Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 will open and close on the same song. Activision confirmed that the original Wu-Tang Clan "C.R.E.A.M." plays over the game's opening cinematic, while a new remix by Korean hip-hop artists LEE YOUNGJI, E SENS and Jay Park runs over the end credits.

The choice of rappers isn't random. Modern Warfare 4 moves the series to a Korean setting, and the remix has the three artists trading verses in both English and Korean. RZA produced it with Martin Wave of Parasol Music, and Epic Records is releasing the single on the major streaming platforms, so you don't need to finish the campaign to hear it.

A song about money, used to frame a war story

Activision's marketing chief Tyler Bahl tied "C.R.E.A.M." to the game's plot rather than just its soundtrack budget. In the release he described the song as the story of young people "rising from nothing to something," and said that arc mirrors the game's characters.

RZA framed it from his side. He said the song "brought our group to new heights worldwide" and that hearing it in a new language gives it "a fresh perspective." Whether a bilingual remix lands with longtime Wu-Tang fans is a separate question, but bookending a campaign with two versions of one track is a more deliberate move than the usual licensed-song trailer drop.

What arrives between now and Season 01

The same PR team also sent over Activision's launch roadmap. The full game is out worldwide on October 23, but digital pre-order owners get in earlier. Dates below are as Activision listed them, in Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT, three hours ahead of Manila):

  • Campaign Early Access: October 17
  • DMZ Early Access: October 21
  • Shipment map: October 28
  • Possession mode: October 30
  • Infected mode: October 31
  • Modern Warfare 4 and Warzone Season 01: November 7

That puts a new map and two new modes into the game within nine days of launch, before Season 01 even starts.

The competitive season follows in December

Activision also confirmed the 2027 Call of Duty League season starts on December 5 (AEDT). Players will compete on Modern Warfare 4 maps with new weapons and rosters, and the league is adding a new third game mode to the competitive rotation. The announcement didn't name that mode, so expect the league site to fill in the ruleset closer to the opener. Matches stream on YouTube and Twitch.