by UPDATE 11/16/22: An additional update for Call of Duty was released this morning and weighs in at around 70GB for Xbox Series X/S and 20GB for PlayStation 5.
PlayStation 5 users will also need to re-download the Warzone, Multiplayer and Spec Ops content packs (if they were previously installed), adding an additional 10GB to the total download size.
It’s unclear why PlayStation users need to re-download these packs, but this has been a regular occurrence with updates to Modern Warfare (2019) and Warzone.
If you have slow internet speeds I highly recommend you give yourself time to download the updates ahead of tonight’s Warzone 2.0 launch time which starts at 6pm here in the UK.
Of course, that’s no consolation for those with data caps, and the energy crisis has pushed up electricity prices.
ORIGINAL STORY 11/15/22:Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 is now available to preload ahead of the game’s release tomorrow – but it’s far from easy.
PlayStation 4 and 5 owners searching for Warzone 2.0 last night couldn’t find the download by searching “Call of Duty Warzone” in the PlayStation Store, while Steam users who own Modern Warfare 2 couldn’t find the download at all .
It looks a little better on Xbox, where Warzone 2.0 can be found with its own store page. On closer inspection, however, the download appears to be confusingly bundling Modern Warfare 2 Free as well.
So what’s going on here? Well, for the second time, Activision has integrated Warzone 2.0 into the launcher of Modern Warfare 2, just like Warzone and Modern Warfare (2019).
PlayStation 5 users can find Warzone 2.0 by going to the Modern Warfare 2 store page and clicking the context menu to view different editions of the game. There you will find the option for Warzone 2.0.
The download size will depend 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 download of 45GB.
Regarding Steam, Activision has confirmed that anyone who has installed Modern Warfare 2 will already have Warzone 2.0 pre-installed, while those who have not installed it can download Warzone 2.0 themselves.
While this is a bit easier, the way this works has proven controversial in the hardcore Call of Duty community. News of the integration caused this post to rise to the top of the Modern Warfare 2 subreddit:
The core issue for fans here is that Warzone is the evergreen live-service Call of Duty game with a larger player base, often overshadowed as Activision’s premium offering. Activision’s launcher is primarily aimed at Warzone, players say, while premium Modern Warfare comes second. This has led to the core community embracing the so-called “clean menu” before Warzone is integrated.
I raised this issue a few months ago when plans to shut down the original Warzone led to fears that Modern Warfare would also be shut down. Thankfully, the Modern Warfare (2019) UI seems to have been reverted back to its pre-Warzone form (albeit with a big Modern Warfare 2 ad).
Still, this integration creates a broader sense among fans that Activision’s development resources are being pulled from Modern Warfare 2 towards Warzone 2.0. The community has pointed out that only two maps were announced for the game’s first season, both of which were recycled from previous games. The game’s first major patch also coincides with the launch of Warzone 2.0, raising the question of whether Modern Warfare 2’s development will be dictated by the Battle Royale mode’s development cycle.
