MW4 Season 1 Grind Guide: Everything New and How to Level It Fast
MW4 Season 1 starts November 6, 2026 at midnight ET (9 PM PT Nov 5). Here's every new gun and its tier, the new maps and modes, and a first-week plan to unlock and max the Cronen Osprey and CSG-35 fast.
MW4 Season 1 goes live at midnight ET on Friday, November 6, 2026 (9 PM PT on Thursday, November 5) on all platforms. It brings two new battle pass guns — the Cronen Osprey AR at Tier 16 and the CSG-35 SMG at Tier 36 — three new 6v6 maps, the Wager Match, Weapon Camo and Joint Fire events, and Warzone integration. Below: start times, what's new, and a first-week plan to get both new guns maxed while everyone else is still unlocking them.
MW4 Season 1 start time in your time zone
Verdict: Thursday night in the Americas, Friday morning in Europe, Friday afternoon in Asia.
Activision's official time is 0000 ET on November 6. US clocks fall back on November 1, so that's Eastern Standard Time (UTC-5).
| Region | Local start time |
|---|---|
| US West (PT) | Thu, Nov 5 — 9:00 PM |
| US Mountain (MT) | Thu, Nov 5 — 10:00 PM |
| US Central (CT) | Thu, Nov 5 — 11:00 PM |
| US East (ET) | Fri, Nov 6 — 12:00 AM |
| Brazil (BRT) | Fri, Nov 6 — 2:00 AM |
| UK (GMT) | Fri, Nov 6 — 5:00 AM |
| Central Europe (CET) | Fri, Nov 6 — 6:00 AM |
| India (IST) | Fri, Nov 6 — 10:30 AM |
| China (Beijing, CST) | Fri, Nov 6 — 1:00 PM |
| Japan (JST) | Fri, Nov 6 — 2:00 PM |
| Sydney (AEDT) | Fri, Nov 6 — 4:00 PM |
Warzone gets its own Season 1 post on November 2. For what changes when MW4 joins Warzone, see our Warzone integration guide.
New weapons and unlock tiers
Verdict: two guns on day one, two more from in-season events.
| Weapon | Class | How to unlock | Weapon levels | Apex attachment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cronen Osprey | Assault rifle | Battle Pass Tier 16 (blueprint at Tier 87) | 70 | Cronen Helix Mk. II |
| CSG-35 | SMG | Battle Pass Tier 36 (blueprint at Tier 73) | 42 | CSG Crossfire |
| JAK 12 | Full-auto shotgun | In-season event reward | Not announced | JAK Barrage |
| ZLR Talonhawk | Melee (axe) | In-season event reward | 10 | — |
Activision calls the Osprey and CSG-35 "two new (and free) base weapons." They sit on the battle pass track, so you need to reach the tier, but you shouldn't need to buy the premium pass to get them. The Osprey fires at 882 RPM, and Activision says only the M4 rivals it. The CSG-35 runs 1,200 RPM and is built for close range.
New attachments are also coming. The Hyeon Auto and Kastov 545 Apex attachments are Wager Match rewards, and an M16 Burst conversion for the M4 is an event reward. The TT Iron Guard Kit (.50 GS) and ChainSAW Grip (FiNN LMG) arrive in-season. Apex attachments unlock when a gun hits max level — see our Apex attachments guide.
New maps and modes
Verdict: three medium 6v6 maps at launch, with Shipment still the leveling map.
- Backstab (new): a snowy, war-torn town with long sightlines and blasted walls for flanks.
- Canyon (new): rock walls, a river, a cave and a central Mesa.
- Shoot House (reimagined): the classic three-lane layout, now in snowy North Korea.
- Shipment (remaster, live since October 27): small and chaotic. Activision specifically recommends it for leveling "crucial early Weapon ranks."
- Ministry, Overflow and more "[CLASSIFIED]" maps are due mid-season.
Grind and Drop Zone return at launch, and the Wager Match event adds a Gauntlet 1v1 playlist. The Halloween modes Possession (Oct 29) and Infected (Oct 30) went live pre-season. Counter Attack is due mid-season. Our best Season 1 maps for XP and camos guide covers which map and mode suits which grind.
Events and battle pass essentials
Verdict: Joint Fire is the XP event to plan around. Squad up for it.
- Wager Match: earn Trophies in Gauntlet 1v1 plus MP, DMZ and Warzone challenges. Mastery rewards include a camo and Apex attachments.
- Weapon Camo events: "Play matches to earn XP and acquire Weapon Camos."
- Joint Fire: you can play it solo, but the XP boost grows with your squad size. Rewards include 2XP tokens.
- Battle pass: 100 linear tiers and 100+ rewards. It costs 1,100 CP (the bundle is 2,400 CP). Buying it gives you a 10% Battle Pass XP boost for all of Season 1. If a premium owner falls behind, catch-up moves them to the current day's reward, up to day 50. Tier 100 is the "Bellum" Ultra Mosin-Nagant blueprint.
- BlackCell (Vault Edition or upgrade): 20 Tier Skips, 1,100 CP, the XERO operator and a BlackCell Mastery Camo Track.
Event dates beyond launch and any Double XP weekends haven't been announced. Ranked Play isn't mentioned in the Season 1 post. Free tip: verify your account email to unlock the "Locked Down" universal camo.
Full breakdown of tiers, catch-up and skips: fastest way to Tier 100.
Your first-week plan
Verdict: unlock first, then max the guns with heavy-kill sessions, and save Double XP for when both guns are in your hands.
Before Nov 6 — bank weapon levels on Shipment. Level the guns you'll keep using, and stockpile Double Weapon XP tokens rather than burning them now.
Day 1 — rush Tier 16 for the Cronen Osprey. If you have BlackCell, its 20 Tier Skips should carry you past Tier 16 right away. Otherwise, play anything that earns Battle Pass XP. Pop a Battle Pass 2XP token if you have one, and squad up for Joint Fire when it's live.
Days 1–3 — max the Osprey. It has 70 weapon levels, so turn on Double Weapon XP and spend this window on kills. Shipment is Activision's own pick for early weapon ranks. This is where MW4 Bot Lobbiesfrom $3.99 earn their keep: 5 bots on the enemy team, about 10 minutes a match, and a kill feed that never stops. The Apex attachment (Cronen Helix Mk. II) is waiting at max level.
Mid-week — reach Tier 36 for the CSG-35. Its 42-level track is much shorter, so it should go quickly. Use it close range only (Activision notes the recoil gets hard to control beyond about 20 meters).
All week — run camo events alongside. Weapon Camo events reward match XP, so they progress while you level. Kill-based mastery challenges on the new guns are where bot lobbies help most. See the Season 1 camo grind guide.
For the full leveling breakdown, read how to level the Cronen Osprey and CSG-35 fast. To plan around unlock tiers, check the MW4 unlock roadmap and MW4 XP calculator.
Do bot lobbies work in Season 1?
Verdict: yes — from day one, and for the new guns as soon as you've unlocked them.
Our bot lobbies carry on into Season 1. You play on your own account and device, with no password needed (just your Activision ID). Cross-play works on PS5, Xbox, PC and Switch 2. They're available from day one, November 6. To double each hour, stack Double XP codesfrom $7.99: each code gives 1 hour of Double XP plus 1 hour of Double Weapon XP. More detail: Can you use bot lobbies in Season 1?
Quick answers
When does MW4 Season 1 start? Midnight ET on November 6, 2026, which is 9 PM PT on November 5, 5 AM in the UK and 1 PM in Beijing.
What tier is the Cronen Osprey? Tier 16 of the Season 1 battle pass. The CSG-35 is at Tier 36.
Are the new Season 1 guns free? Activision calls them free base weapons on the battle pass. You still have to reach their tiers.
What's the best map to level guns in Season 1? Activision's own pick is Shipment, for its "relentless pace of engagements." Of the new launch maps, Shoot House is the familiar one: a reimagined classic with three main lanes.
Is there Double XP at the start of Season 1? No Double XP event dates have been announced. The battle pass and Joint Fire both give 2XP tokens.
Does MW4 join Warzone in Season 1? Yes. Integration happens with Season 1 on November 6, and Hajin and Zodiac join Verdansk and Rebirth Island.
Related Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 services
Vetted boosters handle the grind covered in this guide, with live support and scheduled delivery.
MW4 Bot Lobbies
MW4 Bot Lobbies are Modern Warfare 4 matches with 5 bots on the enemy team, so you farm weapon levels, camo challenges and player XP instead of grinding public matches. It's self-play on your own account — no password, just your Activision ID — with cross-play on PS5, Xbox, PC and Switch 2.
MW4 Account Leveling & Rank Boost
Soldier Rank 1–55 in Modern Warfare 4, priced per level. Set your current and target rank, the price updates live, and a verified booster plays it on your account from launch day.
MW4 Weapon Leveling – Max Level, Weapon Prestige & Prestige Master
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