How to Pre-Load MW2 Campaign Early On PC & Consoles

MW2’s campaign early access period begins today and many are wondering if they can pre-load it – here is everything we know.

Anyone who has pre-ordered a digital copy of Modern Warfare 2 will be given early access to the game’s campaign starting today.

However, we all know how big CoD file sizes can get, and waiting for it to download on the day can be a pain. So, having the option to pre-load it before the early access period begins would be a huge help.

Can You Pre-Load the MW2 Campaign?

Yes, you can pre-load the MW2 Campaign right now on all platforms to have it ready for the campaign early access release on Thursday, October 20, 2022.

By playing the MW2 campaign early, you can unlock a variety of exciting campaign-exclusive rewards to then use in the multiplayer mode when the game officially launches.

When Can You Start Pre-Loading the MW2 Campaign?

Pre-loading for Modern Warfare 2 2022 started at the same time globally on Wednesday, October 19, 2022. However, fans can still pre-load the campaign up until it launches today.

This is when pre-loads for MW2 Campaign began on October 19, 2022:

• 10 am PT
• 1 pm ET
• 6 pm BST
• 4 am AEST (Thursday, October 20)

When Does the MW2 Campaign Early Access Start?

The MW2 Campaign early access begins on Thursday, October 20 2022 at the same time worldwide:

• 10 am PT
• 1 pm ET
• 6 pm BST
• 4 am AEST (Friday, October 21)

Unfortunately, this means that players hoping to take advantage of other countries’ time zones – such as New Zealand – to download it early will be unable to.

Of course, anyone who does get early access to Modern Warfare 2’s campaign will have a head start over those playing the game on Modern Warfare 2’s official release date.

Countdown to MW2 Campaign Early Access

How to Pre-Load the MW2 Campaign on PlayStation 4 & 5

To preload the MW2 Campaign on PS4 or PS5, players will need to pre-order a digital edition of the game from the PlayStation Store.

• Head to the PlayStation storefront on either your browser or PlayStation console
• Search for MW2 (or Modern Warfare 2)
• You will need to pre-order it if you haven’t already
  • It is worth noting that you only need to pre-order the Cross-Gen Bundle ($69.99) in order to get early access to the campaign
  • If you purchase it via a browser, then the next steps need to be completed on your console
• Once purchased, select download
  • If you own a PS5, you will be given a choice of which version you want to download. Select the PS5 version of the campaign
• It will begin downloading

How to Pre-Load the MW2 Campaign on Xbox One & Series X/S

To preload the MW2 Campaign on Xbox One or Xbox Series X/S, players will need to pre-order a digital edition of the game from the Xbox Store.

• Head to the Xbox storefront on either your browser or Xbox console
• Search for MW2 (or Modern Warfare 2)
• You will need to pre-order it if you haven’t already
  • It is worth noting that you only need to pre-order the Cross-Gen Bundle ($69.99) in order to get early access to the campaign
  • If you purchase it via a browser, then the next steps need to be completed on your console
• Once purchased, select download
  • If you own an Xbox Series X/S, you will be given a choice of which version you want to download. Select the Xbox Series X/S version of the campaign
• It will begin downloading

How to Pre-Load the MW2 Campaign on Steam & Battle.net

To preload the MW2 Campaign on Steam or Battle.net, players will need to pre-order a digital edition of the game from either Steam or Battle.net.

• First, find out whether Steam or Battle.net is the best option for you
• Open either Battle.net or Steam depending on your preferred platform
• Search for MW2 (or Modern Warfare 2)
• You will need to pre-order it if you haven’t already
  • It is worth noting that you only need to pre-order the base game ($69.99) in order to get early access to the campaign
  • If you purchase it via a browser, then the next steps need to be completed on either Steam or Battle.net
• On Battle.net, find MW2 in your library and select Pre-Load
• On Steam, head to your library, then hit Pre-Load

If the Modern Warfare 2 Campaign application isn’t working for you, you can find out how to fix the ‘Steam Connection Timed Out’ error here.

Can You Play the Campaign Early If You Don’t Pre-Load MW2?

Yes, so long as you pre-order Modern Warfare 2 before Friday 28 October 2022, then you will be given early access to the MW2 campaign.

How to Set Automatic Downloads on PlayStation 4 & 5

If you want your copy of MW2 to automatically pre-load while your PlayStation console is in Rest mode, then follow these instructions:

Set Automatic Downloads for PS4

• First, make sure your console will stay connected to the internet while in Rest mode
  • To do this, head to Settings > Power Saving Settings > Set Features Available in Rest Mode
  • Finally, turn on Stay Connected to the Internet and Enable Turning On PS4 from Network
• Lastly, you’ll need to turn on automatic downloads for games
  • To do this, head to Settings > System > Automatic Downloads
  • Then tick the box next to System Software Update Files
  • Finally, tick the box next to Application Update Files

Set Automatic Downloads for PS5

• First, make sure your console will stay connected to the internet while in Rest mode
  • To do this, head to Settings > System
  • Then select Power Saving > Features Available in Rest Mode
  • Finally, turn on Stay Connected to the Internet.
• Next, you’ll have to get your console to download and install update files automatically (this includes pre-loading your copy of MW2)
  • To do this, head to Settings > System > System Software > System Software Update and Settings
  • Finally, turn on Download Update Files Automatically and Install Update Files Automatically
• Lastly, you’ll need to turn on automatic downloads for games
  • To do this, head to Settings > Saved Data and Game/App Settings > Automatic Updates
  • Finally, turn on Auto-Download or Auto-Install in Rest Mode

How to Set Automatic Downloads on Xbox

If you want your copy of MW2 to automatically pre-load while your Xbox console is in Rest mode, then follow these instructions:

1. First, you’ll need to access your settings. The quickest way to do this is to press the Xbox button (the one in the center of your controller) which will open the guide
2. Next, within this guide select Profile & system > Settings > System > Updates
3. Under Updates, select Keep my console up to date and Keep my games & apps up to date

MW2 Download Size On PS4

MW2 requires 74.347GB of space on your PS4, which is broken down into 36.11 GB required for the base game and 38.237GB needed for all of the additional packs.

Each additional pack will require the following amount of space:

• Campaign Pack 1 – 11.099GB
• Campaign Pack 2 – 14.534GB
• Multiplayer Pack – 5.519GB
• Co-op Pack – 4.109GB
• Warzone 2 Pack – 2.976GB

MW2 Download Size On PS5

MW2 requires 72.61GB of space on your PS5, which is broken down into 43.05GB required for the base game and 29.56GB needed for all of the additional packs.

Each additional pack will require the following amount of space:

• Campaign Pack 1 – 9.59GB
• Campaign Pack 2 – 9.62GB
• Multiplayer Pack – 4.97GB
• Co-op Pack – 2.86GB
• Warzone 2 Pack – 2.55GB

MW2 Download Size On Xbox

MW2 requires 71.43GB of space on Xbox consoles, which is broken down into 42.6GB for the base game and 28.83GB needed for all of the additional packs.

MW2 Download Size On PC

MW2 requires 30GB of space on your PC, with the campaign taking up 15.17GB of space specifically. This is likely to change when the full game releases as Steam lists 125GB minimum on the MW2 store page.