Do you need Modern Warfare 2 to play Warzone 2?

Call of Duty has launched a few titles recently, starting with Modern Warfare 2 and now the release of the highly-anticipated Warzone 2. Because these games were released so closely together, many fans are curious if you need to own MW2 to play Warzone 2. With the game being included in the Modern Warfare 2 launcher, it makes this all the more confusing.

Whether it be the confusing UI or the unclear instructions, many players aren’t sure whether they need to own MW2. Here’s all the information you need to know about if you have to own MW2 to play Warzone 2.

Do you need Modern Warfare 2 to play Warzone 2?

Just like the original Warzone battle royale, Warzone 2 is free-to-play on PC, Xbox, and PlayStation. All you need to do is go to your platform’s store page for the game and choose to download it onto your device. The game shares some files with Modern Warfare 2, but you don’t need to own the game to play Warzone 2.

That being said, owning Modern Warfare 2 does provide the player with an additional bonus inside Warzone 2. You’ll get an XP boost from Warzone 2 matches toward the game’s progression system, providing a unique bonus to players who own both games. While this boost isn’t game-breaking, it will make leveling up on the battle pass a lot easier.

This isn’t an overpowered boost or anything that will cause players to have a leg up over free Warzone 2 players, but some have claimed this system is an unfair advantage. Either way, both players will still likely have to purchase the battle pass with each new season.

This, on top of the $70 players already paid for MW2, means that base game owners will be paying more overall for that boost. That’s all you need to know about whether or not you need MW2 to play Warzone 2.