CoD Modern Warfare 2 release date: UK launch time for 2022 CoD game
Gear up for more Modern Warfare with the new Call of Duty game.
The Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 release date is very nearly here, and Activision's servers are sure to be in for a challenging weekend. But when exactly can we start enjoying the MW2 multiplayer content?
Of course, if you placed a Call of Duty pre-order this year, you're probably already enjoying the MW2 campaign early access, working through all that solo content and hunting for safe codes as you go. But multiplayer, as ever, is a huge part of the equation.
So, if you've checked the MW2 PC requirements and/or primed your console to be ready, keep on reading and we'll tell you exactly when you can start playing Modern Warfare 2. Check it out!
When is the CoD 2022 Modern Warfare 2 release date?
The CoD Modern Warfare 2 release date is 28th October 2022, the developers have confirmed, and you can already buy the game from retailers including Amazon, GAME and CD Keys.
On that date, players can expect to jump into the new paid-for Call of Duty game in all its multiplayer glory. However, in terms of free-to-play content, it's worth knowing that the Warzone 2 release date will not occur until the following month.
What time does CoD Modern Warfare 2 multiplayer start?
On PS4 and Xbox One, the multiplayer modes in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 will go live at midnight BST as the clock ticks over into 28th October.
On PC, you'll have to wait a while longer: on Windows computers, the CoD MW2 multiplayer content will come online at 5am in the morning of 28th October.
To gear up for the big launch day, the developers from Activision have already shared the following launch trailer for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. Check it out below if you like.
And let's not forget that, for the first time in Call of Duty history, those who pre-ordered Modern Warfare 2 received early access to the campaign on 20th October 2022. So you may well have started playing already!
CoD 2022 Modern Warfare 2 pre-order
Pre-orders for Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 are live at Amazon, GAME and CD Keys. Those who pre-order get the Final Judgement bundle in Warzone straight away.
You can also pre-order the Vault Edition which comes with the above as well as the Red Team 141 operator pack, the FJX Cinder Weapon Vault pack, the Season One Battle Pass for Modern Warfare 2 with 50 Tier Skips and the Ghost Legacy Pack.
CoD 2022 Modern Warfare 2 story
CoD 2022 is a sequel to 2019's Modern Warfare, as Activision has confirmed, which gives us some degree of a clue as to where the story could be headed.
We would, obviously, expect the game to be set in the modern day (or something close to it), as opposed to the distant future or military history.
Modern Warfare 2019 also ended with John Price making it clear that he planned to form Task Force 141 with operatives Johnny 'Soap' MacTavish, Kyle 'Gaz' Garrick and Simon 'Ghost' Riley, along with the playable characters Alex, Farah and Nikolai. Exactly who they'll be fighting, though, remains to be seen.
This task force undertook a number of operations in the original Modern Warfare series (which was rebooted by the 2019 title), and now we know that they will be squadding up again in the new game. This time however they'll be joined by new team member Colonel Alejandro Vargas, a member of the Mexican special forces.
Vaguely teasing the story in an official Call of Duty blog, the developers have said: "A global squad of iconic veterans and new legends of yet untold clandestine missions, these Operators are set to deliver a new era of Call of Duty when Modern Warfare II releases on October 28, 2022."
Modern Warfare 2 has long been rumoured to focus on the War on Drugs in South America, a premise which is looking increasingly more likely. The game is thought to follow Task Force 141 as they attempt to take down drug cartel Las Almas in Mexico, as well as combating terrorist organisation Al-Qatala in the Middle East.
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CoD 2022 Modern Warfare 2 gameplay
Here is the full gameplay reveal video so you can see what you'll be in for with Modern Warfare 2.
Of course, you can probably expect the 2022 CoD game to be a first-person shooter with a number of multiplayer modes.
But look for some more impressive changes to the game when it launches as this will be the first CoD game to be designed on their new engine - which means it should look, play and feel better than the franchise ever has.
And not only that, Warzone will also benefit from the new engine too so that game will also be shinier than before. The version we currently have looks to be winding down in the coming months and a brand new Warzone 2, built on that engine, will be taking its place, with many of the same features as we have now no doubt including a changing map.
Another change that will almost certainly come as a relief is a change to AI. CoD's AI players are well known to be, well, not the best, and that is something the team are keenly aware of and we should see improvements for Modern Warfare 2.
And that's not all, as there will also be changes made to the weapon customisation, or Gunsmith as it's known here, while Ricochet, the anti-cheat system, will be in the game from launch, which is a move we fully support. Cheating in a solo game is one thing, but any true gamer will know cheating in multiplayer is one of the biggest gaming sins going.
There has also been another gameplay reveal, this one teasing a level in the game called Dark Water. It was shown off at Summer Game Fest 2022 and here it is!
The gameplay reveal above shows off the improved water physics and swimming mechanics in the game, which will also be showcased in a reimagining of the classic Modern Warfare mission Wet Work.
There are also two new multiplayer modes: Knockout, a life-based mode where teams attempt to capture a package, and Prisoner Rescue, in which an attacking team attempts to extract a hostage. Co-op mode Special Ops will also be returning.
Other rumours include guns occasionally jamming - we assume in the campaign only - narrative choices, and an increased focus on realism and stealth, with a stealth-focused mission similar to the iconic All Ghillied Up level.
How will CoD 2022 Modern Warfare 2 impact Warzone?
As Activision revealed on the Call of Duty blog, "The new game and a new Warzone experience are designed together from the ground-up", with Infinity Ward leading the development on both projects.
Fans have been told to expect "a massive evolution of Battle Royale with all-new playspace and a new sandbox mode". That sounds to us like a total overhaul to Warzone, the free-to-play shooter that originally spun out from 2019's Modern Warfare.
It has since been confirmed that Warzone integration will end with Vanguard, and Modern Warfare 2 will instead crossover with the soon-to-be-released Warzone 2.0. While still a separate free-to-play experience, Warzone 2.0 will feature Modern Warfare 2 content, cross-progression and will run on the same brand new engine.
Read more on Warzone 2:
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What does this mean for CoD 2023?
While this Modern Warfare sequel is on track to launch in 2022, it sounds like you could be waiting longer than usual for the next Call of Duty game after this one.
A report from Bloomberg recently claimed that a different CoD game, originally planned for 2023, has now been pushed back to 2024. Per Bloomberg's Jason Schreier, this decision was reportedly made "after a recent entry in the series failed to meet expectations".
This decision was apparently "not related" to the fact that Microsoft bought Activision recently, although many speculated when that deal was made that it could prompt the Call of Duty franchise to move away from its traditional yearly cadence of new releases.
Bloomberg's report also noted that, according to its sources, "Activision is working on other projects to fill the gap next year. A Call of Duty game set to come out this fall will receive a steady stream of additional content, and there will be a new, free-to-play online title next year."
To our ears, this makes it sound like the 2022 CoD game (the Modern Warfare sequel) could have a longer-than-usual shelf-life in order to fill the gap left by its successor's delay. It could receive a bumper roadmap of post-launch content, then, but only time will tell if all these reports and rumours are accurate.
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CoD 2022 Modern Warfare 2 platforms
Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 has been confirmed to launch on PS4, PS5, PC, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S. Modern Warfare 2 will also be the first Call of Duty game since 2017 to launch on Steam, with the game releasing on the platform as well as Battle.net.
After much speculation CoD 2022 will launch on PlayStation consoles, as well as Xbox and PC, but other CoD games down the line may not release so widely following Microsoft's acquisition of Activision. But we haven't heard that from an official source just yet.
Another report from Bloomberg states that the next three Call of Duty games will launch on PlayStation, Xbox and PC, with Microsoft honouring a previous agreement between Sony and Activision.
Is there a CoD 2022 Modern Warfare 2 trailer?
As we get closer to the Modern Warfare 2 release date on 28th October, you can expect to see more and more teases coming from Activision's official social channels and websites.
There's no trailer yet for the 2022 CoD game (unless you count the artwork reveal we embedded earlier), but we'll be sure to update you when the first proper footage of the new Modern Warfare sequel does appear online. The latest rumblings point to June for a trailer reveal, so not too long to wait hopefully.
There's been a few teasers and gameplay footage which we've posted above, while the campaign early access trailer shows off the game's impressive graphics:
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