The News, Explained
On November 5, Call of Duty announced automatic catch-up for the Modern Warfare 4 Season 1 Battle Pass. The pass is a track of 100 tiers that unlock rewards in order as you play. If a paid pass owner falls behind, the system catches them up to the reward for the season’s current day. For example, if the season is on day 30 and a paid pass owner is still at tier 10, they can catch up to the day 30 reward. The clock is the season’s calendar, regardless of how many days an individual has played. Catch-up stops at season day 50. Source Source
Players can earn experience toward tiers by playing Multiplayer, DMZ or Warzone without buying the pass. Two new base weapons are free rewards: the Cronen Osprey assault rifle at tier 16 and the CSG-35 submachine gun at tier 36. The free path still requires reaching the relevant tier. A blueprint, a separate version with its own configuration and appearance, is a different reward from the base weapon. Source
The standard paid pass and its bundle both include automatic catch-up. The standard pass costs 1,100 COD Points, an in-game currency. The bundle costs 2,400 and adds 20 Tier Skip Tokens that let players claim rewards ahead of their position. Those tokens work differently from the automatic system tied to the season’s current day. Source
OYOPICK’s Take
If you mainly want the two base weapons, start with tiers 16 and 36 on the free track. If you are returning late and also want the early paid rewards, catch-up can help you judge how much play you have left. Because it stops at day 50, anyone aiming for a late-season reward should look at that reward’s tier and the progress still needed to reach it. Source Source