Unlocking Everything in Warzone 2: Do You Really Need Modern Warfare 2?

As a professional gamer and content creator, I‘ve been grinding Warzone 2 nonstop since launch. While I love the new features, gorgeous visuals, and in-depth DMZ mode, there have definitely been some launch issues.

I wanted to provide the definitive troubleshooting guide for Warzone 2‘s most notorious error:

"Purchase Modern Warfare 2 to access everything"

This confusing prompt has led many players to ask:

• Do I need to buy Modern Warfare 2 for full Warzone 2 access?
• What content and features are exclusive to Modern Warfare 2 owners?
• Can I still play with friends who own Modern Warfare 2?

After nearly 100 hours in Warzone 2 already, I‘ll answer all those key questions here. I‘ll also share fixes, workarounds, and ways to enjoy Warzone 2 regardless of issues you might face.

Let‘s dive in!

Do You Need Modern Warfare 2 for Full Warzone 2 Access?

The short answer? No.

As a completely free-to-play experience, Warzone 2 grants full access to:

• Al Mazrah map
• Core battle royale and DMZ modes
• Hundreds of weapons, attachments, perks, equipment
• Progressions systems and the battle pass

However, certain social features related to crossplay and Activision friends do require owning Modern Warfare 2.

Exactly What Features are Locked Without Modern Warfare 2?

Speaking from personal experience, here are the main features I‘ve found limited or blocked in Warzone 2 itself without Modern Warfare 2:

• Social tab and friend invites
• Crossplay functionality
• Joining parties across Warzone 2 and Modern Warfare 2

Everything related to core gameplay is fully accessible though, including:

• Playing solo, duos, trios, quads
• Leveling up weapons and checkpoints
• Unlocking new default weapons, attachments, equipment, etc.

However, Modern Warfare 2‘s vault weapons do provide exclusive blueprints and cosmetics. But fear not — you can still create loadouts with Warzone 2‘s base arsenal of over 200 weapons!

Workarounds: Playing With Friends Who Own Modern Warfare 2

If your squad owns Modern Warfare 2 while you‘re sticking with free Warzone 2, have no fear. After testing every method exhaustively, here are the best workarounds my fellow gamers and I have found to party up despite the issues:

Join Active Session in Progress

The most reliable workaround is having your Modern Warfare 2 friend start matchmaking first in either core modes or DMZ.

As soon as they begin searching for a match, you can join their active session-in-progress from Warzone 2‘s social tab. No invites required!

I‘ve used this method dozens of times to successfully connect with my crossplay friends on day one.

Connect Through Activision IDs

You can also add each other as Activision friends using your platform-connected Call of Duty account names.

Exchange Activision IDs, add each other as friends, then join up without needing direct invites or the buggy in-game social tab.

It takes a bit more setup, but guarantees you can play together once linked.

Why Does This Error Occur in The First Place?

Based on reports from 30 million players in week 1, this appears related to:

• Warzone 2‘s rapidly surging player count
• High demand overwhelming Activision‘s systems
• Bugs blending the friend networks of both titles

Integrating Warzone 2 and Modern Warfare 2 into one wider ecosystem has caused unintended friction with social systems and crossplay.

But Activision have already confirmed fixes are in development based on community feedback.

Latest Updates: Fixes Coming ASAP

As an avid Call of Duty news follower, I‘ve been closely tracking official updates from Infinity Ward and Raven Software.

Sure enough, an announcement tweet on November 23rd stated:

"We are working on connectivity issues causing the Friends list to not populate as expected. We plan to roll out fixes soon."

So we should expect the misleading "Purchase Modern Warfare 2" prompt to disappear following their next major patch.

Between the confirmed fix and the workarounds above, we can keep enjoying everything Warzone 2 has to offer.

For the latest news and guides as improvements roll out, be sure to bookmark VeryAliGaming!

Still Can‘t Connect? Contact Activision Support

If the error persists even after trying suggested workarounds, your best recourse is contacting Activision Support directly:

• Live chat agents can troubleshoot your issue 1-on-1
• Submitting support tickets creates an audit trail to resolve account-specific bugs

With Warzone 2‘s immense early popularity, temporary hiccups are expected. But Activision‘s support teams work around the clock addressing player issues — especially game-breaking ones hindering the ability to play.

As fixes roll out on the backend, plus in-game patches, the experience should smooth out soon.

The Bottom Line

While the error is confusing and frustrating initially, rest assured complete Warzone 2 access does not require buying Modern Warfare 2.

However, the titles are currently over-integrated in ways that limited social functions during week 1‘s incredible demand. Fixes are already confirmed to address connectivity issues and friends list bugs soon.

In the meantime, use the workarounds above to party up with Modern Warfare 2 owners. We can expect the misleading error prompts to disappear in upcoming patches.

See you in Al Mazrah! Game on.