The full Modern Warfare 2 release date is just around the corner, and campaign early access finally upon us, so if you’ve bought the game, you can jump in to the new FPS game now. You can still buy any version of the game, including the special Vault Edition, before the release date to drop into the new Modern Warfare II missions early.
As opposed to a direct remake of the Modern Warfare 2 from 2009, Modern Warfare 2 is a sequel to 2019’s Modern Warfare 1 reboot. Confusing? Slightly. But while there will be parallels from across the Modern Warfare series so far, the new game will feel like a new game. Here’s everything we know about the 2022 Modern Warfare 2 release date, and what the game entails.
Modern Warfare 2 release date
Activision Blizzard announced on the Call of Duty blog back in June that the Modern Warfare 2 release date is October 28, 2022.
#ModernWarfare2 Ships October 28th 💀 pic.twitter.com/OsgOspGh1j
— Call of Duty (@CallofDuty) May 24, 2022
The announcement video reveals several Modern Warfare 2 characters, drawn from the long history of the series. Captain Price makes a return, as does Modern Warfare reboot protagonist Sgt. Kyle ‘Gaz’ Garrick, Soap MacTavish from the original Modern Warfare series, and even masked-man extraordinaire Simon ‘Ghost’ Riley.
Modern Warfare 2 crossplay
Modern Call of Duty usually support cross-platform play, so it’s not surprise that Modern Warfare 2 is no different. Players will be able to drop in with friends and foes from all platforms. Of course, if you’re concerned about playing with those on console, you can turn Modern Warfare 2 crossplay off in the game’s options.
Modern Warfare game modes
Most games in the Call of Duty franchise ship with three game modes; Campaign, Multiplayer, and a third mode such as Spec Ops or Zombies in Black Ops Cold War. We now know that, alongside the Task Force 141-themed campaign, and the usual multiplayer modes, Special Ops is back among the Modern Warfare 2 game modes, giving you two ways to play co-op, alongside the classic single-player campaign.
Campaign and early access
The Modern Warfare 2 campaign mode features Task Force 141 once again, this time set in 2022, following on from the events of Modern Warfare (2019). As Price revealed at the very end of the Modern Warfare campaign, he’ll be back with classic characters Ghost, Soap, and Garrick, and there’ll be some new faces, as well.
Players who purchase any edition of the game on any platform, including but not limited to the Modern Warfare 2 Vault Edition, before the release date will be able to pre-load the campaign now, with gameplay launching at 10am PDT / 1pm EDT / 6pm BST on October 20, 2022.
MW2 Multiplayer modes
Returning multiplayer modes include fan-favourites like Team Deathmatch, Domination, Hardpoint, and Search and Destroy. There will also be new Ground War modes, including the all-new Invasion mode, with others expected on day one. Not only are there new 6v6 modes Prisoner Rescue – in which you must collect a hostage from enemy lines and carry them to safety, and Knock Out – either end the round holding the package or completely eliminate the opposing team, but Modern Warfare 2 introduces a third-person playlist for the first time in Call of Duty.
Spec Ops
Finally, Special Ops is back for Modern Warfare 2, the coop mode in which you team up with up to three others in split screen or online coop. While we don’t know much about the spec ops story just yet, we can expect gameplay to follow in the footsteps of special ops modes before it, probably carrying on from the campaign story, again featuring Task Force 141.
Modern Warfare 2 DMZ
There was a rumour that a new mode called DMZ would be coming to Modern Warfare 2, but it has since been revealed that the Escape-from-Tarkov-style exfil mode will be part of Warzone 2.0. We’ve got more details on the Warzone 2 DMZ mode in a separate guide.
Modern Warfare 2 maps
We already know that we can expect brand new Modern Warfare 2 maps from multiplayer, alongside both new and classic modes. There will also be more integration with the Warzone battle royale than ever before, with POIs from the new Warzone 2 map appearing as large 32v32 Ground War maps in Modern Warfare 2.
In classic 6v6 multiplayer modes, such as Domination and Hardpoint, as well as new modes Prisoner Rescue and Knock Out, we’ve already seen a range of new maps. Some require you to prepare for close-combat, such as Farm 18, while others feature more tactical plays, like Breenbergh Hotel and Mercado Las Almas.
Ground War maps on the other hand are massive, allowing not just for huge team numbers, but for drivable vehicles, including boats, helicopters and ATVs. As mentioned, these maps are based on POIs from the Warzone 2 map Al Mazrah, allowing for greater map integration then ever before, and letting you get familiar with the new battle royale map before its release.
Whether you’re heading into the campaign early or waiting to drop into ranked play, don’t forget to check out our guides on the best Modern Warfare 2 guns, and the best perks and killstreaks for multiplayer. If that’s not enough, a new era of COD battle royale starts soon, with the Warzone 2 release date closing in. Speaking of Warzone, if you haven’t caught up with the battle royale game in some time, we highly recommend reading our best Warzone loadouts guide to equip yourself with game-winning setups.