Warzone 2.0 release time, preloads and when Warzone is shutting down
RIP Warzone. Long live Warzone 2.0.
The Warzone 2.0 release time is almost here - and so is the shut down for the original Warzone.
Don't fret, Warzone 1 isn't going away for ever. It will enter a downtime period while the developers focus on Warzone 2.0's launch, before it returns with the brand new name.
There's a lot of moving parts with regards to the release of Warzone 2.0, so you'll likely need a little help making sense of it all.
Here's the Warzone 2.0 release time and when Warzone is shutting down.
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Warzone 2.0 release time: When does Warzone 2.0 come out?
Warzone 2.0 will launch on Wednesday, November 16th at the following times:
- UK: 6pm (GMT)
- Europe: 7pm (CET)
- West Coast US: 10am (PT)
- East Coast US: 1pm (ET)
The release of Warzone 2.0 is here! If you want to put together a strong arsenal, we explain the Warzone 2.0 best guns, plus how to forge a solid M4 loadout, Kastov 762 loadout, FSS Hurricane loadout, FTAC Recon loadout, VEL 46 loadout, Lachmann Sub loadout, Victus XMR loadout, SP-R 208 loadout and M16 loadout. Elsewhere, we have explainers on Season 2 Battle Pass skins and blueprints, AQ Soldiers, contextual tap and how to unlock Operators.
UPDATE (16th November, 4:45pm UK): For us on Xbox, Warzone 2.0 (including the Season 1 battle pass is seemingly live, well over an hour ahead of schedule. Go go go!
Whether it's currently avaialble for you or not, know that Warzone 2.0 and its new map will launch alongside Modern Warfare 2 Season 1, which is set to add new weapons, maps and Operators.
Warzone 2.0 preload details
You can begin preloading Warzone 2.0 - as well as download the update featuring Season 1 for Modern Warfare 2 - a full two days ahead of launch.
The Warzone 2.0 pre-load is now available - following a release on Monday, November 14th at 6pm UK / 10am PT.
On consoles, you can download on the PlayStation Store (remember UK and US are different) or Xbox.
Confusingly, know that downloading Warzone 2.0 will also download Modern Warfare 2, even if you don't own a copy of the game. This is because, like the original, Modern Warfare 2 acts as the launcher for Warzone 2.0. Our report from Ishraq explains this in more detail if you need extra clarity.
UPDATE (16th November, 10am UK): After being delighted that Xbox owners only need to grab the relatively small Content Pack 4 to get Warzone 2.0's files, there is now a 68GB patch on the morning of the game's release. After downloading this, we can confirm that Warzone 2.0 is indeed listed on the start screen - suggesting this is now everything you need.
When is Warzone shutting down?
To focus on the launch of Warzone 2.0, the developers at Activision will be taking the original Warzone offline for a short period.
During this period, Warzone will be completely inaccessible. The shutdown time will occur on Wednesday, November 16th at the following times:
- UK: 4pm (GMT)
- Europe: 5pm (CET)
- West Coast US: 8am (PT)
- East Coast US: 11am (ET)
This is two hours before the launch of Warzone 2.0 - so you won't be waiting too long without a free-to-play battle royale Call of Duty at hand.
From there, the original Warzone will then be renamed 'Call of Duty: Warzone Caldera' and will return on November 28th at 10am PT / 6pm GMT.
As a thank you to the community, anyone who played the original Warzone will be "gifted a few items to use" in its sequel.
That's all you need to know about when Warzone 2.0 launches, and when the original Warzone will be shutting down.
You can read more about the upcoming Warzone 2.0 map if you don't mind a few spoilers, and elsewhere, learn about attachments and weapon tuning in Modern Warfare 2; weapons are shared between the two games, so start preparing!