MW4 Halloween Week: Possession Mode Arrives October 29, Infected Returns October 30 (and Shipment Is Live)

Halloween is about to hit Modern Warfare 4 multiplayer. Possession, a brand-new party mode, arrives tomorrow, Thursday, October 29, and the classic Infected mode returns on Friday, October 30. Both dates come from Infinity Ward's official MW4 roadmap, and the official Call of Duty blog's maps and modes post lists both as "Pre-Season 1" modes landing before Season 1.

The week already started strong. Shipment, the first map added after launch, went live on October 27. As Nintendo Life reports, the official Call of Duty account confirmed it with "Shipment is LIVE NOW in #MW4." That settles the open question from our Shipment preview.

How Possession works

Possession is the new idea here. Based on Activision's own description in the Call of Duty blog:

• Every kill moves you. When you eliminate an enemy, you "possess" them: your character jumps to the spot where they died.
• You take their Loadout. You fight on with whatever that enemy was carrying, so your kit changes constantly.
• Kills become shortcuts. Activision suggests chaining possessions to reach a Hardpoint or a Search and Destroy bombsite.
• Pick your targets. The flip side is that you always take over whoever you eliminate. A sniper on the far side of the map may not be the body you want.

How Infected works

Infected is the long-running party favorite, and the rules are familiar:

• One random player starts each match on the Infected team.
• Every Survivor they eliminate switches sides, so the Infected grow while the Survivors shrink.
• Survivors try to hold out as long as possible; the Infected try to convert everyone.

What isn't confirmed yet

Neither mode has a published start time. MW4.GG notes that the roadmap only gives dates, and NeuralBoost points out that Activision hasn't listed lobby size, match length, score limits, maps or end dates for either mode. Call of Duty playlist updates often go out around 10 AM PT, but that's a habit, not a promise. If a mode isn't in your menu on its date, check the official @CODUpdates account before assuming a delay.

We'll also flag one rumor, clearly as a rumor: Game Rant reports on a leaker's claim that a small, PvP-focused DMZ map called "XO1" could arrive in Season 1. Infinity Ward hasn't confirmed it.

Why it's worth jumping in

Party modes are a low-pressure way to level weapons you don't normally use, and Possession forces exactly that by handing you a new Loadout after every kill. Pair that with Shipment's nonstop fights and the tripled kill XP in S&D and Collateral from the October 25 update, and this is a good week to grind camos.

What's next

• October 29: Possession goes live.
• October 30: Infected returns.
• November 6: Season 1 for MW4 and Warzone, bringing the Warzone integration with Hajin and Zodiac. See our roadmap breakdown and Warzone integration guide.

We'll update this story when Possession shows up in playlists.