How to check if you qualify for free $5 Xbox store credit on Modern Warfare 4
It's that time of year again, as we get ready to jump into the trenches with the annual Call of Duty release. Aside from 2004, Activision has given us a new Call of Duty every year since 2003, with the shooter series being consistently the best-selling video game in the USA for numerous years. Outliers like Grand Theft Auto V and Hogwarts Legacy have bested it, and in 2026, GTA VI looks like it's going to leap ahead of the upcoming Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4.
Gaming fans can still play both, and with Modern Warfare 4 getting a few weeks' head start on GTA VI with an October 23 release, we're sure it'll be a chart-topping success.
Now, Xbox players are being given another reason to stump up the price of admission for this year's CoD, with Microsoft offering gift cards to those who pre-order the military simulator.
The problem is, there was only a brief window to meet the conditions of the offer, so check whether you're eligible.
How to claim your free Xbox gift card
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Pre-ordering Modern Warfare 4 on Xbox Series X|S or PC through the Xbox app or Microsoft Store should earn you $5/£4/€5 in store credit. This can be used at a later date in the Microsoft and Xbox stores.
The promo ended on September 1 at 8:95pm PST/11:59pm EST, but as the official Call of Duty X account only posted about it on August 29, many seemingly missed out on the offer.
There's a silver lining, because according to the terms and conditions, it applies to any pre-orders made between May 28 and September 1.
Even though some have been holding off on buying Modern Warfare 4 until they knew more, many CoD superfans bit the bullet months ago.
If you’re eligible for the store credit, PC customers will get a pop-up notification on the Xbox app within 35 days of Modern Warfare 4's launch, while console players will get the same on their Series X|S.
Your bonus will be found in the 'Offers & credits' section and must be redeemed by you.
It's also noted that your promotional gift card has to be redeemed by December 15, 2026. It also has to be spent within 90 days of redemption.
The good news is that credit works at the Microsoft Store on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One consoles via a Microsoft Account, Windows 11 PCs, and online.
Call of Duty players remain split on Modern Warfare 4
Remembering that there was also a loyalty discount on Modern Warfare 4’s Vault Edition, giving 10% off for those who've bought any Call of Duty entry since 2019, the offers were stacking up.
Still, it seems there's been a mixed response to the game's playable beta.
Over on Reddit, one thread asked why there appears to be so much hate aimed at MW4.
The OP wrote: "I really find it hard to understand why people hate it so much, sure it has problems like TTK balancing and spawning (Never had the spawning problem) but it's a beta, and this is definitely better than BO7."
Another replied: "It’s too modern warfare for Treyarch fans because the movement and handling are slower. It’s too black ops for [Infinity Ward] fans because the maps are tiny and the ttk is too high. Seems to be a game for no one trying to appease conflicting feedback."
Someone else offered more positivity as they added: "Been playing beta this weekend and IMO it's a lot of fun. All I see is hate, not sure why. I feel like multiplayer is a lot more fun to play than BO6 BO7."
A third concluded: "It's essentially a prime example of a game with too many cooks in the kitchen, much like the recently released Halo CE remake. People can just feel that there was no single Vince Zampella-like figure to establish a core vision from the beginning of development. It feels like a product that was designed by committee, and by a committee that is playing it as safe as possible."
As was repeatedly pointed out, this is just the game's beta, so there's still room for improvement.