“Purchase Modern Warfare 2 to have access” error in Warzone 2.0

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Do You Need to Purchase Modern Warfare 2 to Play Warzone 2.0?

Abhimannu Das
Updated On: 
Highlights
A new bug is preventing players from queuing into Warzone matches if they do not own Modern Warfare 2.
You do not need to purchase Modern Warfare 2 and there are ways to fix the issue.
These solutions can serve as a temporary workaround until Activision deploys a hotfix for the problem.

Warzone 2.0 is a standalone free-to-play experience that does not require you to purchase Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. However, there is an ongoing bug that is telling people that they need to purchase Modern Warfare 2 to play Warzone 2.0. This is not the case and you do not need to purchase Modern Warfare 2 to experience the battle royale and DMZ mode that Warzone 2.0 has to offer. Here is how you can fix the “Purchase Modern Warfare 2 to have access” error.

How to Fix the “Purchase Modern Warfare 2 to have access” error in Warzone 2.0

If you get the error message saying “Purchase Modern Warfare 2 to access”, simply ignore it and do the following: 

  1. Make sure that your game is updated 

  2. Restart the game

  3. If the issue persists, head to the Social tab

  4. Find a friend who has Modern Warfare 2

  5. Click on Join Game 

  6. You will now be put in a party with your friend and will be able to queue 

This is a workaround that works only if you have friends who own Modern Warfare 2. There is an alternate solution for Steam users that fixes the issue but it does not work for other platforms. 

  1. Launch Steam and find Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 or Warzone 2.0 in your library

  2. Right Click on the game and click on Properties

  3. Click on Verify the Integrity of Game Files

  4. The game might redownload some files 

  5. Wait for the process to complete and launch the game 

The issue should now be fixed. You can also try Battle.net’s Scan and Repair feature from the launcher if you are playing the game via Blizzard’s launcher.

  1. Open the Battle.net desktop app

  2. Click on the Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 icon in the Games menu

  3. Click the cog wheel next to the Play button and choose the Scan and Repair option

These solutions can serve as a temporary workaround until Activision deploys a hotfix for the problem. If you do not want to purchase Modern Warfare 2 and just want to play Warzone, you can safely wait for a fix if any of the above solutions do not help resolve the “Purchase Modern Warfare 2 to have access” error.


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Abhimannu is a PC esports writer at AFK Gaming. With over seven years of experience in esports journalism, he has worked on a myriad of games and their ecosystems including Valorant, Overwatch and Apex Legends.

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