Modern Warfare 4 Players Could Unlock Multiplayer a Day Early With This Simple Trick

The idea takes advantage of the time difference. When New Zealand reaches midnight on October 23, much of Europe and North America will still be on October 22.

For perspective, midnight in New Zealand corresponds to the following times elsewhere:

• United Kingdom: October 22 at 12:00 PM BST
• Central Europe: October 22 at 1:00 PM CEST
• US Eastern: October 22 at 7:00 AM EDT
• US Pacific: October 22 at 4:00 AM PDT

In theory, a successful regional unlock could provide several additional hours of Multiplayer access.

However, there is an important distinction between the confirmed launch schedule and the proposed workaround.

Activision has not officially guaranteed that changing an account's region will unlock Multiplayer early. Platform-specific restrictions, storefront regions, and account settings may affect whether the method works.

Players should therefore treat the New Zealand trick as a possibility rather than a guaranteed way to bypass their local release time.

What players should do before October 23

Anyone preparing to play Modern Warfare 4 Multiplayer at launch can already take advantage of preloading.

Activision opened PC preloads on October 15 for eligible digital pre-purchases, allowing players to download the necessary files before the full release.

The game's rollout also includes separate early-access periods:

• October 16: Campaign Early Access began for eligible digital pre-orders.
• October 20: DMZ Early Access begins for eligible digital pre-orders.
• October 23: Full Modern Warfare 4 launch, including Multiplayer, at midnight local time.

These earlier access periods are separate from the proposed New Zealand workaround and do not depend on changing account regions.

For Multiplayer-focused players, the most important confirmed detail is straightforward: Modern Warfare 4 launches at midnight local time on October 23, including on PC.

Whether changing regions can turn that into an October 22 launch remains unconfirmed, but the local-time release schedule makes the possibility particularly interesting for players eager to get into their first matches.

Infinity Ward has revealed a new DMZ Worldbuilder trailer for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, teasing a world packed with hidden stories, mysterious clues and secrets waiting to be uncovered.

By Marco “Stak” Cresta