Infinity Ward, Raven Software, and Beenox have published the August 27 Modern Warfare 4 Beta patch notes — a Warzone-first preview ahead of Open Beta. Resurgence on the new map Zodiac goes live Friday, August 28 at 10:00 AM PT. This is the first time a Call of Duty Beta has included a Warzone mode.
Thursday’s post is not a Multiplayer balance dump. Infinity Ward says full notes for MW4 Multiplayer — TTK, movement, weapons, spawns, and global changes such as aim assist — land Friday. Weekend One’s last TTK pass is still August 24.
Zodiac
Zodiac is a compact Resurgence map set at a weapons manufacturing facility in South Korea. The official intel map labels the site DRC Weapons Manufacturing. Players drop into a plant that builds and ships weapons around the world, with ten named points of interest and enough elevation for rooftop snipes, factory interiors, and underground rotates.
Infinity Ward names Old Mine, Solar, Trackline, and the sewers as examples. The official tactical map labels ten POIs: Admin, Solar, Old Mines, Dispatch, Trackline, R&D, Depot, Furnace, Cooling, and Sentinel.
The sewers are the underground rotate — they are not a labeled tile on the intel map. Across a match you will also see:
- Moving solar panels at Solar
- Furnace conveyor belts
- Dynamic signage warning about incoming trains on Trackline
- Sniper fights off the burning Admin Tower
The gas storm still forces rotations. Zodiac was built by the team behind Rebirth Island and Vondel.
Playlist
Open Beta starts with Resurgence Quads. Casual Resurgence Quads rotates in over the weekend.
To push as many Resurgence players as possible into the Beta, both playlists are temporarily disabled in the live Warzone game for the duration of the test. If you only queue live Resurgence this weekend, that playlist is closed on purpose.
Gameplay
Movement on Zodiac is meant to line up with MW4 Multiplayer: more grounded and deliberate than recent live Warzone, without dropping the momentum a larger map still needs.
You get the MW4 weapon pool. Default Loadouts and hand-crafted ground loot are in. Custom Loadouts are not. Infinity Ward says the defaults cover a solid mix of guns and equipment. Damage ranges, bullet velocity, ADS speed, sprint-to-fire, and mobility are retuned for Warzone. Time-to-kill is designed to feel familiar if you are coming from the live game — not a 1:1 copy of 6v6.
| System | Open Beta |
|---|---|
| Loadouts | Default Loadouts and ground loot only |
| Custom Loadouts | Not available |
| Fuel barrels | New environmental interaction — watch your cover |
| Killstreaks | Broader Multiplayer selection; the most powerful stay rare |
| SAM Turret | Field Upgrade for countering aerial threats |
| Recon Contracts | Reward a single-use Insight Killstreak — activate Circle Peek when you choose |
| Supply Run Contracts | One-time Buy Station discount plus an upgrade with exclusive items |
| Daily Challenges | Planned for launch, not in this Beta |
| Some streaks, Tacticals, and Field Upgrades | Held for launch |
Fuel barrels are the first environmental toy Infinity Ward wants on Zodiac. Recon’s Insight streak is the other one to learn: you no longer get Circle Peek the instant the contract completes — you spend it.
Known issues
Infinity Ward is tracking these in the Open Beta:
- The Fly Buy and Restock Public Events do not have a voice-over announcement.
- The Quick Hands Perk does not increase equipment deployment speed as intended.
- Explosions from red fuel barrels may appear in low resolution.
- Some areas of the map may have inconsistent lighting.
- Some tree models may pop in at the wrong detail level and look brighter than intended.
What’s next
Open Beta runs August 28 through September 1. Infinity Ward wants feedback with media or a match ID attached. Live issues go to @CODUpdates and the official Warzone Trello board.
Full schedule, platforms, and rewards: MW4 Beta hub. Weekend Two map split: what to play first. Content lineup (Zodiac, Lithium, Combat Outpost): Next + Beta lineup.
Source: Call of Duty — Modern Warfare 4 Beta Patch Notes (August 27, 2026). Reporting by Chandler Bellgrave. This page covers Thursday’s Warzone / Zodiac preview — not the August 21–25 Early Access notes, and not Friday’s Multiplayer update.
Source: official Call of Duty / Activision information, cross-checked against the MW4 archive. This page is an independent reference.