Summary
A vocal portion of the Activision fandom has taken to social media to complain about an enormousCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 3patch that’s now being forced upon them even if they don’t actually own the game. Specifically, themassiveModern Warfare 3update—which weighs around 100 GB, depending on the exact platform—appears to be a requirement to continue playingModern Warfare 2.
As the first back-to-back sequel in the history of the long-running franchise, this year’sCall of Dutygame introduces a system for transferring weapons and cosmetics fromModern Warfare 2. Activision recently said that this feature is one ofthe reasons behindModern Warfare 3’s massive file size.
But what the publisher didn’t say is that a good chunk of its sizable game will be mandatory to download even for players who don’t own it, just so they can continue playingModern Warfare 2. Yet that’s precisely what ended up happening, according to numerous fan reports that emerged online around the time ofModern Warfare 3’s November 10 release.
It would appear that the forced download, which affects both PC and console players, is related tothe polarizing Call of Duty HQ launcher. The app in question was developed to facilitate the process of game file management and switching between differentCall of Dutyentries powered by the 9.0 version of the IW engine, includingModern Warfare 2andWarzone. However, Call of Duty HQ appears to unify Activision’s recent shooters by making some overly eager assumptions, like expecting that anyone who ownsMW2also boughtMW3on day one.
And while some player reports indicate that theMW2multiplayer is technically playable without thisMW3update, they claim that the patch still needs to be downloaded, then uninstalled manually. Multiple fans even claimed that the mandatoryMW3patch even uninstalledMW2from their systems, requiring them to redownload it manually. Taking to social media, many players bemoaned this state of affairs, wondering how such an erratic release model was ever allowed to see the light of day.
Some Players Claim Downloading MW3 Took Them Longer Than Beating Its Campaign
Even some of the fans who already bought the newCall of Dutyand hence intended to install it appear to be agitated about the process of doing so, claiming that they managed to beatModern Warfare 3’s disappointing campaignin less time than it took them to download the game in the first place. As for those who don’t yet own the new game but are hoping to play its predecessor over the weekend, they will seemingly have to download up to 200 GB of files the next time they launch Call of Duty HQ; the forcedMW3update will account for around half of that figure, while the rest might have to go toward redownloadingMW2in case its sequel’s update ends up uninstalling it.
Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (2023)
WHERE TO PLAY
The war has changed. Call of Duty returns with an all-new campaign, modernized versions of classic Multiplayer maps and an open-world PvE Zombies experience. The campaign, a direct sequel to the record-breaking Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, sees Captain Price and Task Force 141 face off against ultranationalist war criminal Vladimir Makarov as he extends his grasp across the world. In Multiplayer, the 16 maps that launched with Modern Warfare 2 in 2009 return with upgraded graphics, new modes and innovative gameplay features. In Modern Warfare Zombies, team up with other squads for the first time ever as you work together to survive in the largest Zombies map yet
