All Modern Warfare 2 Multiplayer Modes & Playlists

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 features one of the most expansive lists of playable modes available in the current FPS market.

It’s no surprise that MW2 seems to be the most popular FPS game out there since it has plenty to offer for a wide variety of players.

Here are all the different modes that players can experience in Modern Warfare 2.

MW2 Multiplayer Modes List

Core Game Modes

• Free-For-All – Everyone is your enemy. Eliminate everybody and try to be the first one to reach 30 Eliminations.
• Team Deathmatch – The most iconic form of Call of Duty. Team Deathmatch puts you in a 6 v 6 situation where the first team to reach 75 eliminations comes out victorious.
• Domination – Fight for control of three different points (A, B, and C) scattered throughout the map. The first team to reach 200 points wins.
• Hardpoint – Players fight to control different checkpoints around the map. Each checkpoint disappears after a while, so knowing how to rotate around the map properly is critical to winning Hardpoint. The first team to earn 250 points wins.
• Headquarters – Work with your teammate to capture the Headquarters and defend it. Once a team controls the HQ, respawns are disabled for that team. Once HQ goes offline, it will move to a new zone. The first team to 200 points wins.
• Control – Teams take turns attacking and defending two objectives. Each team shares a pool of 30 lives. The first team to win three rounds wins the match.
• Prisoner Rescue – Locate hostages on the map and either successfully extract or prevent the enemy team from rescuing them. Earn points with eliminations, hostage rescues, or denying the enemy team rescues. There are no respawns, but there are team revives. The first team to reach 500 points wins.
• Knock Out – Fight over a cash bag in the middle of the map. There are no respawns, but there are team revives. The team that eliminates the enemy team or holds the cash bag when the timer runs out wins the round. The first team to win five rounds wins.
• Search & Destroy – One of the most iconic modes in Call of Duty. Teams take turns defending or attacking an objective. There are no respawns or team revives. Players win rounds by defending the objectives until the round ends, eliminating all the enemy players, or destroying the objective.
• Kill Confirmed – Kill players and pick up the dog tags to score a point for your team.

Read More – What Is SBMM & Is it in MW2? Skill-Based Matchmaking Explained

Battle Map Modes

• Ground War – Think Domination, but with 32 players on each team. This large-scale mode has two teams of 32 players, each fighting for control over small objectives scattered around the map. The first team to earn 250 points wins.
• Ground War Invasion – A large-scale battle where two teams of 32 fight it out in an all-out war. The battlefield is mixed with AI and enemy players. Anything goes from Killstreaks, Vehicles and even armored agents. The first team to 2,000 points wins.

Read More – MW2 2022 Campaign Length & How Long to Beat

What Past Modes Are Not in MW2?

Unfortunately, the following modes have not been released in Modern Warfare 2:

• Gun Game
• Uplink
• Gunfight
• Infected
• Sticks & Stones
• One in the Chamber

These are the modes that are currently not in Modern Warfare 2. Although, Call of Duty has usually added them to their games sometime after launch.

Is There Hardcore in Modern Warfare 2?

Yes, Tier 1 is essentially a new name for Hardcore Mode. Players who enjoyed the challenges of Hardcore TDM and Search & Destroy can still enjoy them in Tier 1 TDM and Tier 1 Search & Destroy.

Tier 1 Mode Features:

• Lower Health
• Limited HUD
• Friendly fire

Operators have less health and limited HUD elements in this mode. Friendly fire is also on, so it’s possible to eliminate your teammates accidentally. It is suited for players looking for a more difficult challenge.

MW2 Multiplayer Playlists List

• Featured Game Modes – These game modes change regularly and feature new playlists focused on new maps and modes.
• Quickplay – Personalize your playlist of modes and get into a match quickly. Quickplay allows searching for a match in a variety of game modes.
• Tier 1 – Rebranded from what was previously known as ‘hardcore’. Full explanation below.
• Third-Person Moshpit – Play MW2 with the camera set up over your Operator’s shoulder. This mode allows you to experience Call of Duty uniquely with a better visual of your surroundings.
• CDL Moshpit – These game modes use the official Call of Duty League Ruleset for Ranked Play. It allows players to practice like the pros and pro gamers to scrimmage against each other.
• Shoot House – All Shoot House 24/7. This playlist is for players that only want to play the Shoot House map.