Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 launches on October 23, but players can already jump into its single-player campaign through early access. Here is the M4W release date, launch time breakdown, and when Modern Warfare 4 is coming to Game Pass.

When Is the Call of Duty Modern Warfare 4 Release Date?

The Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 release date is Friday, October 23, 2026. The shooter is coming to PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2. However, if you have seen players already making their way through the campaign, there is a reason for that.

Activision is splitting the launch into several stages, with digital preorder customers getting access to certain modes before the full release. The MW4 campaign is already available today as it went live on October 16, while DMZ early access begins on October 20. The full game follows on October 23.

That means you can finish the single-player story before jumping into multiplayer at launch! To make it easier to track, we’ve created an easy-to-read table below that shows when the Modern Warfare 4 release date is in every region:

MW4 Release Date and Time by Region

Region	Local date	Release time
United States / Canada (Pacific)	October 22	9:00 PM PDT
Mexico City	October 22	10:00 PM CST
United States / Canada (Eastern)	October 23	12:00 AM EDT
Brazil (São Paulo)	October 23	1:00 AM BRT
United Kingdom	October 23	5:00 AM BST
Central Europe (Germany / France)	October 23	6:00 AM CEST
South Africa	October 23	6:00 AM SAST
Finland	October 23	7:00 AM EEST
Saudi Arabia	October 23	7:00 AM AST
United Arab Emirates	October 23	8:00 AM GST
India	October 23	9:30 AM IST
China / Singapore	October 23	12:00 PM CST / SGT
Japan / South Korea	October 23	1:00 PM JST / KST
Australia (Perth)	October 23	12:00 PM AWST
Australia (Brisbane)	October 23	2:00 PM AEST
Australia (Adelaide)	October 23	2:30 PM ACDT
Australia (Sydney / Melbourne)	October 23	3:00 PM AEDT
New Zealand (Auckland)	October 23	5:00 PM NZDT

Will Modern Warfare 4 Be on Game Pass?

Yes, Modern Warfare 4 is coming to Game Pass, but it will not be available on the subscription service at launch. Activision has confirmed that MW4 will join Game Pass in Holiday 2027, although an exact release date has not been announced.

So, if you were hoping to play this year’s Call of Duty through your subscription, you will have to wait almost an entire year before it arrives on the Xbox service. Players who want to jump in at launch must purchase the game separately.

How to Get Modern Warfare 4 Campaign Early Access

To play the Modern Warfare 4 campaign early, you need to preorder or prepurchase any digital edition of the game. Campaign early access began on Friday, October 16, 2026, giving eligible players a week to experience the story before the official release date.

You do not need to purchase the more expensive Vault Edition to get the campaign head start. The Digital Standard Edition also includes early access. However, Activision lists this benefit specifically for digital purchases, so a physical preorder does not qualify.

There are two early access dates to keep track of:

Mode	Early access date	Requirement
Single-player campaign	October 16, 2026	Any digital preorder or prepurchase
DMZ	October 20, 2026	Any digital preorder or prepurchase

Both benefits are included with eligible digital editions. However, campaign early access does not unlock the entire game ahead of schedule, so you will still need to wait for the full launch to jump into standard multiplayer.

If you mainly want to experience the story, you can already start playing through a qualifying digital purchase. For everyone waiting on Modern Warfare 4’s Game Pass launch, the confirmed release window is Holiday 2027.

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A recent Bloomberg report has sparked speculation among some players that GTA 6 could be unfinished just weeks before launch. However, comments about Rockstar continuing to make changes to the game have been taken out of context. Here is what the developer actually said about the release of Grand Theft Auto VI.

Rockstar’s GTA 6 Development Comments explained

Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier recently published an extensive report about the making of GTA 6. However, a rumor that Grand Theft Auto VI was not completed yet only weeks before launch spread online, after some players took several quotes from the Bloomberg piece out of context.

In the report, Rockstar’s Phil Hooker explained that the studio has continued making changes to the game even months before launch: “The game’s never completely settled. We never have an exact blueprint. Even within the last few months, we’ve changed things.”

The quote doesn’t say that GTA 6 as a whole is unfinished weeks before release. It also doesn’t suggest that Rockstar plans to ship Grand Theft Auto VI with missing features or significant compromises.

The quote was largely talking about Grand Theft Auto VI being so ambitious on a technical level, that they continue to make refinements due to just how complex the game is. It was also explaining why the game took so long to get made.

Rockstar’s GTA 6 Comments Need More Context

One detail being overlooked is that Schreier visited Rockstar North in September. That places the conversation months before the game’s late November launch, rather than in the final days before release.

The wording matters here, too. Hooker said the team had changed things “within the last few months.” That doesn’t establish how significant those changes were or suggest that major features still needed to be completed. It also doesn’t give us context what build they were on, or when exactly those changes were made.

The other aspect I think that should be considered, is the context with which the quote was given. In their conversation with Jason Schreier, Rockstar were talking about just how complex GTA 6 is on a technical level. To demonstrated this, here is an excerpt from Schreier and Rockstar describing how a night club works in GTA 6:

“Designing a club for a typical video game might mean generating a few nonplayable characters in different-colored shirts, says top artist Aaron Garbut. In GTA VI, though, it means animating and scripting each individual patron, creating drinks, adding music, crafting lighting, matching the music to that lighting and composing all the other “layers and layers and layers of detail” that make a virtual club feel as authentic as possible.”

That example helps explain the level of detail Rockstar is working towards with GTA 6 and gives a little more context about the changes they continue to make given how complex the game’s systems are. All this to say, panic around Grand Theft Auto VI being “incomplete” seem to largely be unwarranted and started from a misunderstanding of Jason Schreier’s excellent report on the development of the game.

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Magic: The Gathering is preparing to return to the world of Marvel Comics once again with the upcoming Marvel’s History of Heroes product and the full list of all 30 cards has just been revealed.

All 30 Cards in Secret Lair: Marvel’s History of Heroes

Magic: The Gathering has returned to the world of Marvel quite a few times lately and it doesn’t seem to be slowing down its pace. In addition to the upcoming Darkhold-themed set that arrives in April 2027, there is also a new Secret Lair Countdown Kit bringing more Marvel reprints and alternate art to the Secret Lair collection.

Each copy of Secret Lair Countdown Kit: Marvel’s History of Heroes contains 30 individually packaged Magic cards, each of which represents an era or moment from the history of the Marvel Universe. These cards randomly appear in non-foil, foil, or—when the stars and spells align—surge foil.

Marvel’s History of Heroes launches on November 2, 2026. The Secret Lair Countdown Kit: Marvel’s History of Heroes will cost collectors $199.99.

Here is the full list of all cards included in Secret Lair: Marvel’s History of Heroes:

• Fierce Guardianship
• Molten Duplication
• Unbreakable Formation
• Timber Protector
• Devastation
• Heroic Intervention
• Opposition Agent
• Fighter Class
• Vigor
• Biorhythm
• Tainted Pact
• With Great Power
• Mjolnir, Storm Hammer
• Champion’s Helm
• Force of Virtue
• Court of Bounty
• Unholy Heat
• Villainous Wrath
• Damning Verdict
• Primal Might
• Damn
• Genesis Wave
• Fiery Confluence
• Beta Ray Bill
• Doctor Strange, Master of Magic
• Rogue’s Gloves
• Snuff Out
• Titanic Ultimatum
• Collective Effort
• Lightning Bolt

A particularly interesting inclusion in the Countdown Kit is the appearance of two cards from a set that hasn’t been released yet. Doctor Strange, Master of Magic and Beta Ray Bill both appear in Secret Lair Countdown Kit: Marvel’s History of Heroes, representing the arcane and godlike corners of the Marvel Universe.

These are two uncommon cards from the main set of Magic: The Gathering | Marvel: Darkhold Destiny. Both cards will be legal in all formats starting with Magic: The Gathering | Marvel: Darkhold Destiny Prerelease events, which begin on April 2, 2027.

As always, shoppers should keep in mind that Secret Lair products are limited print runs and tend to sell out very quickly. That means that interested Marvel fans will want to act quickly and secure an order as soon as the Secret Lair drop goes on sale.

Be sure to check back soon for more Magic: The Gathering news and updates.

Magic: The Gathering is available now at local game shops and digitally through Magic Arena.

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Druids are one of the most versatile classes in World of Warcraft and Dungeons and Dragons is attempting to recreate that flexibility with recommendations for how to play all four different Druid specializations at the tabletop.

D&D: World of Warcraft Character Creation Guide for All Druid Specs

Druids are a fan-favorite World of Warcraft class that allows players to tank, heal, or heal damage. They have a ton of utility and seem very likely to be equally popular for Dungeons and Dragons players as they form their parties for upcoming adventures in Azeroth.

Druids call upon the power of land, sea, and sky to tear their enemies apart and put their friends back together. Skilled shapeshifters, elementalists, guardians, and healers, Druids are versatile and adaptable spellcasters.

Every Druid in World of Warcraft learns new beast forms: Cat Form, Bear Form, and Travel Form (which includes an Aquatic Form and a Flight Form). These forms take on unique stat blocks for Druids with access to Circle Forms. For Druids without the Circle Forms feature, certain Beast stat blocks are made available.

Druids are already a Dungeons and Dragons class, so that gives players an easy place to start. Once their class is selected, players will want to take one of these branching paths, depending on their specialization preference:

• Balance – Leverage the sacred powers of the moons, the sun, and the stars to keep the elemental forces of the cosmos in equilibrium.
  • The Balance Druid selects the Circle of the Stars subclass and uses the versatility of its Starry Form to take on the appearance of moonkin and adapt their magical aptitude to their circumstances.
• Feral – Pursue a visceral connection to the wild—nature’s eternal dance between predator and prey.
  • The Feral Druid represents nature red in tooth and claw, using the Circle of the Moon subclass and a unique Cat Form to rip nearby foes apart.
• Guardian – Commune with the wild to better understand how life perseveres through adversity.
  • Guardian Druids also use the Circle of the Moon to take on a unique Bear Form that stands between their fellow adventurers and danger, converting magical energy into Temporary Hit Points and imposing Disadvantage on enemy attack rolls.
• Restoration – Where there is decay, bring rejuvenation. Where there is devastation, bring regrowth.
  • The Restoration Druid will pick the Circle of the Land subclass to reflect their relationship with nature’s cycle and use new spells to continuously heal allies.

That should be everything Dungeons and Dragons players need at this point to start formulating ideas for their Druids before the Dungeons and Dragons: World of Warcraft book officially arrives in November.

Be sure to check back soon for lots more Dungeons and Dragons news and updates as the World of Warcraft gameplay expansion release date approaches.

Dungeons and Dragons is available now at local game shops and digitally through D&D Beyond, Roll20, and similar online services. The Dungeons and Dragons: World of Warcraft gameplay expansion releases on November 17, 2026.

The post Dungeons and Dragons: World of Warcraft – How To Play a Balance, Feral, Guardian, or Restoration Druid appeared first on VICE.

The Fortnite Power Hour today features boosted Trick or Treat Sprite appearances and an enhanced Freddy’s Nightmare for everyone dropping into a match. Here are today’s Fortnitemares Power Hour start times, all featured Trick or Treat Sprites, and the bonuses available during both sessions.

What Time Is Fortnite Power Hour Today?

The first Fortnite Power Hour today starts at 11 AM PT / 2 PM ET on Saturday, October 17, 2026. If you can’t make the first session, don’t panic! A second round begins later tonight at 6 PM PT / 9 PM ET.

Both sessions last two hours, giving players four hours total to hunt for Trick or Treat Sprites. Depending on where you live, some or all of the event will take place on Sunday, October 18 instead.

To make this easier to track, here is a table showing the Fortnite Power Hour schedule for October 17:

Fortnite Power Hour #1 (October 17)

Region	Date	Time
PT (West Coast US)	October 17	11:00 AM–1:00 PM
ET (East Coast US)	October 17	2:00 PM–4:00 PM
UTC	October 17	6:00 PM–8:00 PM
UK (BST)	October 17	7:00 PM–9:00 PM
Europe (CEST)	October 17	8:00 PM–10:00 PM
Brazil (BRT)	October 17	3:00 PM–5:00 PM
Japan (JST)	October 18	3:00 AM–5:00 AM
South Korea (KST)	October 18	3:00 AM–5:00 AM
Australia (Sydney/Melbourne, AEDT)	October 18	5:00 AM–7:00 AM
New Zealand (NZDT)	October 18	7:00 AM–9:00 AM

Fortnite Power Hour #2 (October 17)

Region	Date	Time
PT (West Coast US)	October 17	6:00 PM–8:00 PM
ET (East Coast US)	October 17	9:00 PM–11:00 PM
UTC	October 18	1:00 AM–3:00 AM
UK (BST)	October 18	2:00 AM–4:00 AM
Europe (CEST)	October 18	3:00 AM–5:00 AM
Brazil (BRT)	October 17–18	10:00 PM–12:00 AM
Japan (JST)	October 18	10:00 AM–12:00 PM
South Korea (KST)	October 18	10:00 AM–12:00 PM
Australia (Sydney/Melbourne, AEDT)	October 18	12:00 PM–2:00 PM
New Zealand (NZDT)	October 18	2:00 PM–4:00 PM

All Trick or Treat Sprites Featured in Today’s Fortnite Power Hour

Trick or Treat Sprites will appear more frequently during today’s Fortnite Power Hours. If you’re still missing some of the Halloween variants from your collection, this is a good opportunity to track them down.

More importantly, today is the perfect time to unlock the Trick or Treat One Wish Willow Sprite and Trick or Treat Honey Sprite. Both Sprites recently arrived in the October 15 update, and their Halloween variants are included in today’s featured collection.

There are currently 25 Trick or Treat Sprites to collect, excluding the Trick or Treat Crown Sprite. Here is the full list:

• Trick or Treat 8-Bit Sprite
• Trick or Treat Adventure Sprite
• Trick or Treat Birthday Sprite
• Trick or Treat Blinky Sprite
• Trick or Treat Bush Sprite
• Trick or Treat Crash Bandicoot Sprite
• Trick or Treat Dumpster Dive Sprite
• Trick or Treat Honey Sprite
• Trick or Treat Jackrabbit Sprite
• Trick or Treat Jonesy Sprite
• Trick or Treat Killswitch Sprite
• Trick or Treat Klombo Sprite
• Trick or Treat Morgana Sprite
• Trick or Treat One Wish Willow Sprite
• Trick or Treat Onigiri Sprite
• Trick or Treat Overshield Sprite
• Trick or Treat Pond Sprite
• Trick or Treat Shadow Sprite
• Trick or Treat Sonic Sprite
• Trick or Treat Spooky Dash Sprite
• Trick or Treat Storm Scout Sprite
• Trick or Treat Tails Sprite
• Trick or Treat The Deer Sprite
• Trick or Treat Vampire Sprite
• Trick or Treat X-Ray Sprite

The Trick or Treat Crown Sprite is separate from the list above and isn’t included in the collection count for today’s hunt.

All Fortnite Fortnitemares Power Hour Bonuses Today

Everyone starts today’s Fortnite Power Hour matches with an enhanced Freddy’s Nightmare Mythic item. Freddy Krueger’s weapon lets you move faster while equipped and slash through opponents, so you’ll have a powerful item in hand from the beginning.

Chests also have a chance to drop 1-Up Tokens and Portable Extractors, giving you another reason to keep looting while searching for Halloween Sprites.

Here is everything featured during today’s Fortnitemares Power Hours:

• Enhanced Freddy’s Nightmare: Everyone starts the match with Freddy Krueger’s Mythic item, which boosts movement speed while equipped and lets you slash enemies.
• Boosted Trick or Treat Sprite appearances: The Halloween Sprite variant appears more often during both sessions.
• 1-Up Tokens: May drop from Chests.
• Portable Extractors: May also drop from Chests.

How Long Does Fortnite Power Hour Last Today?

Each Fortnite Power Hour session lasts two hours today. The first runs from 11 AM to 1 PM PT, while the second takes place from 6 PM to 8 PM PT on October 17.

You don’t need to attend both sessions, but the evening round gives you another chance to find any Trick or Treat Sprites you missed earlier. With boosted appearances and Portable Extractors potentially dropping from Chests, today is the perfect time to work on your Halloween collection.

The post Fortnite Power Hour Today (October 17): Start Times and All Trick or Treat Sprites appeared first on VICE.

Magic: The Gathering’s next big set officially launches in just about a little less than a month, but it sounds like some of the products may unfortunately be delayed due to production and shipping issues.

Magic: The Gathering: Star Trek Commander Decks Likely Delayed in North America

Reality Fracture just arrived a few weeks ago, but it’s already time to begin looking ahead to the next major Magic: The Gathering set. Spoiler season begins next week for the upcoming Star Trek-themed Universes Beyond set and the set is scheduled to arrive in stores on November 13.

That said, some unfortunately shipping and production issues may impact that release date for some of the products. Luckily, Play Boosters and Prerelease Packs are on track for availability during Prerelease and release events.

Other products may be delayed depending on your region. Some products may arrive after Prerelease events on November 6, while others may arrive after the set’s tabletop release on November 13.

“These delays are fluid, as our logistics teams are working to speed up timelines where possible, so always check with your local game store or retailer for availability information.”

As of today, here is the list of which products are impacted in each region:

• North America
  • Commander decks are delayed and may arrive after the tabletop release date.
• Europe, The Middle East, and Africa
  • Collector Boosters (English, French, and German languages) are delayed and may arrive after the tabletop release date.
  • Commander decks (French and German languages) are delayed and may arrive after Prerelease.
  • Collector’s Edition Commander decks are delayed and may arrive after Prerelease, with additional quantities arriving after the tabletop release date.
  • Commander decks (English language), Draft Night, Scene Boxes, and Beam Me Up Bundles are delayed and may arrive after the tabletop release date.
• Asia-Pacific
  • Collector Boosters, Omega Collector Boosters (single Collector Boosters available at larger retailers), Bundles, Beam Me Up Bundles, and Draft Night are delayed and may arrive after the tabletop release date.
  • For New Zealand, Scene Boxes are delayed and may arrive after the tabletop release date.

Commander is an incredibly popular format in North America, so there will definitely be plenty of players eagerly awaiting the arrival of those preconstructed decks. We’ll be sure to stay posted on the latest updates and share any new schedule details as they become official.

Be sure to check back soon for lots more Magic: The Gathering news and updates as the Star Trek set’s launch date approaches.

Magic: The Gathering is available now at local game shops and digitally through Magic Arena. The Magic: The Gathering: Star Trek products are aiming for a November 13 launch.

The post Magic: The Gathering | Star Trek Commander Decks Are Delayed appeared first on VICE.

Bulkhead has responded to Wardogs Season 2 backlash, admitting that its progression changes in the new patch were the “wrong call.” Following complaints from players, the studio has promised balance fixes and is even considering releasing Season 3 content early.

Wardogs Developer Apologizes For Season 2 Launch

Wardogs Season 2 recently launched and quickly sparked backlash from players upset that the new content was too easy to complete. Many complained that the update didn’t deliver the fresh start they expected, with some users even unlocking most of the end-game gear within days of the wipe. Now, developer Bulkhead has responded to the criticism in a post on X.

“Season 2 was meant to be a fresh start, and for a lot of you it hasn’t felt like one. We sped up progression on deliberately and tried to balance the game better, as set out in the patch notes, but it was the wrong call. Some players are reaching end game gear like Tier 4 armour and MBTs within days, so the wipe never really landed.”

ANNOUNCEMENT

Season 2 was meant to be a fresh start, and for a lot of you it hasn't felt like one. We sped up progression on deliberately and tried to balance the game better, as set out in the patch notes, but it was the wrong call.

Some players are reaching end game gear…

— WARDOGS (@WARDOGS) October 17, 2026

Bulkhead then admitted that Wardogs Season 2 had balance issues that they plan to fix. “Some things are clearly out of balance and we’ll fix them. Others have the community split, so we want to see how those play out first.”

Will Wardogs Season 2 Get a Reset?

Despite calls for another progression wipe, Bulkhead confirmed that it will not reset Wardogs Season 2 this weekend. According to the developer, doing so would be unfair to players who are already enjoying the progression.

Instead, the studio is considering a significantly earlier launch for Season 3, along with some of its planned content, to give players another fresh start. Bulkhead says it will share more details in its developer vlog next week.

Whether that will be enough to turn around player sentiment remains to be seen. For now, Bulkhead is working on balance fixes, with an earlier Season 3 potentially giving players the fresh start they expected from Season 2.

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