Modern Warfare 4 beta August 22 update adds Cachette, lowers footsteps

The Modern Warfare 4 beta August 22 update adds the Cachette multiplayer map and Inflation mode, enables map voting, lowers enemy footstep and gear audio, and adjusts the ISO Nightshade and Oris 8.6. Infinity Ward published the changes on August 22, 2026, following the first day of Early Access testing. The complete change list is available in the developer’s official beta patch notes.

For players, the most important competitive change is the audio pass. Enemy movement should be audible over a shorter distance and at a lower overall volume, although Infinity Ward has not published numerical values for either reduction. The weapon changes are similarly targeted: they reduce selected damage ranges and headshot multipliers without establishing a new definitive weapon hierarchy.

Enemy footsteps should reveal less at range

Infinity Ward reduced both the distance at which enemy footstep and gear audio can be heard and the overall volume of those sounds.

Our objective for movement audio is to indicate when enemies are approaching without revealing their exact positions at a distance.

Infinity Ward, in the August 22 beta patch notes

The notes do not disclose the new hearing distance or volume levels, so there is no supported percentage or precise range reduction to report. The intended result is narrower: sound should still warn players that an opponent is approaching, but it should provide less information about an enemy’s exact position from farther away.

Infinity Ward says it will continue reviewing movement-audio feedback during the beta. Players should therefore treat this as a live adjustment rather than the final version of the audio system.

Cachette enables map voting, and Inflation joins the rotation

The update adds Cachette, a Core 6v6 map. Its arrival raises the available map count to four, which Infinity Ward said was necessary to enable map voting effectively. Map voting is therefore part of the same update, rather than a voting feature limited to Cachette itself.

The new Inflation mode revolves around collecting and protecting cash. Players collect cash from eliminations, can defeat HVT Operators to steal the money they are carrying, and become marked HVTs when they rank among the richest players. Surviving Overtime increases cash multipliers, placing more pressure on leaders to stay alive while giving opponents visible high-value targets.

ISO Nightshade and Oris 8.6 lose range and headshot power

The August 22 update adjusts two weapons through damage-range and headshot-multiplier reductions:

• ISO Nightshade: its maximum damage range falls from 10.5 metres to 10.1 metres, its second medium-range damage drops from 19 to 18, later damage ranges are shortened, and its headshot multiplier falls from 1.4 to 1.3.
• Oris 8.6: its maximum damage range falls from 23.6 metres to 20.8 metres, its first medium range ends at 31.2 metres instead of 34.7 metres, and its head-damage multiplier falls from 1.7x to 1.6x.

These are direct reductions, but the patch notes do not provide controlled time-to-kill tests, weapon-use data or evidence of a settled post-update meta. The supported conclusion is that both weapons lose some range and headshot effectiveness. Whether either remains a leading choice will depend on live testing and any further beta changes.

Transit 213 visibility improves, but two issues remain

Infinity Ward also brightened shadowed areas and adjusted the overall colour balance on Transit 213, improving the map’s visibility.

Two notable problems remain on the developer’s known-issues list. Join-in-progress is temporarily disabled in Kill Block because of a round-transition bug, while Infinity Ward is investigating reports of frame-rate drops when players cook lethal equipment.

The update arrived during Early Access, which runs from August 21 to August 25. The no-preorder Open Beta is scheduled for August 28 through September 1. For platform eligibility, access requirements and the wider schedule, see TheDashDouble’s guide to Modern Warfare 4 beta dates, access rules, and Weekend Two content.

For every listed fix and adjustment, including the Frangible Rounds changes, consult Infinity Ward’s August 22 patch notes. Activision also lists the beta windows and access details on its official Open Beta support page.