Warzone 2 devs respond to DMZ’s Building 21 locked behind Modern Warfare 2 paywall

Building 21 is one of Warzone 2 DMZ’s most popular areas, but fans grew concerned after an in-game message said they would need to buy Modern Warfare 2 to access it. Now, the devs have responded to the issue.

Warzone 2’s DMZ mode has been a popular addition since arriving in 2022, retaining a dedicated player base well into Season 3. The Tarkov-inspired mode has grown with each new update, and fans have more ways of earning high-tier loot than ever before.

One of the most popular destinations in DMZ is Building 21, a hotly-contested area full of challenging enemies guarding some of the most valuable contraband in the whole game.

However, during Warzone 2 Season 3, many DMZ players trying to enter Building 21 reported seeing a message that asked them to download the correct DLC pack, despite the fact the mode is free-to-pay as part of Warzone 2.

This led many to believe that Building 21 had been locked behind a paywall, and would require a copy of Modern Warfare 2 to enter going forward.

Twitter user warzonetacmap then shared a screenshot of an email from Activision Support, which seemed to confirm that players must now own Modern Warfare 2 to get inside Building 21.

It said: “To access Building 21, you must first purchase Modern Warfare 2. If not, only the regular DMZ is available for you.”

Activision support is straight up saying it’s now paid. https://t.co/nwqfVND2Cn

— CharlieIntel (@charlieINTEL) April 30, 2023

Players will be relieved to hear, however, that Infinity Ward have cleared things up, reassuring players that this was an unintentional glitch and not a deliberate decision.

In a May 1 tweet, they said: “DMZ’s Building 21 is intended to be free to play for all Warzone 2.0 Players. We have been tracking an issue that placed components of this particular map in a Multiplayer DLC pack, resulting in it being inaccessible for Players who do not own MWII.”

They also confirmed that this issue will be fixed in a future update, after which all players will have access to Building 21, whether they own Modern Warfare 2 or just Warzone 2.

🚩 DMZ's Building 21 is intended to be free to play for all Warzone 2.0 Players. We have been tracking an issue that placed components of this particular map in a Multiplayer DLC pack, resulting in it being inaccessible for Players who do not own MWII. This will be addressed in…

— Infinity Ward (@InfinityWard) May 1, 2023

The devs confirm when the fix would go live, but next major update set to hit Warzone 2 is Season 3 Reloaded. That being said, they could also drop a smaller update like the May 1 patch to solve the issue earlier.

Image credit: Activision