Scores at a glance
The game launched on October 23, 2026, so the aggregators are still settling. Below is what they showed in the read from October 24, 2026. Numbers change hourly, so check Metacritic and OpenCritic again.
| Aggregator | Score | Reviews | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metacritic, PC | 86 (Generally Favorable) | 18 ratings counted (all positive), 25 listed | Only reviews with a numeric score count toward the average |
| Metacritic, PS5 | 91 (Universal Acclaim) | 9 listed, 4 counted | Too few reviews for a stable score |
| Metacritic, Switch 2 | none ("tbd") | 3 | All three gave 90 (Nintendo Life, Nintendo Insider, What's It Like?) |
| Metacritic, Xbox Series X|S | no score | 0 | The platform is listed, but has no reviews |
| Metacritic, users | none ("tbd") | none | Score appears after 4 user ratings |
| OpenCritic | 85 ("Mighty") | 100% of critics recommend | Top Critic Average, read on October 24, 2026 |
The earlier OpenCritic score of 77 (October 22) mostly counted reviews of the campaign alone, such as GameSpot's 7/10. The score rises as full reviews arrive after launch.
Review scores by outlet
| Outlet | Score | In one sentence |
|---|---|---|
| IGN | 8/10, score not final | Review in progress (campaign), multiplayer and DMZ to follow. "Modern Warfare 4 made me feel something for the series again." |
| GameSpot | 8/10 (80 on Metacritic), review in progress | Campaign was 7/10 earlier. Praises the campaign and DMZ changes, criticizes weak final boss fights. |
| GamesRadar+ | 90 on Metacritic | A confident cinematic shooter; the DMZ loop is the author's favorite multiplayer game this year. |
| Destructoid | 9/10 (90) | "Call of Duty's strongest argument for a full-length development cycle." |
| TechRadar | 100 on Metacritic | "Call of Duty at its very best." |
| Windows Central | 100 on Metacritic | Calls the campaign a "cinematic masterpiece". |
| The Guardian | 80 on Metacritic | "A thrilling airport novel of a game": campaign short but polished. |
| Game Informer | 85 on Metacritic | Story wobbly at times, overall nothing new. |
| PC Gamer | no score | Review in progress after about 24 hours of play; score "after launch". |
| Eurogamer | no score | Got a code only in launch week; published an analysis of Steam reviews instead. |
| Push Square | no review | Promised "in the coming days". |
| Digital Foundry | no review | There are news items and an engine feature, but no technical review. |
| VGC | not found | No review in the sources we checked. |
Local outlets, one from several countries:
| Country | Outlet | Score | In one sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| France | jeuxvideo.com | 85 on Metacritic | "Le meilleur épisode de la génération ?"; minus: too many AI enemies in DMZ. |
| Spain | Vandal | 87 on Metacritic | The Hajin map in DMZ is the "crown jewel". |
| Italy | Multiplayer.it | 8.0/10 | "Solido e fedele alla serie"; minus: the campaign holds your hand. |
| Brazil | PSX Brasil | 90 on Metacritic | The best game in the series in a decade. |
| Turkey | Arakat Mag | 8.4/10 | The best campaign since 2019's Modern Warfare. |
| Germany | Eurogamer.de | no score (campaign review) | Praises gunplay and audio. |
| Poland | no review found | none | We found no Polish review. |
What reviewers praise
- The campaign. Many authors (GameSpot, jeuxvideo.com, Arakat Mag, PSX Brasil) call it the best since 2019's Modern Warfare. They like the scale, mission variety, two storylines (Price and Private Park Hyun Jun in Korea) and Mads Mikkelsen as the villain.
- The "Stranded" mission. The only open-space mission; GameSpot and IGN say it works far better than earlier attempts by the series.
- Fast multiplayer. Fluid movement and good map variety (GameSpot), Kill Block as a fresh idea, Ground War 32v32 in the spirit of Battlefield (Multiplayer.it, jeuxvideo.com).
- DMZ. The Hajin map, the Forward Operating Base (FOB), progression up to level 70 and XP even after a failed extraction. Details: DMZ guide.
What they criticize: critics versus players at launch
Critics mostly complain about:
- the final boss fights (GameSpot), hand-holding and checkpoint resets (Multiplayer.it), repetitive QTEs and no co-op campaign (COGconnected), little impact of player choices (Digitale Anime),
- matchmaking and spawns in multiplayer (Press Start Australia, Hardcore Gamer: "Matchmaking remains an albatross"),
- Killstreaks instead of Scorestreaks and Kill Block only in Gunfight (GameSpot),
- DMZ: it is no longer free, has only six story missions, and the Vault Edition gives an advantage in it (GameSpot).
Multiplayer players judged the game more harshly after the night of October 22 to 23. Infinity Ward unlocked multiplayer earlier than planned, and Push Square called the feedback "brutal". CharlieIntel: "Maps are not that good. Spawns are still broken after beta. And SBMM is cranked up to the max." Another X user wrote "worst cod ever" after 30 minutes.
These are single quotes, not a measurement. The conflict with the reviews (86 and 91) is real, so do not treat either side as the consensus. A Push Square commenter notes that every Call of Duty launch brings similar noise.
On Steam the game stood at 92% positive from over 3,100 reviews in Eurogamer's read of October 19, but those were opinions about the campaign only. We could not confirm a fresh number after multiplayer opened, so check the game's Steam page.
Campaign length according to reviewers
Officially the campaign has 16 missions. How long it takes depends on your pace and on the "Stranded" mission.
| Source | Time |
|---|---|
| GameSpot | about 8 hours (recent years averaged 5-6 hours) |
| COGconnected | 6-9 hours |
| Completexbox | about 8 hours in one sitting |
| jeuxvideo.com | 7 hours at your own pace |
| Eurogamer (Steam analysis) | "a little over six hours", disputed by the 7-9 hours elsewhere |
Takeaway: expect 7-8 hours. More on missions and rewards: MW4 campaign.
Is Modern Warfare 4 worth buying?
You will be happy if:
- you play for the campaign and want a short, polished story (it has the best reviews of the whole game),
- you are a DMZ fan who accepts that the mode is now paid,
- you play on PS5 or PC, because that is where most reviewers played (Switch 2 and Xbox scores are still to come).
Better to wait if:
- you mainly want multiplayer: early opinions on maps, spawns and matchmaking are mixed, and Season 1 starts on November 6, 2026,
- you want the final IGN, GameSpot, PC Gamer or Eurogamer verdict first,
- you prefer a subscription: the game reaches Game Pass only in "Holiday 2027".
The Standard Edition costs $69.99 on Steam in the US and PLN 299 in Poland. Editions and discounts: release date, editions and price, maps and modes: MW4 multiplayer.
FAQ
What is the MW4 Metacritic score?
In the read from October 24, 2026: PC 86 (18 ratings counted, 25 reviews listed), PS5 91 (4 ratings counted). Switch 2 and Xbox have no score yet, and the user score is hidden too.
Are the IGN and GameSpot MW4 reviews final?
No. IGN gives 8/10 marked "score not final", GameSpot 8/10 as "Review In Progress".
Is MW4 worth it?
For the campaign and DMZ, yes; for multiplayer it is worth waiting for the first patches. Critics rate the game highly, while players are split after multiplayer opened.
Are there Polish, German or Italian reviews (recensione, test, critique)?
Yes, French, Spanish, Italian, Brazilian and Turkish ones, listed above. German Eurogamer has a campaign review without a score, and we found no Polish review.
What are the MW4 scores on Switch 2 and Xbox?
Switch 2 has three reviews at 90 each (Nintendo Life, Nintendo Insider, What's It Like?), but Metacritic does not compute a score yet. Xbox Series X|S has no reviews. Jeuxvideo.com plans to update its Switch 2 review next week.
