Modern Warfare 4 is Call of Duty's best-rated game on Steam since Black Ops (2010)

Since campaign early access for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 opened on October 16, 2026 (limited to digital pre-orders, a week ahead of the October 23 general release), the game has been sitting at between 87% and 90% positive reviews on Steam depending on the snapshot, the franchise's best Steam score since Black Ops in 2010, 16 years ago, according to Insider Gaming.

Numbers moving fast

The rating shifted within days: 81% from roughly 900 reviews right at the start of early access, then 87.4% from over 2,000 reviews the next day per Insider Gaming, while another outlet (PCGamesN) logged 90% from the first 2,000 reviews, and a third (KhelNow) reported 89% from over 1,700 reviews with a "Very Positive" Steam label. The gaps come down to snapshots taken at different moments, on a still-small and fast-growing review count.

Campaign only, for now

What's being rated here is exclusively the single-player campaign (8 to 9 hours per KhelNow), accessible only to players who pre-ordered a digital edition. Multiplayer, DMZ, and the esports scene haven't been tested by the public yet: several outlets note that early buyers, often already sold on the game before even playing it, don't necessarily represent the wider player base, and the score could shift significantly once multiplayer goes live on October 23.

A historical comparison worth taking with caution

Insider Gaming's own historical comparison table contains an inconsistency on close inspection: it lists Black Ops III (2015) at 84.36%, a figure higher than Modern Warfare 4's initial 81.15% score, to which it was nonetheless compared in an earlier version of the article. The updated figure (87.4%) is comfortably above Black Ops III's, which makes the Black Ops (2010) comparison hold up better, but it shows how sensitive this kind of Steam historical ranking is to the exact moment it's measured.

The cast weighs in

Several cast members reacted to the early reception: Barry Sloane (Captain Price) thanked players for their messages, Samuel Roukin (Ghost) said the team "poured our guts into this," and Maria Elisa Carmago (Valeria Garza) said she was overwhelmed by the response.

Sources

• Insider Gaming: Modern Warfare 4 Emerges to Best Call of Duty Steam Rating in a Decade
• PCGamesN: Modern Warfare 4 cast "overwhelmed" as players hail it as the best Call of Duty campaign in years

The bottom line

Modern Warfare 4's campaign is pulling in the franchise's best Steam score in 16 years according to early readings, but that's campaign-only feedback from a narrow pool of pre-order buyers, and still likely to shift. The real test lands October 23, with multiplayer and the wider public.