Learn the ropes of the game with our tips and tricks guides for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. Learn more about the basics of the game to get you started, as well as advanced techniques that can help your game progression below!

Beginner's Guide

Info for Beginners
Adjust Your Settings and Sensitivity Practice Your Movement Learn the Basics of Shooting Customize Your Loadout Get Familiar with the Game Modes Learn Vehicle Basics

Adjust Your Settings and Sensitivity

High Sens	Low Sens
Pros: ・Faster camera turn rate makes it easy to look around. ・Snappier aim while in ADS.	Pros: ・Easier to master & control weapon recoil. ・Easier to build muscle memory for gunplay.
Cons: ・Easy to lose spray control. ・Harder to keep aim & shots consistent.	Cons: ・Bad camera turn rate. Makes you feel sluggish when turning on controller.

First things first, make sure to adjust your look sensitivity. It doesn't matter if you're on M&K or controller. Regardless of input, the first thing you need to adjust when playing an FPS is your look sensitivity.

While this depends entirely on player preference and sometimes even the type of input, just make sure you're aware of the pros and cons of high and low sens when looking to decide on your settings. If you're on controller, you'll want to select the best Aim Assist setting for your playstyle.

Controls and Best Settings

Practice Your Movement

Movement is almost as important as shooting accuracy in Call of Duty. You'll need to know how to move quickly through a map by using dolphin dives and slides, where to position yourself, and what areas you can reach to extend your survival. You can't just run and gun and hope for the best.

Modern Warfare 2 introduces a new level to this with an expanded vertical movement system. Aside from mantling, climbing, and parachuting, you can now also hang off ledges with your sidearm still equipped. This gives an advantage to stealthy players who'll want to sneak up on enemies from unseen angles. Maps will give even greater importance to moving vertically rather than just across a battlefield.
Movement Guide

Learn the Basics of Shooting

You can't just spray and pray with your weapon if you want to win a match in Modern Warfare 2. You'll need to learn to control your recoil by not just holding down on the trigger, as well as know the appropriate moments for when you should hip fire or ADS. This can only come with more experience since each gun has its own unique recoil pattern and optics system.

Pre-aiming and predicting where enemies could be to get the jump on them will give you an even greater advantage, together with using your environment as cover while still maintaining lines-of-sight on foes. But most importantly, learn to check your corners!
Firing Basics: All New Shooting Mechanics

Customize Your Loadout

Tip the odds of winning matches in your favor by making the best possible loadouts. Sometimes the best options for your weapons, gear, and Perk Packages won't be what's in meta, but will be what you're most comfortable with.

Head to the Weapons tab, then select Multiplayer Loadout to start crafting loadouts. Test out several loadouts in matches until you find ones that fit your playstyle best.
How to Customize Your Loadout

Get Familiar with the Game Modes

Game Mode	Objectives
Team Deathmatch	Eliminate enemy players. First team to 75 kills, wins.
Domination	Capture and control checkpoints on the map. Earn points by holding 2 or more checkpoints at a time.
Invasion	20v20 team deathmatch featuring a mix of players and AI.
Ground War	32v32 Domination game mode that includes large-scale maps & multiple vehicles.
Prisoner Rescue	Hostage rescue game mode. Attackers work to rescue or eliminate the enemy team, while defenders work to prevent them from doing so.
Knock Out	Steal and hold the bag of cash or eliminate the enemy team to win the round. First to 7 takes the match.
Hardpoint	King of the Hill mode. Capture and hold spawning hardpoints to raise your team's score.
Search and Destroy	Round-based, bomb planting game mode. Attackers have to plant and defend the bomb, or eliminate the defenders. Defenders will have to either eliminate attackers or defuse a planted bomb to win a round.

Along with staples of the series like TDM and Domination, two new modes have been added — Prisoner Rescue and Knock Out.

For battle royale fans, Warzone 2.0 will be released as a stand-alone title on Nov. 16, 2022.
All Multiplayer Game Modes

Learn Vehicle Basics

Basic Vehicle Controls
Reverse / Descend	Accelerate / Ascend
Handbrake	Switch Seats
Horn	Lean Out
Fire Weapon

The Ground War game mode features massive 32v32 battles on large maps. The size of the maps means you'll need the use of vehicles on land, air, and water. While a few of these can provide firepower, such as Tanks, most of the vehicles in Modern Warfare 2 are used for transportation of troops.

Whether you're the driver or just a passenger, make sure you pay attention to your vehicle's health. As it receives more damage, an icon of your vehicle will fill up with red until it explodes. Bail out before this happens.

If you're attacking a vehicle, focus your attacks on the tires and doors to disable it quickly even if you don't have anti-vehicle weapons such as RPGs.
Vehicle Guide

All Tips & Tricks Guides

Multiplayer Tips
How to Unlock All Camos	Multiplayer Main Menu Bug Fix
How to Unlock All Calling Cards	How to Access Oni Operator & Vault Edition Items
How to Fix Audio Continuity Issues	Party Lobby Crashing Fix
How to Level Up Fast	How to Unlock Gold Camo
Is there Hardcore Mode in MW2?	How to Check Your KD Ratio
Killstreak Guide: Best Killstreaks	How to Unlock Slimline Pro
Best Loadouts	How to Unlock All Operators
How to Unlock All Emblems	How to Unlock All Weapons
How to Unlock Mastery Camos	How to Play Split Screen
How to Unlock All Charms	How to Get Season 1 Combat Pack
How to Unlock All Stickers	Best Optics
Gameplay Features
Firing Basics: All New Shooting Mechanics	Movement Guide: Basics & Combat Techniques
Vehicle Guide: How to Use & Customize Vehicles	All Call of Duty In-Game Terms & Callouts
Controls and Best Settings	How to Slide Cancel
How to Customize Your Loadout	How to Play in Third Person
List of Campaign Rewards	How to Do Finishing Moves
How Long is Modern Warfare 2's Campaign?	Killstreak & Scorestreak Guide
How to Dolphin Dive	How to Mount Your Gun
How to Skip Cutscenes	Gunsmith 2.0 Guide
Perks Guide	Field Upgrades Guide
How to Save Custom Mods	Hardcore Mode
Ranked Play Guide	-
FAQs
How Do You Link Your Activision Account?	Is In-Game Voice Chat Available?
How Does Aim Assist Work?	Can You Customize Operators?
What is the Story So Far?	Is Modern Warfare 2 a Remake?
What is the Max Level Cap?	Can You Change Crosshairs?
Can You Prestige?	How to Change Your Name
What is Battle Rage?	What is the Weapon Vault?
Mountain Dew In-Game Rewards	Twitch Drops Release Date and List of Rewards
Little Caesar's In-Game Rewards	What is Weapon Tuning?
How to Inspect Your Weapon	List of All Death Quotes
How to Turn on FidelityFX Cas?	Should You Buy the Battle Pass?
Jack Link's In-Game Rewards	List of Rank Progression Rewards
Offensive Chat and Account Name Warnings	How to Unlock All Loading Screen Backgrounds
What Are Point-Blank Kills?	How to Get Neymar, Messi, and Pogba Operators
What is CODBall?	What is Support Your Team Pick'em?
Is Double XP Weekend Coming to MW2?	List of War Tracks and How to Equip
Is Rebirth Island In Warzone 2.0?	Natural Treasure Black Mous Mission
When is Free-to-Play Weekend?	What Are Longshot Kills?
How to Create Groups (Clans)	Is MW2 Coming to Nintendo Switch?
What Are Operator Kills?	How to Get Prime Gaming Rewards and Link Account
How to Appear Offline	How Many Guns Are in Modern Warfare 2?
How to Get CDL Major 2 Viewership Rewards	How to Get Objective Defense Kills
Path of the Ronin Season 2 Event	Season 2 Battle Pass and Rewards

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Modern Warfare 2 a Remake?

Official Launch Trailer | Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II

Despite the title, MW2 is not a remake of the similarly titled game released in 2009. Instead, it's a sequel to Modern Warfare (2019). This direction in the franchise is a reimagining of the original Modern Warfare series.

Is Modern Warfare 2 a Remake?

What's the Story of the Modern Warfare Reboot?

MW2 continues Modern Warfare (2019)'s storyline of Captain Price's fight against the terrorist organization Al-Qatala. Set 3 years after the original, you'll be joining the elite counter-terrorist unit Task Force 141 in combat, together with iconic characters in the Call of Duty franchise such as Soap and Ghost.

The Story So Far

How do You Link Your Activision Account?

To link your account, login to your Activision account on the Official Call of Duty Website. Head to the Linked Accounts menu by hovering over your account name, then select the LINK ACCOUNT button for your preferred platforms. Follow the prompts and you'll have your account linked in no time.

How to Link Your Activision Account

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (MW2) Related Guides

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Wiki Top

Main Links
Latest News & Events	Tips & Tricks
Multiplayer Maps	Campaign Missions
Characters & Operators	Trophies & Achievements
Weapons	Updates and Patch Notes
Multiplayer Game Modes	Bugs and Bug Fixes
Attachments	Blueprints
Spec Ops Missions	Equipment
Warzone 2.0	Shop Bundles
Raids