Operators boarding a helicopter at an airport terminal, rotors turning over a wet apron

Dates and times

MW4 DMZ Early Access start date and time, by region

One global moment: October 20, 2026 at 10 AM Pacific. That is the afternoon of October 20 across the Americas and Europe, and the early hours of October 21 across most of Asia and Oceania.

One global moment — the rest is just your clock

Facts checked against official sources onOctober 21, 2026. See oureditorial policyfor how each claim is graded.

The one number to remember

October 20, 2026 at 10:00 AM Pacific Time (PDT, UTC−7) — that is17:00 UTC. Activision's DMZ page states "DMZ Early Access begins October 20", and the official community announcement on October 20 confirmed the mode was live.

The run-up

Oct 16
Campaign early access
Digital pre-orders
Oct 19 · 9 AM PT
Required update live
All platforms
Oct 20 · 10 AM PT
DMZ early access
Global
Oct 23
Full launch
Early access ends

The official start time

One global start, no regional rollout

There is no regional rollout for DMZ Early Access. Activision published the date on the official DMZ page and confirmed the launch itself through the Call of Duty community channel on the day.

The hour comes from the official Call of Duty Updates account, which said DMZ Early Access goes live globally at 10 AM PT on Tuesday, October 20. We could not open that post directly, so it is graded as official-but-relayed rather than official-and-read.Official (via repost)

The official Hajin tactical map, with every named point of interest marked — The window does not roll out region by region — it opens everywhere at once.

Start time in every time zone

Daylight saving is still in effect across North America and Europe on this date, while Australia is on standard time — which is why Sydney and Melbourne start three hours behind Auckland.

Time zone	Local time	Local date	Offset
Pacific (US & Canada)	10:00 AM	October 20	PDT (UTC−7)
Mountain (US & Canada)	11:00 AM	October 20	MDT (UTC−6)
Central (US & Canada)	12:00 PM	October 20	CDT (UTC−5)
Eastern (US & Canada)	1:00 PM	October 20	EDT (UTC−4)
United Kingdom	6:00 PM	October 20	BST (UTC+1)
Central Europe	7:00 PM	October 20	CEST (UTC+2)
Moscow	8:00 PM	October 20	MSK (UTC+3)
India	10:30 PM	October 20	IST (UTC+5:30)
Thailand & Indonesia	12:00 AM	October 21	UTC+7
China, Hong Kong, Singapore	1:00 AM	October 21	UTC+8
Japan & South Korea	2:00 AM	October 21	UTC+9
Sydney & Melbourne	3:00 AM	October 21	AEST (UTC+10)
New Zealand	6:00 AM	October 21	NZDT (UTC+13)

Why some guides show different dates

At least one guide published in Chinese gives October 21 while its English version gives October 20 — both describe the same launch, converted to UTC+8 local time. Check the time zone before you assume a guide is wrong.

The update you need first

The mode will not open if the required update has not landed. Activision said it would be live on all platforms by 9 AM PT on Monday, October 19 — about a day before the window. If you are reading this on October 19 or 20 and DMZ is missing, check that your client actually pulled that update instead of quietly sitting on an old build.

October 22 vs October 23

The Steam store page currently lists the game as "Coming 22 Oct, 2026". The official DMZ page and the official launch announcement both give October 23. We found no official explanation for the one-day difference, and we are not going to invent one.

The early access window is unaffected — it opens October 20 per the official DMZ page.
If you are waiting for the full launch on October 23, treat the store page as a possible listing artefact and confirm on the day.

Campaign early access is separate

Campaign Early Access opened October 16, four days before DMZ, and the official footnote is explicit that the two start dates differ. If you played the campaign in those four days you may need an extra update — reported at around 30–35 GB.Media report Nothing in the campaign window unlocks DMZ early access; they are separate entitlements, both of which a qualifying digital pre-order gives you.

Official Modern Warfare 4 Campaign Early Access key art, an operator in combat under harsh light — Campaign early access opened on October 16 — a different window with a different entitlement.

Start date FAQ

What time does it start in my time zone?

Globally it is October 20, 2026, 10:00 AM Pacific Time (17:00 UTC) — the afternoon of October 20 across North America and Europe, and the early hours of October 21 across most of Asia and Oceania.

Why do some guides say October 21?

Because the start is one moment and every region converts it locally. At UTC+8 it is 1 AM on October 21. Check the time zone before assuming a guide is wrong.

Do I need the campaign early access first?

No. DMZ Early Access is a separate window from the campaign early access that opened October 16, and DMZ levels do not require campaign completion.

Is the Steam date of October 22 the DMZ start?

No. That is the store page headline for the full game. The DMZ Early Access date stated by Activision is October 20, confirmed by the official launch announcement.

Sources for this page

↗Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 — DMZ — Activision / Infinity WardOfficial DMZ Early Access date and the qualifying edition list.Checked October 21, 2026.
↗Steam community — DMZ Early Access deployment to Hajin is live — Call of Duty community teamConfirms the October 20 launch and carries the official start-date footnote.Checked October 21, 2026.
↗Modern Warfare 4 on Steam — Steam store listingStore headline reads "Coming 22 Oct, 2026".Checked October 21, 2026.
↗Call of Duty Modern Warfare 4: How to Get DMZ Early Access — howtovideogame.comRelays the 10 AM PT announcement and the October 19 update deadline.Checked October 21, 2026.

← Back to the hub

Next step

Who qualifies for DMZ Early AccessConfirm your purchase before you wait for a countdown.Requirements and preloadHave the build ready before the window opens.DMZ still locked after the start timeWhat to check when the clock has passed and DMZ has not opened.Back to the MW4 DMZ hubThe full MW4 DMZ overview.