PC preload opens October 15 at 9AM PT. How the 115 GB SSD requirement works, what early access downloads and when the game unlocks.
MW4 Preload Times and Download Size
The MW4 preload opens on PC on October 15 at 9:00 AM PT for anyone who has pre-purchased digitally. The campaign download becomes playable on October 16 through Campaign Early Access, DMZ follows on October 20, and the full game unlocks on October 23 at midnight local time. Budget 115 GB of SSD space, because Activision has not published a per-platform download size at all.
- PC preload: October 15, 9:00 AM PT (digital pre-purchase only)
- Campaign Early Access: October 16 through launch
- DMZ Early Access: October 20
- Full unlock: October 23 at local midnight
- Officially stated storage: 115 GB, SSD required
MW4 Preload and Unlock Times
There are four separate dates to keep straight, and only the first one is a preload. Everything after it is the game unlocking in stages for people who bought digitally.
| Event | Date and time | Who gets it |
|---|---|---|
| PC preload opens | October 15, 9:00 AM PT | Digital pre-purchases on PC |
| Campaign Early Access | October 16 until launch | Digital pre-orders on all platforms |
| DMZ Early Access | October 20 | Digital pre-orders on all platforms |
| Full game unlock | October 23, local midnight | Everyone |
Official source: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 PC Trailer, Tech Updates, and More
The preload window is PC-specific in the official wording. Activision says players who pre-purchase Modern Warfare 4 digitally on PC can preload ahead of launch, and that PC preloading begins October 15 at 9AM PT. Console preload timing has not been published in the same detail, so treat any exact PlayStation or Xbox preload clock you see floating around as unconfirmed and check the store page on your own console. The full unlock is global and unambiguous: October 23 at midnight local time, which for most players means either a late Thursday night session or a Friday morning one depending on your region. Regional pricing and the exact launch framing are covered in our MW4 release date and price page.
Campaign Early Access and DMZ Early Access Downloads
The early access periods are not demos. Digital pre-orders get the entire campaign from October 16, and the whole of DMZ from October 20. Both are described as full access to those modes rather than a slice of them, and Campaign Early Access runs right up until the official October 23 launch.
The practical consequence is that your download has to land before October 16 if you want to be in on the first day of the campaign window. Since it is the same install that later serves DMZ and multiplayer, there is no second 100 GB download waiting for you at launch. What you pull down on October 15 is the game.
Campaign Early Access and DMZ Early Access both run off the same installed copy. Getting the preload done on October 15 covers the campaign on October 16 and DMZ on October 20 without another download. The mode you can enter changes on the calendar, not the file set.
One thing to be careful about: the campaign completion rewards, which include base Operators and Double XP tokens, are earned in early access but only become usable in Multiplayer and DMZ once the full game is live. Our MW4 campaign early access guide lists the reward order, and the MW4 DMZ early access guide covers what is worth doing in those first four days before the population spikes at launch.
Official source: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4: Campaign Early Access Now Live
Download Size: Why There Is No Official Number
Here is the honest answer: there is no official download size for Modern Warfare 4 on any platform. Activision published a storage requirement of 115 GB with SSD required on PC and stopped there. No blog post, store listing update or support article has given a per-platform download figure, and console package sizes you see quoted in tracking accounts are third-party estimates rather than official data.
That gap matters because download size and install size are different numbers. A store page can show a compressed download that expands well past its own figure once shaders, campaign data and multiplayer maps are unpacked. The 115 GB line is the closest thing to an official anchor, and it is a floor rather than a ceiling. Our MW4 PC system requirements breakdown covers the rest of the spec sheet, including the TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot requirement that stops people at the first launch screen.
If you want a real number before you commit, the store page is the only reliable source, and it becomes accurate when the preload actually opens on October 15. The Steam store page shows the live package size on the app page, and the same information appears in the platform client's install dialog. Check it then rather than planning around a forum post.
The 115 GB SSD Requirement
Every PC tier, from minimum to ray tracing, lists 115 GB of storage with SSD required. The word required is doing real work there. Installing to a mechanical drive is not a supported configuration, and the failure mode is not usually a clean error message. You get texture streaming that looks broken, hitches when the campaign loads a new area, and load times that make DMZ infils feel like a punishment.
Activision adds one more caveat worth planning around: additional storage space may be required for mandatory game updates. A 115 GB game with seasonal updates and patches wants more headroom than the base figure. Leaving a comfortable buffer of free space on the same drive is cheaper than moving the install later.
Official source: Activision Support: TPM requirements for Call of Duty
For reference, the full PC spec sheet also requires Windows 10 or Windows 11 64-bit with the latest updates and a DirectX 12 compatible card. Advanced Shader Delivery changes the first-launch experience somewhat: precompiled shaders are delivered ahead of time so the game does not spend your first two matches compiling them. That delivery runs through the XBOX PC app, which is worth installing before launch day even if you bought the game on Steam or Battle.net.
Pre-Purchase Checklist Before the Preload Opens
A short list of things that cost five minutes now and save an evening later.
- Confirm you pre-purchased rather than just wishlisted. Early access and preload both key off a completed digital purchase. Our MW4 editions and pre-order bonus page explains what Standard and Vault each include.
- Clear the space. Budget 115 GB plus room for updates on an SSD, on the drive where you actually want the install to live.
- Enable TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot on PC. If these are off, the download runs fine and the game refuses to start.
- Update your GPU driver, or plan to do it on launch week when the launch-ready drivers land.
- Install the XBOX PC app if you want ASD, on any PC platform.
- Buy on the platform where you want to keep playing. Play Anywhere is an Xbox-side benefit, and Activision has announced no cross-buy for MW4 outside it.
FAQ
What time does the MW4 preload start?
PC preloading begins October 15 at 9:00 AM PT for digital pre-purchases. That is the only preload time Activision has published. Console preload clocks have not been detailed officially, so check the platform store page rather than a countdown site.
How big is the Modern Warfare 4 download?
Activision has not announced a download size for any platform. The only official number is the 115 GB SSD storage requirement on PC, plus a note that mandatory updates may need more space. Live package sizes appear on the store page once the preload opens.
Can I play the campaign before October 23?
Yes, if you digitally pre-order. Campaign Early Access starts October 16 and gives you the full campaign, not a preview, all the way up to launch. DMZ Early Access opens on October 20 for the same group of players.
Do I need to download the game twice for early access?
No. Campaign and DMZ Early Access use the same installed copy as the launch build. The preload you start on October 15 is the game, and the modes simply unlock on their own dates.
Does the preload work if I bought a physical copy?
The published preload and early access benefits are tied to digital pre-orders and pre-purchases. The physical Standard Edition is console only, and Activision has not advertised preload or early access for it. Assume digital if those dates matter to you.
Do I need an SSD for MW4 even on the minimum spec?
Yes. SSD required appears on all three PC tiers, including the minimum one, and the official line does not offer a hard-drive alternative. An HDD install is unsupported and will behave badly rather than gracefully.
Related Guides
- MW4 Release Date and Price The October 23 launch in local-time terms, plus what each region pays.
- MW4 PC System Requirements The full spec table, TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot, drivers and ASD.
- MW4 Campaign Early Access What the October 16 window includes and the reward order it hands out.
- MW4 DMZ Early Access What to do in Hajin during the October 20 head start.
More Modern Warfare 4 Guides
The Modern Warfare story so far - Urzikstan, Task Force 141, Shepherd's betrayal and Makarov - recapped before you start MW4.
Operators and Killstreaks are now part of every loadout. How to build a Modern Warfare 4 class slot by slot, and what changed.
How DMZ works in Modern Warfare 4: deploying into Hajin, what to loot first, how the threat system escalates and making your first extraction.
Printer resources, ingredients and recipes in MW4 DMZ, the known first recipes with their exact costs, and what each FOB upgrade does.
DMZ early access opens October 20 for digital pre-orders. What you can do in the three days before launch and what carries into the full game.
Every Forward Operating Base station in MW4 DMZ, the level each one unlocks at, and how the Stash, Gunsmith and Vendor actually work.
Every Hajin point of interest in the Modern Warfare 4 DMZ map, with the expected threat level and the loot each type of building holds.
How to hunt Lieutenants and Commanders in MW4 DMZ, what Boss Board intel costs, and why picking up Dog Tags broadcasts your position.