Does Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 have split-screen?

Andrew Highton
modern warfare 2 ghost operator

Some Modern Warfare 2 players want to dispense with the notion of online multiplayer and instead enjoy local-co-op via split-screen, but does Modern Warfare 2 let you?

Modern Warfare 2 may be the latest and greatest CoD title, but at its core, it’s a classic title in the franchise complete with a blockbuster campaign and a stellar online multiplayer component.

In recent years, Call of Duty games have tended to include split-screen to allow players to enjoy the likes of Zombies and multiplayer together in the same room for a different CoD experience.

Modern Warfare 2 is integrated with Warzone 2 and there are certainly different elements in MW2 this year, but does it retain split-screen so that players can engage in local co-op with each other?

cod mw2 operators moving up as a team

Is split-screen in Modern Warfare 2?

Any doubters can finally put their worries to bed as we can confirm that Modern Warfare 2 does indeed have split-screen multiplayer for you to play the game locally with another person.

As long as you have two working controllers on the same platform, then you and a friend can hop into Modern Warfare 2 together.

There is a minor caveat in that split-screen only applies to Private Matches. Not only that, but in previous years you could enjoy up to four-player split-screen, whereas in Modern Warfare 2 it’s only two players.

How to play split-screen in Modern Warfare 2

If you are looking to make the most of the game’s split-screen functionality, then we’ve got a quick and easy guide showing you how to set it up.

Here’s every step you need to carry out in MW2 to activate split-screen multiplayer:

  1. Boot up Modern Warfare 2’s multiplayer menu.
  2. On your platform of choice, on another controller or input device, ensure that the user is also signed in to the platform.
  3. Now, press the displayed button in the top-right corner of the screen to allow a second player to enter the game.
  4. Once it says the second player has been added, go to Private Match on the game mode selection screen.
  5. Press on the option and select Create Private Match.
  6. You can now select the map, game mode, and rules, and tweak the settings of local bots to suit your preferences.
  7. When everything is to your liking, select Start Match.

That wraps up everything you need to know on how to create and play a Private Match in local split-screen co-op in Modern Warfare 2.

For even more guides and content for the game, check these out below:

Best guns in Modern Warfare 2 | How to get Modern Warfare 2 Twitch Drops | How to play Modern Warfare 2 on Steam Deck | Do Warzone Double XP tokens carry over to MW2? | Can you mix and match camos in Modern Warfare 2? | Does Modern Warfare 2 have a Tactical Nuke Killstreak? | How to turn off crossplay in Modern Warfare 2

Image Credit: Activision

About The Author

A content creator for Charlie INTEL / Dexerto that earned a degree, wrote for PlusXP, Twinfinite, and Keengamer, before finally securing his dream job of being a professional video game writer. When not writing about games, he's very busy playing every game in existence and adding to his 11,000+ PlayStation Trophies and 150+ Platinums. You can contact him at [email protected].