Stuck in the lobby trying to figure out how to queue for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare hardcore matches? Hardcore is a simple twist on standard CoD multiplayer that increases weapon damage, limits your HUD, and allows friendly fire (among a few other tweaks). The mode has been a preferred means of playing the fast and frantic multiplayer for many fans of the series since it was added over a decade ago: it’s a little slower, more realistic, and tactical than core modes.
However, if you dive into Call of Duty: Modern Warfare you may struggle to find a way to play hardcore matches. Don’t worry, Modern Warfare hardcore is definitely a thing, but it’s been hidden away in some obscure matchmaking filter that you may not have spotted.
Hardcore in multiplayer comes in five different flavours and at the time of writing you can play team deathmatch, search and destroy, cyber attack, headquarters, and domination in both hardcore and core. So in order to help you access these matchmaking options we’ve made a quick and handy guide on how to play Modern Warfare hardcore modes.
How do you play Call of Duty: Modern Warfare hardcore modes?
To play hardcore modes in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare you need to head to multiplayer and click on the filter option that’s adjacent to the quick play button. Once there you should see a list of game modes, but if you look to the top of the list there is an option for selected category with a key or button prompt next to it – on PC this is the R key, on PS4 it’s the square button, and on Xbox One it’s the X button.
Pressing this will switch the category to hardcore, showing you five game modes preceded by the letters HC, signalling that they are the hardcore variants. It’s a little hidden away and we certainly kicked ourselves when we discovered just how simple the solution is.
If you’re still getting to grips with the new CoD then be sure to check out our Call of Duty: Modern Warfare weapons guide or our rundown of the best Modern Warfare classes to help you dominate in multiplayer.
What’s not quite clear is just how hardcore differs from the realism mode that’s been shown off in previews in the run up to launch, but hopefully this has helped you find the more realistic hardcore mode so you can play the more brutal spin on CoD’s multiplayer.