The Modern Warfare 4 beta matchmaking system will use the same setup introduced in Black Ops 7 Season 5, Call of Duty confirmed on its official X account on August 20, 2026. Open Matchmaking, the option introduced alongside Black Ops 7 last year, will also stay active during the beta. The two systems will run side by side so Infinity Ward can keep comparing player data before Modern Warfare 4 launches on October 23, 2026.
Here is what Call of Duty said about how lobbies will be built and why.
What Is the New Modern Warfare 4 Beta Matchmaking System?
Call of Duty’s account posted a thread to clear up confusion around its matchmaking plans. The account said the new system is not a return to the tighter matchmaking used in recent Call of Duty games, and that connection quality remains a top priority.
The statement also pointed out that every Call of Duty title has factored in skill to some degree, including Black Ops 1 and Black Ops 2. Lobbies are built using several factors at once, including location, time of day, playlist, party composition, platform, cross-play settings, and overall player population.
Call of Duty said the new system aims to balance all of these factors more effectively than before. Both the new system and Open Matchmaking will be available during the Modern Warfare 4 beta so the team can continue gathering data from both.
The Data Behind the Decision
To support the change, Call of Duty shared numbers comparing Open Matchmaking against the standard system in Black Ops 7. For 80% of players tracked from launch through Season 4, Open Matchmaking led to a 32.7% higher quit rate, 14.4% fewer kills per minute, a 5.3% lower win rate, and 59.2% more “Not Fun” ratings compared to standard matchmaking.
On the Nuketown 24/7 playlist specifically, quit rates rose by 141%. Call of Duty said its most competitive players were leaving one in every three matches under Open Matchmaking.
Why Lobbies Keep Disbanding
Disbanding lobbies after each match remains a separate point of frustration for players. Call of Duty addressed this too, stating that about 50% of players leave after their first match in a lobby, and by the third match, almost none of the original lobby remains.
Because of this drop-off, the team said starting a fresh lobby gets players into a new match faster than trying to backfill an existing one, while also helping prioritize connection quality.
Modern Warfare 4 Beta Dates
The Modern Warfare 4 beta runs across two weekends. Early Access starts on August 21 and runs through August 25, available to players who have pre-ordered on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, or PC. The Open Beta follows from August 28 to September 1 and is open to everyone, including Nintendo Switch 2 players, with no pre-order required.
Modern Warfare 4, developed by Infinity Ward, launches globally on October 23, 2026.
