Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II was the first Call of Duty game to receive a direct sequel, which is why it will struggle to retain its player base once Call of Duty Black Ops VI launches in October 2024.
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.
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.
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.
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
