW4 Season 1 (Nov 6, 2026): Start Time, New Weapons, and Unlocks
Steps (do these first)
- Know when it starts. Season 1 goes live Fri Nov 6, 2026 at 12:00 AM ET (Thu Nov 5, 9:00 PM PT), per Activision's official Season 1 post. US clocks fall back on Nov 1, so that's EST.
- Update before launch. Check for the Season 1 update on your platform (Steam, Battle.net, PlayStation, Xbox) once it's out. File size and preload timing are not confirmed.
- Unlock Create-a-Class if you haven't. The official "Modern Warfare 4: Operators and Weapons Full Details" blog (Oct 19) says Create-a-Class unlocks at Player Level 4.
- Plan your Battle Pass route to the two new guns. Both are free base weapons in the Season 1 Battle Pass:
- Cronen Osprey (Assault Rifle): BP Tier 16, blueprint at Tier 87
- CSG-35 (SMG): BP Tier 36, blueprint at Tier 73
- The Battle Pass has 100 tiers and is linear.
- Don't mix up the Osprey and the Squall. The Cronen Osprey is new in Season 1. The Cronen Squall is a different AR that was available at launch.
- Watch for the later-season event weapons. The JAK 12 (full-auto shotgun) and ZLR Talonhawk (melee axe) are confirmed for later in Season 1 as event rewards. Dates haven't been announced.
- Check Warzone separately. Activision says a separate Warzone Season 1 blog and roadmap is due Mon Nov 2, 2026.
- Wait on loadouts. The current meta comes from third-party trackers only, and Season 1 will probably bring a tuning patch. We're not publishing builds until the Season 1 patch notes are out.
New weapon facts (official)
| Weapon | Class | Fire rate | Unlock |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cronen Osprey | AR | 882 RPM | BP Tier 16 |
| CSG-35 | SMG | 1,200 RPM, "highest fire rate in its class" | BP Tier 36 |
Official Season 1 weapon cards: - Cronen Osprey: 30 rounds + 90 reserve, 70 weapon levels, Apex attachment Cronen Helix Mk. II. - CSG-35: 28 rounds + 112 reserve, 42 weapon levels, no barrel slot, Apex attachment CSG Crossfire (dual-wield akimbo).
Confirmed / Not confirmed
Confirmed (official): Nov 6, 12:00 AM ET start; Cronen Osprey (AR) and CSG-35 (SMG) are Season 1 Battle Pass weapons; Osprey at BP Tier 16 (blueprint Tier 87), 882 RPM, 30+90 rounds, 70 levels, Apex Cronen Helix Mk. II; CSG-35 at BP Tier 36 (blueprint Tier 73), 1,200 RPM (highest in its class), 28+112 rounds, 42 levels, no barrel slot, Apex CSG Crossfire (akimbo); 100-tier linear Battle Pass; Create-a-Class at Player Level 4 (Oct 19 "Modern Warfare 4: Operators and Weapons Full Details" blog); JAK 12 and ZLR Talonhawk come later in the season as event rewards; Warzone S1 blog on Nov 2. Not confirmed: Battle Pass COD Points prices, patch size, preload time, event dates, any Season 1 meta or loadouts.
Sources
- Activision / Call of Duty blog, "Modern Warfare 4 Season 1: Full Intel" (Oct 28, 2026): https://www.callofduty.com/blog/2026/10/call-of-duty-modern-warfare-4-warzone-season-1-announcement
- Call of Duty official news on Steam: https://steamcommunity.com/app/1938090/announcements/
- PlayStation Blog (Daniel Noel, Activision, Oct 28, 2026): https://blog.playstation.com/2026/10/28/modern-warfare-4-season-1-everything-you-need-to-know-for-november-6-launch/
- CoD blog, "Modern Warfare 4: Operators and Weapons Full Details" (Oct 19, 2026): https://www.callofduty.com/blog/2026/10/call-of-duty-modern-warfare-4-launch-multiplayer-operators-weapons-equipment-create-a-class
- Activision Support, MW4 editions: https://support.activision.com/modern-warfare-4/articles/modern-warfare-4-editions
Related
Up: Gaming