There is much we could say to say about Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, but we have already said it here.
Instead, let's focus on how many people are playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II in 2024, and more importantly, does it have a future, and if so, what does that future look like?
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II is doing very well in 2024; the vast majority of standard multilayer playlists are very active, and full lobbies can often be found in less than a minute, even during off-peak hours; unfortunately, the PvE and large team PvP modes are only somewhat active during peak NA/EU hours, and I was unable to find a single Invasion, Ground War, or Spec Ops lobby when playing during off-peak hours.
Image credit Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II - Published by Activision and developed by Infinity Ward.
Yes, but not as glorious a future as it could have been.
Being the first Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II title to have a direct sequel has its advantages; many gamers opted to stick with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II because it was a very well-polished game with excellent maps, balanced gunplay, and stunning visuals.
For many owners of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III (2023) was just “more of the same”, and they were very happy to continue playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II for another year, especially with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III (2023) being reviewed bombed at launch for its short and relatively lacklustre campaign and a large amount of remastered Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 (2009) maps which despite being nostalgic were deemed archaic due to their strict adherence to 2009 map design philosophy.
Image credit Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II - Published by Activision and developed by Infinity Ward.
Unfortunately for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III (2023) has continued to improve and has incorporated almost every weapon, map, mode, operator and playlist from its predecessor.
With Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III (2023) now being part of the PC and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate library, there is little reason to keep playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II for many people when they can enjoy all that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II (2022) and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III (2023) have to offer in a single package, including some of the best post-launch updates in the history of the franchise, which has left Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III (2023) one of the best games in the franchise, as it enters its final season before Black Ops 6 takes centre stage.
Image credit Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II - Published by Activision and developed by Infinity Ward.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II is a fantastic game, and when booting it back up to write this update, I was impressed at just how great it is.
However, a large part of why I felt that way was because it looks, feels, and plays almost exactly like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III (2023), which I am currently playing. Many of its best maps, weapons, and playlists are also part of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III (2023), so I felt right at home.
Ultimately, it’s a great game, and I recommend playing it.
However, even after it’s added to PC/Xbox Game Pass, I am not sure there is a reason to specially play Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II when Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III (2023) is an option, as I have stated previously, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III (2023) took all that was good about Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II (2022)‘s multiplayer content and expanded upon it, even if its campaign was rather lacking.
In short, I recommend playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II for the campaign and unlocking any weapons and operators that require specific achievements found fromCall of Duty: Modern Warfare II, but after that, there is nothing wrong with moving on to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III (2023) for your “Modern Warfare fix”, while Black Ops take the spotlight until 2026, with Call of Duty 2025, rumoured to be a direct sequel to Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
