How to fix Warzone 2 “purchase Modern Warfare 2” error

Free-to-play Warzone 2 players can’t access the game after being told they must “purchase Modern Warfare 2 to have access to everything.” You don’t actually need to buy the game, so here are a few ways to fix the error.

Although Call of Duty: Warzone 2 is tied to Modern Warfare 2 with the two games using the same launcher, progression, weapons, and Operators, the battle royale is free-to-play so players shouldn’t need to own the multiplayer game.

However, free-to-play Warzone 2 players are getting completely locked out of Warzone 2 and are told they must “purchase Modern Warfare 2 to have access to everything.” Don’t buy Modern Warfare 2 just to play Warzone 2, you don’t have to, so if you’re encountering this frustrating error, here are a few ways to fix it.

How to fix Warzone 2 “purchase Modern Warfare 2 to have access to everything” error

Activision

Restart Warzone 2

Fixing Warzone 2’s “purchase Modern Warfare 2 to have access to everything” error can be as simple as restarting the game. Whatever issue is forcing you to the multiplayer screen could be fixed after relaunching the game but if not, check out the solutions below.

Check for Warzone 2 update

If the “purchase Modern Warfare 2 to have access to everything” error is stopping you from playing Warzone 2, there could be an update that hasn’t been installed.

Here’s how to check for a Warzone 2 update on Xbox, PlayStation, and PC:

Xbox

1. Hover over Warzone 2 on the Xbox dashboard.
2. Hit the start button and select Manage game and add-ons.
3. You’ll be able to see if an update is available.
4. Click on the update and select Update all.

PlayStation

1. Select Warzone 2 on your PlayStation dashboard.
2. Press the start button and click Check for update.
3. If an update’s available, click OK.

Battle.net

1. Select MWII | WZ2.0 on Battle.net.
2. Click the cog icon beside the game.
3. Select Check for Updates.
4. If an update is available, simply follow the steps to download it.

Steam

There isn’t a way to manually check for a Warzone 2 update on Steam, it’s all done automatically, but you can set Steam to “Only update this game when I launch it.”

This will force an update when launching Warzone 2, but remember to change it back so any future updates will be downloaded before you go to play.

Here’s how:

1. Right-click on Warzone 2 on Steam.
2. Select Properties and then Updates.
3. From the dropdown list under Automatic Updates, select “Only update this game when I launch it.”
4. Launch Warzone 2, and wait for the download if it’s available.
5. Head back to the Updates page, and select “High Priority – Always auto-update this game before others” if you’d like Steam to always update Warzone 2 first.

Scan and Repair Warzone 2

Battle.net

Warzone 2’s “purchase Modern Warfare 2 to have access to everything” error could be caused by some corrupted game files, so PC players can run a Scan and Repair to find any faults.

Here’s how to Scan and Repair Warzone 2 on Battle.net and Steam:

Battle.net

1. Click on MWII | WZ.20 on Battle.net.
2. Select the Cog icon beside Play.
3. Select Scan and Repair.

Steam

1. Open Steam.
2. Right-click on Warzone 2 in your library.
3. Head to Settings and select Properties.
4. Go to Local Files and select Verify integrity of game files.

Join a Modern Warfare 2 owner

According to some players, you can bypass the “purchase Modern Warfare 2 to have access to everything” error by joining a friend who owns Modern Warfare 2 while they search.

Just get your friend who owns Modern Warfare 2 to start searching for a Warzone 2 match, then join them while they search and you should bypass the error.

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If all of these solutions fail, you can check out Warzone 2’s server status or just wait for the devs to deploy a fix. DMZ still works while the error is in effect, so you can still claim the M13B and free rewards.

Image Credit: Activision