Modern Warfare 2 Season 2 patch notes: Ranked Play, new weapons, maps, modes, Hardcore & more

The Modern Warfare 2 Season 2 patch notes are finally here, so let’s look at all the content it’s bringing to the game including weapons, maps, Hardcore mode, and Ranked Play.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is still alive and well as we coast through the early stages of 2023. While the latest major update arrived on December 14 with Modern Warfare 2 Season 1 Reloaded, the delay to Season 2 meant that fans had to wait a little longer for a new content drop.

Season 2 delivers the usual new maps, weapons, and Operators, along with a host of other features and changes that players have been demanding, as outlined in the patch notes.

Here’s everything included in the Modern Warfare 2 Season 2 patch notes, including the new weapons, game modes, and the arrival of Ranked Play.

• Modern Warfare 2 Season 2 release date
• Modern Warfare 2 Ranked Play arrives in Season 2
• Modern Warfare 2 Season 2 new weapons
• Modern Warfare 2 Season 2 new game modes
• Modern Warfare 2 Season 2 Hardcore Mode
• Modern Warfare 2 Season 2 new maps
• Modern Warfare 2 Season 2 patch notes

Modern Warfare 2 Season 2 start

Modern Warfare 2 Season 2 update gets underway on Wednesday, February 15, 2022. The seasonal update rolls out at 9 AM PT / 12 PM ET / 5 PM GMT.

The Season 1 Battle Pass timer was originally expected to end on February 1, which many believed to be the start date for Season 2. However, the devs confirmed a two-week delay.

Modern Warfare 2 Ranked Play arrives in Season 2

Modern Warfare 2 Ranked Play is finally arriving with Season 2, with Treyarch confirming previously that Ranked Play will arrive on launch day and not later on in the season as part of the midseason update.

This will give players a fully-fledged competitive mode to grind through and unlock brand-new rewards in the process. Check out our best Ranked Play loadouts guide to gain the upper hand early on.

Modern Warfare 2 Season 2 new weapons

Modern Warfare 2 Season 2 also brings five new weapons to the game consisting of the ISO Hemlock Assault Rifle, KV Broadside Shotgun, Dual Kodachis, Crossbow, and the Tempus Torrent Marksman Rifle.

The first three weapons listed above arrive on day one to be unlocked right away, and you can find them as free rewards in the Battle Pass. While the Tempus Torrent Marksman Rifle will be a mid-season addition.

The Crossbow will require players to complete a set of challenges. The Path of the Ronin event will deliver seven challenges that players will need to complete to unlock the Crossbow.

The Crossbow has appeared in several recent Call of Duty titles and was useable in the campaign, so its arrival is no great surprise.

Most players will be eager to test out the ISO Hemlock Assult Rifle: “A powerful and enhanced rifle from Expedite Firearms is designed to take both 5.56 and subsonic .300 BLK ammunition, providing battlefield-advantage in any situation.”

Modern Warfare 2 Season 2 new game modes

Infected, Gun Game, Grind, Drop Zone, All or Nothing, and One in the Chamber are also included in Modern Warfare 2 Season 2, alongside the previously announced Hardcore and Ranked Play.

The highly anticipated Gun Game, Infected, and Grind are available right now, while Drop Zone, All or Nothing, and One in Chamber will only make their way to the game with the mid-season update.

Gun Game is the classic Call of Duty party game, putting players in a free-for-all match where players receive a new weapon for each kill. The first player to get a kill with every weapon, usually ending in something unique like a crossbow or ballistic knife, wins.

Modern Warfare 2 Season 2 Hardcore Mode

With players not fully satisfied by the presence of Tier 1 in Modern Warfare 2, a fully-fledged Hardcore Mode is also being added.

Tier 1 felt more like the Realism mode featured in Modern Warfare 2019, whereas Hardcore Mode will retain its original identity from previous CoD titles.

No HUD? No problem. Hardcore is back!

Follow Season 02’s Multiplayer updates in our studio blog later this week.

— Infinity Ward (@InfinityWard) January 22, 2023

Modern Warfare 2 Season 2 new maps

Modern Warfare 2 Season 2 introduces four new maps including Valderas Museum, Zaya Observatory, Alik Malik International, and Dome.

Here’s a breakdown of the Season 2 maps:

• Dome (6v6)
• Valderas Museum (6v6)
• Zaya Observatory (Battle Map)
• Al Malik International (Battle Map)

Al Malik International and Zaya Observatory provide a refresh to the game’s Battle Maps.

Meanwhile, players will recognize Valderas Museum from the Modern Warfare 2 beta. The map was pulled from the game prior to launch and makes its return in Season 2.

Call of Duty fans will also be familiar with Dome as it “bears a striking resemblance to one of Call of Duty’s classic maps.”

It’s already been confirmed that a remake of the classic Castle map will not be heading to Modern Warfare 2 with the Season 2 update. The leaked images of Castle corresponded to the new Ashika Island Resurgence map for Warzone 2.

Modern Warfare 2 Season 2 patch notes

PROGRESSION

At the start of Season 02, the Prestige Rank cap will be increased to Prestige 10, with the level cap increased to 450. Specifically, players can unlock the following new Prestige Ranks:

• Prestige 6: Unlocked at Level 300
• Prestige 7: Unlocked at Level 350
• Prestige 8: Unlocked at Level 400
• Prestige 9: Unlocked at Level 450 (maximum level that can be achieved in Season 02)

Our goal for Weapon Tuning has always been to deliver an experience that provides Players with deep customization for their favorite weapons: building a unique loadout for a precise personal playstyle. After examining Weapon Tuning in Season 01, we want to offer more value for Players by elevating the pros and reducing the cons of Tuning attributes. We are committed to making the system more rewarding for players going forward, without sacrificing overall weapon balance across the game.

The results of this adjustment will generally be felt as an increase in the overall impact of Attachments, with the effects of Attachment Tuning becoming more significant.

• Tuning has been enabled for Laser attachments
• Tuning Sliders have been updated for numerous attachments
• Some beneficial Tuning attribute magnitudes have been increased
• Some harmful Tuning attribute magnitudes have been decreased
• Season 01 Pro-Tuned Blueprints have received performance adjustments

» Assault Rifles «

• M13B
  • Increased damage at mid range
  • Increased upper torso damage

• Kastov 762
  • Small damage reduction
  • Added additional long range damage falloff

• Lachmann-556
  • Increased semi auto rate of fire

• M4
  • Increased semi auto rate of fire

• STB 556
  • Fixed an issue with the Single Tap Mod Magazine attachment which caused the weapon to deal considerably less damage to the upper left leg

» Battle Rifles «

• Lachmann-762
  • Decreased full auto head and torso damage
  • Increased semi-auto upper torso damage
  • Increased semi auto rate of fire
  • Reduced full auto recoil
  • Increased damage on long range
  • Added minimum damage against armor

• FTac Recon
  • Decreased full auto upper torso damage
  • Sped up ads time
  • Reduced full auto recoil
  • Increased close range damage distance
  • Increased lower torso damage multiplier 
  • Added minimum damage against armor

• SO-14
  • Increased semi auto rate of fire
  • Increased long range damage
  • Reduced semi-auto headshot damage
  • Added minimum damage against armor

• TAQ-V
  • Decreased mid-range damage
  • Increased semi-auto torso damage
  • Reduced semi auto leg damage
  • Decreased full auto head damage
  • Decreased full auto head damage
  • Reduced semi auto rate of fire

» Handguns «

• X13 Auto
  • Reduced damage while using Akimbo
  • Increase lower body damage
  • Increased close range damage
  • Increase damage distances

» Launchers «

• STRELA-P
  • Removed activation distance for projectile
  • Projectile will now explode at any range

• RPG-7
  • Small increase to splash damage amount
  • Small reduction to splash damage range

» Light Machine Guns «

• RPK
  • Small reduction to ADS movement speed
  • Reduced mid and long-range damage
  • Reduced damage ranges
  • Small increase to ADS time

• RAAL MG
  • Increased recoil

» Marksman Rifles «

• EBR-14
  • Reduced long range damage
  • Increased upper torso damage
  • Added minimum damage against armor

• LM-S
  • Added minimum damage against armor

• TAQ-M
  • Slight increase to rate of fire
  • Increased upper torso damage
  • Added minimum damage against armor

» Melee «

• Increased non-lunging melee damage range, allows Players to hit equipment on the ground with melee while crouched
• Melee attacks with non-Melee Weapons will now require three hits to kill a fully armored enemy instead of two

» Submachine Guns «

• Vasznev-9K
  • Reduced mid-to-long range damage  
• Minibak
  • Reduced damage ranges
  • Reduced lower torso damage at close range
  • Reduced lower body damage at mid to close range
  • Added minimum damage against armor

• Fennec 45
  • Decreased damage overall 
  • Decreased headshot damage
  • Added minimum damage against armor

» Sniper Rifles «

• Signal 50
  • Reduced sprint out speed
  • Reduced movement speed
  • Reduced long range damage
  • Small decrease to bullet velocity  

» Attachments «

• Reduced ADS penalty for bipods
• Fixed an issue with choke attachments scaling hip spread incorrectly

OPERATORS

• Daniel “Ronin” Shinoda
  • Ronin is the ex-Special Forces fighter known for his mastery of multiple fighting styles and unconventional warfare.

AUDIO

Adjustments

• Proximity chat now fades out more effectively over distance
• Improved sound effect of reloading underwater  

Audio Bug Fixes

• Addressed a number of missing audio elements in the UI
• Fixed an issue where ping sounds could be missing when pinging items or map locations from certain positions
• Fixed an issue affecting the sound effect for an enemy dropping cash onto the ground upon death
• Fixed several issues where specific materials were occluding incorrectly
• See other mode-specific audio fixes below  

SOCIAL

Adjustments

• Added a wide range of usability improvements across Social screens
• Improved sorting of Friends List to prioritize playable, joinable and online Players higher in List
• Added Party Finder option within Special Ops Raid lobby
• Added ability to send quick “Thank You” message to squad/teammate after some in-game actions (i.e. Being Revived, Being Bought Back, Picking Up Dropped Loot)
• Added a search bar option when inviting Players to Friends, Parties, and Groups  
• Added additional invite privacy settings
• Increased refresh frequency of Recent Players list to dynamically update list faster
• Added shortcut to manage Blocked Players
• Added mode-based Recent Players filtering
• Added offline Players as option for channel invites
• Added ability to report Groups for toxicity (i.e. Group Name, Group Description)
• Added notification stacking for high-volume notification types (i.e. Group Invites)
• Improve visibility changes across all game modes – assigned color + squad color integration

Social Bug Fixes

• Fixed a number of online status, party invite, friend invites and joinability related issues
• Significant fixes related to voice chat channels based on observed issues and player feedback
• Fixed navigational related issues forcing users back to home page when inviting friends or sending group invites
• Fixed an issue causing Emblems to sometimes revert to a placeholder image
• Fixed several bugs related to muting/unmuting other Players
• Fixed bugs related to inviting Player to game and social channels
• Fixed an issue that prevented Players from muting or unmuting self in select scenarios
• Fixed crash related to accepting old party invites from channels menu
• Fixed an issue that caused text-chat messages to sometimes appear blank
• Fixed an issue preventing Players from connecting or disconnecting from channels
• Fixed an issue causing players to be unable to change weapon in Player Showcase
• Fixed issues impacting ability to scroll to end of large Friends List
• Improved visibility of Code of Conduct related warning notifications and penalties within the Notification Center
• Fixed an issue that caused Recent Player List to sometimes appear incorrectly as empty or show all Players as offline
• Fixed multiple bugs related to Recent Players sorting and filters when specifying recent lobbies, squads and teams
• Fixed multiple bugs related to current speaker visibility and mute status
• Fixed an issue causing large Group member lists to not update or be scrollable
• Fixed an issue that prevented Players from selecting Group Privacy as “request to join”
• Limited number of Group notification pop-ups sent to Group Owners
• Improved Group Browser search options including filtering by labels and sorting  

UI/UX

Adjustments

• Improved navigation and organization of Camo menu including:
  • Clearer tracking of your progress
  • Discoverability of camos you have unlocked

• Improved view, rotation and zoom of Operators and weapons in preview
• Slight increase to animation speed of the Orion Camo
• Slight increase to animation speed of the Polyatomic Camo
• More polished Social tab, including improved channel swapping and player muting
• Added “My Bundles” section to the Customize tab that contains all Bundles a Player owns
• Quick Equip option for items from Battlepass, My Bundles, and Store
• Reticle previews in Store and Gunsmith
• Improved clarity of attachment blocking logic in Gunsmith
• Updated Loadouts UI to support Pro-Tuning changes
• Updated UI to reflect improvements to tracer packs
• Improved After Action Report UI 

UI/UX Bug Fixes

• Addressed some issues blocking camo progression across certain weapons
• Fixed some incorrect preview cards in the UI for Operators and Blueprints
• Addressed bugs impacting the After Action Report to show challenge and camo progress correctly
• Fixed bugs causing cosmetic items (i.e. gunscreens) to display incorrectly in the Gunsmith customization menu  

GLOBAL BUG FIXES

• Fixed an exploit involving use of the Sentry Gun and Recon Drone
• Fixed an issue that sometimes caused the Portable Radar to not activate upon landing
• Fixed an issue where enemy markers persisted after use of the Spotter Scope
• Fixed some instances of Operators rendering incorrectly in the lobby
• Addressed some instances of Operators posing incorrectly in the lobby
• Fixed several issues impacting the Firing Range
• Fixed an issue where Players could lose their second weapon upon equipping a Riot Shield from a dead enemy
• Fixed issues with certain weapons not updating in the Gunsmith case preview or having their decals and stickers blocked
• Fixed an issue where the Loadout menu would not show an icon for the primary weapon
• Fixed several issues that caused the Playstation™ Store icon to display inconsistently  

PC SETTINGS

Gyro Aiming

We’ve included several additional settings to help players to fine-tune their playstyle while using Gyro Aiming.

• It’s now possible to adjust ADS Sensitivity specifically when using the Gyro Aiming (Gyro ADS Sensitivity Multiplier) and it’s also possible to adjust sensitivity per zoom level independently from the controller settings (Gyro Custom Sensitivity Per Zoom).
• These new settings will help players to fine-tune their aiming experience when using Gyro Aiming.
• We also added several settings to address some movement issues while using Gyro Aiming. These new settings (Gyro Steadying Threshold and Gyro Steadying Initial Scale) will help reduce the impact of small movements while aiming.

SPECIAL OPS

ATOMGRAD RAID

Looking for Teammates?

• Added new Party Finder option within the Raid lobby

Raid Bug Fixes

• Atomgrad Global: fixed armor to correctly shift from backpack to held armor

Raid Episode 1

• Fixed an issue where a Player could lose their Sentry Gun after cycling weapons
• Addressed specific points where Players could leave the playable area
• Addressed issues where the Graphic Price Loading Screen was not awarding correctly or appearing for Players after completing the Atomgrad Raid

COOPERATIVE

New Modifier

• Added One in the Chamber modifier to the Low Profile mission

Adjustments

• Added messaging to all Players when any Player selects “Restart Mission” or “Restart From Checkpoint”
• Added text splash when killing a Juggernaut 

Cooperative Bug Fixes

• Fixed an issue that could prevent “The Rebel” weapon Blueprint from unlocking after collecting 100 Stars
• Fixed an issue where players couldn’t drop backpack items when quickdraw was activated
• Fixed an issue where the COD Points widget in the Special Ops menu would display as zero

Low Profile Mission

• Fixed an issue where exfil started earlier than expected after a checkpoint restart
• Fixed an issue where enemy vehicles would occasionally spawn with no occupants 

Defender: Mt. Zaya Mission

• Fixed a cash exploit
• Increased radius for Juggernaut key pickup interaction prompt

High Ground Mission

• Fixed an issue where player could obtain both roles
• Fixed an issue where lock-on sound could continue playing

PLAYLIST

• Infected
  
  • Operators must avoid the chosen infected player at all costs. Every survivor eliminated joins the Infected team until none remain or until the five-minute time period elapses. 
• Gun Game
  • Every ranged elimination awards a different weapon, while melee eliminations put your opponent one weapon back on the 18-weapon rotation. Finish the job with a Throwing Knife to win. 
• Grind
  • Kill Confirmed with an added twist: Enemy dog tags are stackable and must be banked at one of two fixed locations. 
• Hardcore 
  • The initial Hardcore playlist will feature a mix of traditional modes with the classic ruleset veterans of the franchise are familiar with, including decreased health that cannot be replenished outside of Stim shots, as well as a limited HUD.

• Dome (6v6)
  
  • This small to medium-sized map is built for fast-paced combat with three main buildings surrounding a central street area. One of these is the iconic domed structure, which has a small catwalk that provides incredible views over most of the map’s outdoor spaces.
• Valderas Museum (6v6)
  • The other Core map launching at the start of Season 02 is Valderas Museum, returning since first appearing in the Modern Warfare II Beta.
• Zaya Observatory (Battle Map)
  • Zaya Observatory will be available in Ground War and Invasion modes, where the combat area will be expanded to fit all of Al Mazrah’s tallest natural point of interest.
• Al Malik International (Battle Map)
  • Located at the southern tip of Al Mazrah, this modern airport mixes traditional and modern architecture to host both business and leisure activities, and will be available in Ground War and Invasion Modes.

general

• Audio
  • Enhanced occlusion in all Core 6v6 Multiplayer maps
  • Improved Dog Tag pickup effect to be more discernible among other game sounds in Kill Confirmed and Grind
• Perks
  • Ghost: Reduced bonus perk cost by 50% and ultimate perk by 25%

RANKED PLAY

Ranked Play is now live and available to all players who have reached Level 16.

• Play competitive, 4v4 matches using the same maps, modes, and settings used in the Call of Duty League 2023 ruleset.
• Select Weapons, Attachments, Equipment, Perks, Field Upgrades, and Streaks are restricted based on official CDL Competitive rules. 
• Game Modes and Maps:
  • CDL Search and Destroy
    • Al Bagra Fortress
    • Breenburgh Hotel
    • El Asilo
    • Embassy
    • Mercado Las Almas
  • CDL Hardpoint
    • Al Bagra Fortress
    • Breenburgh Hotel
    • Embassy
    • Mercado Las Almas
    • Zarqwa Hydroelectric
  • CDL Control
    • Al Bagra Fortress
    • Breenburgh Hotel
    • El Asilo

Test yourself against your peers and track that progress with a visible SR (Skill Rating) that determines your place across 8 Skill Divisions.

• All players begin our first Competitive Season in Bronze I with 0 SR.
• Players increase their SR by winning matches and lose SR whenever they lose matches. 
• Both individual and team performance will impact how much SR you gain or lose per match. In higher Skill Divisions, team performance has a bigger impact on SR gained or lost so that all winning playstyles are more consistently rewarded.
• Players can progress through eight Skill Divisions by reaching SR milestones:
  • Bronze – Starting Division
  • Silver – 900 SR 
  • Gold – 2,100 SR 
  • Platinum – 3,600 SR 
  • Diamond – 5,400 SR 
  • Crimson – 7,500 SR 
  • Iridescent – 10,000 SR 
  • Top 250 – 10,000+ SR
• Division Tiers: All Divisions except for Iridescent have 3 Tiers – Tier I, Tier II & Tier III. Climb into higher Tiers as you advance your way through each Division. 
• Show Off Your Skill: It’s easy to see which Division someone is in in MWII Ranked Play. Your entire Rank Icon will change color and material depending on your current Skill Division. Your current Tier is also prominently shown in the center of your Rank icon.
• End of Season Skill Setback: At the end of each Season, your ending Skill Division will determine where you start the following season:
  • Bronze through Crimson players will start one Skill Division below where they finish, starting in Tier I of that new Division.
    • For example, a player who finishes the Season in Platinum II will be dropped back to Gold I at the start of the next Season.
    • Players who end the current season in Bronze will start at Bronze I in the next Season.
  • The highest starting position each Season is Diamond I.

• The Top 250 Division returns in MWII, ranking the top 250 Ranked Play players in the world on an in-game Leaderboard that all players can view from within the Ranked Play lobby.
  • New this year, the Top 250 will be active from Day 1 of each Season. 
  • Players will qualify for the Top 250 and appear on the Leaderboard as they surpass 10,000+ SR. The top 250 players with the highest SR above 10,000 will remain on the board and compete for 1st place over the remainder of the Season. (GLHF!)
• Play like the Pros, against the Pros: New this year, the Top 250 Leaderboard will display CDL Team Affiliations and Profiles for current CDL Professional players and coaches. Keep track of your favorite players and teams and see how they stack up against the Ranked Play competition. 
• Ultimate Bragging Rights: In addition to new Rank and Seasonal Rewards in Modern Warfare 2, the #1 Ranked Play player will receive a unique, one-of-a-kind Calling Card and Emblem at the end of each Season.

• MWII Ranked Play is the most rewarding competitive Call of Duty experience ever, with a variety of valuable rewards available to players at launch and Season after Season.
• Unlocked Rewards can be used in Modern Warfare 2 and Call of Duty®: Warzone™ 2.0. Unlock what the mode has to offer to show off your Rank and Skill wherever you play.
• Ranks and Rank Rewards
  • Separate from the player’s SR and Skill Division is Rank. Rank persists across Seasons to celebrate the player’s lifetime win total across their Ranked Play career. 
  • All players start at Rank 1 and can progress to Rank 50.
  • Players increase their Rank by winning matches to earn Stars. Each win grants one (1) Star. Win enough matches and you’ll earn enough Stars to reach the next Rank. 
  • Every 5 Ranks players will progress their Rank icon and unlock a set of Rank rewards:
    • Rank 5: Ranked Competitor Skin for use with both CDL Male & Female Operators on both Factions.
    • Rank 10: ‘Press F’ Emblem 
    • Rank 15: Pro Issue X12 Weapon Blueprint
    • Rank 20: ‘Ace’ Weapon Charm
    • Rank 25: ‘Turn It Up’ Emblem
    • Rank 30: ‘Ranked Win Tracker’ Gun Screen that displays the player’s lifetime Ranked Play win total. 
    • Rank 35: ‘I’m Cracked’ Large Weapon Decal
    • Rank 40: Pro Issue Combat Knife Weapon Blueprint
    • Rank 45: ‘Sweep’ Weapon Charm
    • Rank 50: Ranked Veteran Emblem & Skin for use with both CDL Male & Female Operators on both Factions.
  • Each Rank Milestone also unlocks a Calling Card that represents the player’s achieved Rank. 
• Season 2 Rewards
  • In addition to Rank Rewards, each Ranked Play Season will give players the opportunity to earn exclusive limited-time rewards. 
  • Throughout the Season 02, players can earn the following rewards:
    • 5 Wins: ‘Season 2 Competitor’ Weapon Sticker
    • 10 Wins: Pro Issue Vaznev-9k Weapon Blueprint
    • 25 Wins: ‘MVP’ Weapon Charm
    • 50 Wins: ‘The Factor’ Large Weapon Decal
    • 75 Wins: ‘Ranked Play Season 2’ Loading Screen
    • 100 Wins: ‘Season 2 Ranked Veteran’ Weapon Camo
• End of Season Division Rewards
  • At the end of each Season, players will be awarded Skill Division rewards that represent their highest attained Division that Season.
    • Division Skins:
      • Earn a Skill Division Skin for use with both CDL Male & Female Operators on both Factions to represent your highest Skill Division. Once the Skins from one Skill Division have been unlocked they can be permanently used in following Seasons and anywhere you play:
        • Top 250: Unlock the ‘Top 250 Competitor’ Skin by finishing a Season in the Top 250 Skill Division. Players must be in the Division at the end of the Season to qualify for this reward.
        • Gold – Iridescent: Earn the applicable ‘Gold Competitor’, ‘Platinum Competitor’, ‘Diamond Competitor’, ‘Crimson Competitor’, or ‘Iridescent Competitor’ Skin based on your highest Skill Division reached over the course of the Season. 
    • Seasonal Division Rewards
      • Each Ranked Play Season will have a unique set of Division Rewards awarded at the end of the Season to celebrate the player’s highest Skill Division reached that Season. 
      • The Season 2 rewards are as follows:
        • Top 250: ‘Season 2 Top 250’ Weapon Charm, Emblem, and Calling Card
        • Iridescent: ‘Season 2 Iridescent’ Weapon Charm, Emblem, and Calling Card
        • Crimson: ‘Season 2 Crimson’ Weapon Charm and Emblem
        • Diamond: ‘Season 2 Diamond’ Weapon Charm and Emblem
        • Platinum: ‘Season 2 Platinum’ Weapon Charm and Emblem
        • Gold: ‘Season 2 Gold’ Weapon Charm and Emblem
        • Silver: Emblem
        • Bronze: Emblem
      • Ranked Play First Place: The player who finishes Season 2 in the #1 position on the Top 250 Leaderboard will receive a unique, one-of-a-kind Calling Card and Emblem for the ultimate bragging rights.

• From Start to Finish: Players who disconnect or quit matches will receive SR penalties as well as temporary suspensions, with escalating penalties for repeat offenders. 
• SR Forgiveness: If a player disconnects or quits in the middle of the match, all team members outside of that player’s party will not lose ANY SR.
• It is still possible to earn SR if players can overcome their disadvantage, but a loss at a numerical disadvantage will not yield SR loss for players outside of the leaving player’s party.
• Fair Fights, Even Teams: If a player quits or disconnects before the start of a match, the match will be canceled and will not count. The remaining players will be returned to the main menu.
• Professional Conduct Only: Friendly Fire is enabled in Ranked Play per CDL rules. Repeated Friendly Fire will result in players being kicked from games and receiving penalties and suspensions.
• Demotion Protection: After advancing to a higher Skill Division, players will be granted temporary Demotion Protection and will not lose any SR within the first three games in the new Division. Following that initial protection, if players were to lose enough SR to be demoted, they will first be dropped to the minimum threshold of their current Skill Division instead of being demoted. Losing their next match will result in a demotion.
  • Demotion Protection is also applied for the player’s first 3 games of each Ranked Play Season. 
• Party SR Restrictions: To ensure competitive fairness and balance of matches in higher Skill Divisions, players in certain Divisions can only party up with players around their current SR. The player with the highest Skill Division in the party determines which Party SR Restrictions are used:
  • Iridescent (Including Top 250) & Crimson: Can party with players within 1 Skill Division
  • Diamond: Can party within 2 Skill Divisions
  • Bronze – Platinum: Can party up without any restrictions

• Hot Streaks, Literally: Win 3 Ranked Play games in a row over a short period of time to earn Victory Streak Flames that appear behind your Rank Icon in the lobby and in-game. Extend your win streak to progress the flames. Victory Streak Flames expire when you lose or after 72 hours without playing a Ranked Play match. Go on a roll and the competition will know the heat is coming. (Stay Spicy!)
• Social Profile: Rank Play icons will be added to your Social profile to identify your Ranked Play Skill Division and Rank anywhere your profile is viewed across Modern Warfare 2 and Call of Duty®: Warzone™ 2.0.

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For more on Modern Warfare 2, be sure to check out our other guides:

Best guns in Modern Warfare 2 | How to get Modern Warfare 2 Twitch Drops | How to play Modern Warfare 2 on Steam Deck | Are Modern Warfare 2 servers down? | 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