Modern Warfare 4 and Warzone Season 1 officially launched on November 6, 2026, introducing a sweeping overhaul to the weapon meta and the game’s technical foundation. While the update went live globally on Friday, players on the US West Coast saw the rollout begin on the evening of Thursday, November 5.
The update marks a definitive shift in gameplay as developers target the dominant Hyeon Burst while reviving classic favorites like the M4 and Kastov 762. Beyond weapon balance, this season signals a major platform transition for the franchise, ending support for last-generation consoles to accommodate new hardware and modernized movement mechanics.
Weapon Buffs and Nerfs: The Season 1 Meta
The primary focus of Season 1 is the reduction in effectiveness of the Hyeon Burst, which had dominated high-level play. The rifle received a significant damage nerf specifically to its Hyperburst Apex Attachment, forcing players to look toward other options in the Assault Rifle category.
To fill that vacuum, several veteran weapons and new entries have received substantial improvements:
- M4: The classic rifle received increases to its maximum range and headshot multiplier, making it more competitive at mid-to-long distances.
- Kastov 762: This heavy-hitter saw buffs to its medium damage and range. Additionally, damage multipliers for the head, neck, and upper torso were increased to reward precision.
- Axion: The Axion Assault Rifle received increases to its muzzle velocity and medium damage range, improving its consistency in open-field engagements on the new Hajin map.
- Han 86: The headshot multiplier for this weapon was adjusted from 1.25 to 1.3.
The shifts in weapon viability are further impacted by a major change to Hardcore modes. Maximum health in Hardcore has been reduced from 30 to 22, a change that significantly alters the “time-to-kill” for weapons with lower base damage, making almost every firearm viable in high-stakes playlists.
Movement and Map Updates
In a significant change to the game’s core movement, Tactical Sprint is now a default mechanic. Players no longer need to sacrifice a Perk slot to access this speed boost, effectively opening up more varied loadout configurations across all modes.
Warzone players have two new environments to master. Hajin serves as the new large-scale “Big Map” for standard Battle Royale, while Zodiac has been introduced as a smaller Resurgence map. These additions coincide with the 2026 release of Modern Warfare 4, which serves as the foundation for this year’s integration.
End of Support for Last-Gen Consoles
Season 1 marks a technical milestone for the franchise. As of this update, Warzone is no longer supported on PlayStation 4 or Xbox One. This “clean break” from older hardware was reportedly necessary to implement the engine upgrades found in Modern Warfare 4 and to support the debut of Warzone on the Nintendo Switch 2, which launched alongside the new season.
According to the official Season 1 roadmap, the focus has shifted entirely to current-generation hardware and PC to ensure parity across the new maps and more demanding movement systems. Existing players on legacy consoles will need to migrate to newer platforms to continue accessing live service updates and new seasonal content.