Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 is now available to preload ahead of the game’s release tomorrow – but that’s anything but simple.
PlayStation 4 and 5 owners looking for Warzone 2.0 last night couldn’t find the download by searching PlayStation Store for ‘Call of Duty Warzone’, while Steam users who own Modern Warfare 2 couldn’t find the download. found no downloads.
Things are a bit better on Xbox where Warzone 2.0 is discoverable with its own store page. Yet upon closer inspection, the download also seems confusing to bundle Modern Warfare 2 for free.
So what’s going on here? Well, for the second time now, Activision has integrated Warzone 2.0 into the Modern Warfare 2 launcher, just like it did with Warzone and Modern Warfare (2019).
PlayStation 5 users can find Warzone 2.0 by going to the Modern Warfare 2 store page and clicking on the context menu to see the different editions of the game. There you will find the option for Warzone 2.0.
The download size depends on whether you already have Modern Warfare 2 installed, as those with the game will have a much smaller 2.51GB, while those downloading from scratch will have a larger 45GB download.
As for Steam, Activision has confirmed that anyone with Modern Warfare 2 installed will have Warzone 2.0 already preloaded, while those who don’t have it installed can go ahead and download Warzone 2.0 on their own.
While it’s a bit simpler, the way it works has proven controversial with the hardcore Call of Duty community. News of the integration led to this post rising to the top of the Modern Warfare 2 subreddit:
The main issue for fans here is that Warzone is the evergreen live-service Call of Duty game with a larger player base, which is often deemed to overshadow Activision’s premium offering. Activision’s launcher is aimed primarily at Warzone, players say, while the premium Modern Warfare comes a close second. This led to the grassroots community adopting the so-called “clean menu” before Warzone was integrated.
I raised this issue a few months ago, as plans to shut down the original Warzone raised concerns that Modern Warfare might also be shut down. Thankfully, it looks like Modern Warfare (2019)’s interface has returned to its pre-Warzone form (albeit with great Modern Warfare 2 publicity).
Yet for fans, this integration creates a broader sense that Activision’s development resources are being pulled from Modern Warfare 2 to Warzone 2.0. The community pointed out that only two cards were announced for the game’s first season, both recycled from previous games. The game’s first major patch also coincides with the launch of Warzone 2.0, raising questions as to whether the development of Modern Warfare 2 is determined by the Battle Royale mode’s development cycle.
