Call of Duty is walking back several of its most-criticized quirks in the run-up to Modern Warfare 4, and the biggest one hits a system players have complained about for years. Double XP tokens will finally stop wasting your time while you sit in a lobby, along with a fresh Warzone toggle and a set of technical fixes for PC and console.
Quick answer: Modern Warfare 4 is rolling out pre-launch changes: double XP tokens now count down using in-game time, a Warzone toggle can hide non-MW4 operators, and PC shader compilation is faster, ahead of the Oct. 23 launch.
Double XP tokens now count down in in-game time
The headline change is how double XP tokens burn down. For nearly a decade, activating a token started a timer that ran on real-world time. Every second spent sitting at the main menu, waiting in a lobby, or stepping away from the controller ate into the boost whether you were playing or not.
Starting in Modern Warfare 4, tokens count down only while you are actually in a match. Time spent idle no longer drains the boost, so the full duration goes toward leveling weapons, unlocking attachments, and climbing through Prestige.
Any double XP tokens you already own become usable in Modern Warfare 4 under the new in-game timing, so nothing you have saved goes to waste.
Warzone toggle to hide non-MW4 operators
Warzone is adding a setting that lets you display only Modern Warfare 4 operators. Turning it on removes the crossover and collaboration skins that many players find out of place in a military shooter, keeping the roster grounded in the game’s own characters.
The option is a display preference for how operators appear on your screen, aimed at players who want a more realistic look on the battlefield.
PC and console technical fixes: shaders and restarts
On PC, Call of Duty has often kept players waiting at a long “Compiling shaders” screen, with the wait returning after major updates. Modern Warfare 4 handles shader setup differently across platforms: Battle.net starts preparing shaders in the background once its download is complete, whereas Steam retains the familiar screen and finishes sooner. At the game’s Oct. 23 launch, PC players are expected to do this compilation just once, instead of repeating it after each major update.
The “Update requires restart” message also appears less often on PC and PS5. Behavior still varies by platform, so here is how each one handles these fixes.
| Platform | Change |
|---|---|
| Battle.net (PC) | Shaders preload in the background after download |
| Steam (PC) | Same shader screen, but compiles faster |
| PS5 | Fewer mandatory restart prompts |
| Xbox Series X|S | Still requires restarts for now |
| Nintendo Switch 2 | No restart improvement in beta or launch |
Windows on PC must have TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot turned on to help Ricochet anti-cheat operate. The beta client is a standalone download, not part of Call of Duty HQ.
Matchmaking options tested in the beta
Skill-based matchmaking is still a major point of debate. For the Modern Warfare 4 beta, players could choose between skill-aware matchmaking, the default option, and an open matchmaking mode, letting the studio evaluate the two approaches side by side.
The updated setup was associated with fewer abandoned matches across skill groups, quicker matchmaking searches, and a higher proportion of matches with better ping. Further tweaks remain possible based on beta responses if the current version falls short of delivering the best experience.
When Modern Warfare 4 launches and how to play early
Modern Warfare 4 launches worldwide on Oct. 23, 2026, developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision, across PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2.
Digital pre-orders of the Standard Digital or Vault editions unlock Campaign Early Access on Friday, Oct. 16, 2026, for players who want to start the single-player campaign ahead of release. Buyers who pre-order a physical disc edition won’t receive early access. Any campaign progress made during this period transfers to the full game. Edition details and pre-orders are available on the official Modern Warfare 4 page.
Taken together, these changes point to a studio responding to player pressure before release rather than after. The double XP token fix in particular removes a long-standing frustration, and existing tokens carrying over means you can put them to work the moment you start playing.
