How to play Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Early Access: Start date, rewards & how to fix

Luca Di Marzo
Captain Price in Modern Warfare 2

The Call of Duty team confirmed that a Campaign Early Access period will be available for Modern Warfare 2 players ahead of its October 28 release. Here’s everything you need to know including how to play it and when to expect the start date.

With the beta long gone, Modern Warfare 2‘s October 28 release date is fast approaching and many Call of Duty fans are eager to get their hands on the new title. Luckily, for the first time ever, Infinity Ward are allowing players to play the campaign before the full game releases.

More has been revealed about how to access Modern Warfare 2’s Campaign Early Access as well as the rewards, so here’s the date and how to reunite with Task Force 141 early.

How to play Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Early Access

Modern Warfare 2 dark water mission

To play the Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Early Access, you must pre-order a digital edition of the game on your platform of choice.

This special feature will be exclusive to those who digitally pre-order Modern Warfare 2 on any platform. Buying a physical copy won’t allow you to play early, so ensure you’ve pre-ordered it from your platform’s store.

Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Early Access pre-load & start date times

The Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Early Access period is officially active as of October 20. The period offers access over a week ahead of launch. This allows players to experience everything the campaign has to offer before they can jump into the multiplayer on October 28.

Players on all platforms were able to pre-load the Modern Warfare 2 Campaign early access as early as October 19 at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET / 6 PM BST.

Here’s when the Campaign Early Access kicked off in each time zone:

  • October 20
    • 10 AM PT
    • 11 AM MT
    • 12 PM CT
    • 1 PM ET
    • 6 PM UK
    • 7 PM CEST
  • October 21
    • 2 AM JST
    • 4 AM AEST

The devs also confirmed that those who have pre-ordered will “get to preload both Campaign Early Access and the full game leading up to its launch,” so you’ll be able to jump in as soon as it arrives.

How to fix Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Early Access issues

As the Campaign Early Access went live, several players across Xbox and PC experienced issues that prevented them from getting into the game.

Xbox issue

It seems the current fix for Xbox players who are receiving the “too early” message is to restart the console a few times until they obtain access.

PC Steam issue

The issue preventing PC players from accessing the Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Early Access seems to be tied to connection errors. Players on Steam are currently having trouble accessing the game. Until a proper fix is revealed, players can restart the Steam client to see if this alleviates the issue.

In addition, some players have reported a message prompting them to “change Activision ID”. Restarting the game could let players in without having to see the screen, however, we’ll keep you posted as the devs look to clear up these issues.

Modern Warfare 2 Campaign rewards

Similar to Modern Warfare 2019, players will be able to earn exclusive multiplayer rewards for playing through Modern Warfare 2’s campaign.

Thanks to the Early Access, if you finish the campaign, these will all be waiting for you at launch on October 28:

  • Calling Card: “Soap’s Determination”
  • Emblem: “What’s Done Is Done”
  • 30 Minute Double XP Token
  • 30 Minute Double Weapon XP Token
  • Calling Card: “Chainlinked”
  • Base Operator: Chuy
  • 30 Minute Double XP Token
  • 30 Minute Double Weapon XP Token
  • Calling Card: “Gaz”
  • Base Operator: Nova
  • 1 Hour Double XP Token
  • 1 Hour Double Weapon XP Token
  • Calling Card: “Shadow Company Ops”
  • Base Operator: Reyes
  • 1 Hour Double XP Token
  • 1 Hour Double Weapon XP Token
  • Base Operator: Hutch
modern warfare 2 campaign rewards

Players will take control of Task Force 141 as they team up with Mexican Special Forces to stop an impending threat. Players already got an extensive look at the Dark Water mission, but they’ll be able to experience much more through the Campaign Early Access offering.

If you prefer Modern Warfare 2’s multiplayer, check out how many players were banned in the beta, and the games you should play to get ready for both MW2 and Warzone 2.

Image Credit: Activision

About The Author

Luca is an Associate Editor at CharlieIntel. An accomplished, writer with interests in sports and gaming alike, Luca is focused on Call of Duty and FIFA as a content creator. After earning his BA in English Literature at Concordia University, he began writing for Gamelevate, OddsShark, and H4X. Luca joined CharlieIntel in 2021. You can reach Luca at [email protected], or via X @TheLucaDiMarzo.