The launch of Call of Duty: Warzone 2 is edging ever closer, with the free-to-play battle royale title set for release later today.
Call of Duty Warzone 2 is the long-awaited successor to Activision's original Call of Duty: Warzone, a free-to-play battle royale title that took the gaming world by storm when it launched in early 2020. Call of Duty Warzone 2.0 will release on Wednesday, November 16 and features a brand-new map, custom loadouts, water combat and much more. Speaking of loadouts, you might want to check out our Warzone 2.0 best loadouts guide, so that you start frying baddies as soon as you drop into Al Mazrah.
Warzone 2.0 will be an extension of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, so weapon mechanics, Battle Pass progression and Weapon Progression will be shared across both titles. Here's what players can expect for Warzone 2.0 Season 1 content, including the confirmed release time.
Warzone 2 Season 1 release time
The official Warzone 2 release time is 6pm GMT / 1pm ET / 10am PT on Wednesday, November 16. This is the Season 1 release time for all platforms that the title is launching on, which include PS4, Xbox One, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
As always, with Call of Duty games, the download will be sizeable. But on the plus side, the pre-load is live right now!
How to pre-load Warzone 2
If the Warzone 2.0 file size looks daunting, don't worry, because you'll have two entire days grace to pre-load the game before it officially launches. And you can go ahead and do it right now.
We've put together a detailed guide of exactly how to pre-load Warzone 2 on every platform including PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X and PC (Battle Net and Steam).
Warzone 2 file size on console and PC
Despite the Warzone 2.0 pre-load going live, figuring out the file size for the game is a bit of a head-scratcher. And it hasn't helped that Activision hasn't given us a definitive answer either. Initially, the game wasn't visible on console or PC, but has since popped up on various storefronts.
Here are the file sizes we're at for now, but there's some conflicting info out there – and on the game pages themselves – which we'll delve into below:
- Xbox One - 95.2GB
- PlayStation – 49.76GB
- Xbox – 95.2GB
- PC – 85.2GB
Warzone 2 file size - PlayStation
Over on PS5, after adding Warzone 2.0 to your library, it'll show up as Modern Warfare 2. But if you click through to install, it does say 'Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 - Warzone 2'. The icon is for MW2, so presumably, that'll be updated at some point.
I don't have MW2 installed and got the alert to free up some space on my jam-packed hard drive. Yes, I should probably check out Black Friday PS5 SSD deals, but I digress. I need at least 49.76GB. Of that, 45.28GB is for Modern Warfare 2. The minuscule Warzone 2 add-on was downloaded almost immediately, with the file size working out to 4.48GB. Expect this to increase significantly in a Season 1 update.
Warzone 2 file size - Xbox
Xbox players are looking at just over 115GB if we go by the store page. But the total of the breakdown we grabbed a screenshot of is 95.2GB right now. That could increase in an update nearer to launch.
Warzone 2 file size - PC
Over on Steam, the guess that Warzone 2.0's file size would be the same as Modern Warfare 2 – given that they share a ton of assets – has proved correct. They're exactly the same size at 125GB. In regards to Battle Net, the file size for Warzone 2.0 currently sits at 85.2GB.
We've reached out to Activision for clarification in the meantime, but it's safe to say that Call of Duty games are always massive, so expect further updates.
Warzone 2 DMZ
DMZ is the new Warzone 2.0 experience that will sit alongside the already-established Battle Royale Solos, Duos, Trios, and Quads modes.
In a nutshell, Activision describes it as "an open-world, narrative-focused extraction mode". Squads of Operators can opt to take on "faction-based missions, take on additional side objectives, engage with enemy Operators or AI combatants, and search for valuable items, all while fighting to survive toward exfiltration."
Is the original Warzone shutting down?
The original Warzone will not be shutting down following the launch of Warzone 2, but there's a catch. The original Warzone is being rebranded and will be called Warzone Caldera.
Rebirth Island and Fortune's Keep will be removed from Warzone Caldera entirely, with players only able to access a standard battle royale playlist, with Caldera the only map available. Content won't be transferable between Warzone Caldera and Warzone 2. That goes for weapon progression, skins, tokens etc. But COD Points are transferable between all games.
