Warzone 2 & MW2 S2 Reloaded Patch Notes Brings Weapon Rebalance, New Map & Weapons

Season Two Reloaded of Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone 2.0 dropped on March 15, bringing the huge amount of changes we’ve come to expect from mid-season updates. Here are the full Warzone 2 & Modern Warfare 2 S2 Reloaded patch notes.

Some of the big takeaways include the weapon rebalances. While nerf to the KV Broadside was well anticipated, nerfs to the RAAL and RPK LMGs come as a surprise. Elsewhere, there were buffs for the MX9, VEL 46, and Bryson shotguns. To view every weapon balancing change, check out our guide to all the gun buffs and nerfs here.

The update confirmed there will be a St Patrick’s Day event and gave players more information on the Raid Episode 2 that dropped with the mid-season patch. Here’s the full overview of all patch notes:

MW2 & Warzone 2 Season Two Reloaded Patch Notes

EVENTS

New Path of the Ronin Challenges

Forge a new path with all new challenges to unlock new camos, including Winds of Ash. Complete all ten challenges to earn another new camo for every weapon — Bowing Blossoms — as well as a golden Charm that represents your dedication to following the Path of the Ronin.

Saint Patrick’s Day

You never know what you might find at the end of the rainbow… but you’ve got “one-shot” to find out if luck is on your side in Al Mazrah!

NEW RAID EPISODE

We find Price, Gaz and Farah where we left them at the end of Episode 01 – and Atomgrad’s story will pick-up there…

Complete Raid Episode 02 to unlock the “Bad Boonie” Operator Skin for Captain Price, and check out the new Raid Bundle for even more of the Captain’s looks. This bundle also includes the fastest way to level up your kits for success in the Raid.

No Assignment Necessary

As part of the Season 02 Reloaded update, anyone who owns Modern Warfare II will be able to access Raid Episode 01 and Raid Episode 02. There is no Raid Assignment required for access to this tactical team-based experience that continues the story of Task Force 141.

Need a Squad?

Don’t forget to use the Party Finder feature in the Lobby if you need teammates for the Raid.

WEAPONS

New Weapons

• Tempus Torrent: Marksman Rifle
  • This hard-hitting DMR from the Tempus Armament offers the versatility of the M4 Platform and the velocity and impact of 7.62 rounds. A patient hand and keen eye will result in on-target shots and quick kills.
  • Can be acquired via Weapon Challenge or Store Bundle. 

Weapon Balancing

Assault Rifles

• STB 556
  • Added minimum damage against Armor (limits bullets to kill at furthest range)

Light Machine Guns

• RAAL MG
  • Reduced far range damage
  • Small increase to close range damage
  • Reduced headshot damage
  • Reduced upper torso damage
  • Increased recoil
• RPK
  • Reduced walking speed
  • Reduced muzzle velocity
• Sakin MG38
  • Reduced damage range

Marksman Rifles

• Crossbow
  • Increased time period to trigger double kills for challenges

Submachine Guns

• MX9
  • Increased mid damage ranges
• BAS-p 
  • Increased sprint to fire time
  • Increased damage ranges
• PDSW 528
  • Slightly offset weapon while ADS using iron sights to improve visibility
• Vel 46
  • Increased close damage ranges
  • Fixed attributes on 30 round magazine to improve handling and mobility
• Lachmann Sub
  • Reduced movement speed
  • Reduced aim down sight speed
  • Improved recoil control
  • LM Nebula Barrel
    • Improved damage range
    • Improved recoil control

Shotguns

• KV Broadside
  • Reduced lower torso damage
  • 12 Gauge Ammo
    • Reduced damage ranges
    • Reduced close range damage
  • Dragon’s Breath Ammo
    • Reduced damage ranges
    • Reduced close range damage
    • Global reduction to 12 gauge Dragon’s Breath maximum residual damage
• Bryson 800 and Bryson 890
  • Increased headshot damage on all slugtype ammo
  • Added minimum damage against armor

ATTACHMENTS

Global

• Flinch
  • Reduced recenter speed for Flinch
  • Minor increase to Flinch on ARs, SMGs, LMGs, and Shotguns

Ammunition

• Hollow Point Rounds
  • Removed bullet velocity penalty
• Frangible Rounds
  • Changed healing delay timer to set from last bullet’s impact (lengthens the overall delay on a Player)
  • Removed damage range penalty
• Overpressure Rounds
  • Removed recoil penalty
  • Increased flinch imparted on Players
• 12 Gauge Dragon’s Breath
  • Reduced residual damage while burning
• 12 Gauge Slugs and HE Slugs
  • Added minimum damage against armor

Underbarrel Launchers

• Removed movement penalty from Grenade Launchers 
• Added recoil control bonus to Underbarrel Grenade and Shotgun Launchers
• Added one extra ammunition stock to Grenade Launchers 

Stocks

• Reduced flinch received on no stock modifications 

Bipod Grips

• Reduced ADS penalty for the Bipod V9 grip
• CORE BP2 Bipod Grip:
  • Fixed bug in stat reporting 
  • Added hip recoil control
  • Reduced hip walking speed
  • Removed ADS penalty 
  • Added grip to compatible LMGs and Marksman Rifles 

Underbarrel Grips

• Reduced ADS penalty on all under barrel grips
• Reduced movement speed penalty for all vertical grips 

Muzzle Attachments

• Breachers
  • Greatly reduced ADS penalty
  • Added hip movement speed buff
• Flash Hiders
  • Reduced ADS penalty 

Optics

• Reduced ADS penalty on holo optics
• Removed movement penalties on holo optics
• Reduced ADSand movement penalties from all thermal, hybrid, and variable zoom optics
• Reduced ADS penalty on shotgun scopes

» Comb Attachments «

• Fixed Handling stat UI on:
  • Shlager TTF3 Riser
  • FSS Ammo Sleeve
  • PD-A40 Sleeve
  • Wingman Comb
  • FSS EL-T Pouch

Bug Fixes

• Fixed an issue where equipping some attachments to the KV Broadside shotgun would cause Players to not be able to Infil into DMZ
• Fixed Heartbreaker Crossbow Blueprint’s reticle appearance in Killcams
• Fixed an issue that prevented Crossbow bolts from penetrating water

EQUIPMENT

• Frag Grenade
  • Damage against armor increased
• Claymore
  • Damage against armor increased
• Semtex
  • Damage against armor increased

AUDIO

• Submix fixes that were affecting enemy footstep volume
• Equalized sand footsteps to better cut through the mix similar to dirt & concrete
• Fixed an issue that caused War Tracks to randomly stop playing when in active in a vehicle
• Fixed an issue preventing the War Tracks of a Patrol Boat’s driver from being heard while in the Patrol Boat turrets

UI/UX

• Update Requires Restart
  • If the title requires a restart due to an update, it will restart automatically
• New Menus
  • All new menus for Weapon and Camo Challenges
  • Added a Store tab for Players to see all available bundles for a specific weapon
• New Party Queuing
  • Party queuing allows players to automatically join a friend’s party once they are finished with their active match. Just like inviting friends to a party or channel, you can access party queuing via the in-game social menu.

BUG FIXES

Global

This update contains several fixes to reduce the number of known crashes. We continue to prioritize increased stability and crash fixes across all platforms.

• Fixed issue where Players were hearing incorrect team faction voiceover  on certain maps
• Fixed an issue where a Player’s squad number would appear inside a ping for a vehicle
• Fixed an issue where the Last Stand revive was not interrupted when a Player was hit with a Shock Stick
• Flash and Stun grenade blast will no longer kill Players at low health
• Fixed a handful of issues that would cause the target marking feature of the Spotter Scope to persist when not aiming down sights
• Throwing Knives can now kill Recon Drones and Bomb Drones
• Fixed an issue with the Gus Operator sometimes appearing without a full character model during a match

Killstreaks

• Fixed an issue where the Player would lose a placed Sentry Gun if they try to pick it up while diving
• The Player’s field of view will now reset properly when transitioning to a new round if they were in a Cruise Missile sequence when it happened
• Killstreak command actions from the Wheelson and VTOL are now disabled when a Player is in Last Stand
• Fixed an issue that prevented Players from marking a Mortar Strike and Precision Airstrike position through certain fences
• Fixed an issue causing Care Packages to time out while a Player is using it
• Fixing an issue that played an incorrect voice over when pinging an Overwatch Helo
• Fixed an issue that could cause the Player’s view to be looking downwards after using a Cruise Missile

Equipment

• Fixed an issue preventing the Drill Charge from eliminating Agents in Battle Royale and DMZ

Field Upgrades

• Fixed an issue where enemy C4 models destroyed by a Trophy System would not delete
• Fixed an issue preventing the Trophy System from destroying Cluster Mines as they are being deployed
• Fixed an issue where DDoS was not working properly on the Recon Drone and Bomb Drone
• Adjusted the deployment position for the Recon Drone and Bomb Drone within a train so they will no longer destroy themselves immediately afterwards 
• Fixed a duplication issue with the Deployable Cover when picking up another Field Upgrade on the ground in Battle Royale and DMZ

UX/UI

• Fixed an exploit where Players could sometimes equip two of the same weapon
• Fixed an issue where changing the receiver in Gunsmith on the Blissful Ignorance Blueprint (SP-X 80) would kick a Player to the previous menu
• Fixed an issue where the weapon preview camera sometimes pointed at the Secondary weapon when the Primary was selected
• Fixed an issue allowing Players to access the Loadout Drop menu after the game has ended 
• Fixed an issue causing Navigation bar headings to be cut off in some languages
• Fixed an issue causing Private match menu headers to occasionally overlap in some languages
• Fixed an issue where a Player’s full ATVI ID was not showing in Play of the Game
• Fixed an issue where some Players would display a garbled clan tag
• Fixed an issue where the Gus Operator would sometimes appear without a full character model
• Fixed an issue where some Players’ Operator would disappear in the pre-game lobby
• Fixed an issue where the background would not load when backing in and out of Showcase

Social

• Fixed various issues affecting Social notifications
• Fixed an issue where splitscreen was displaying channels incorrectly
• Fixed an issue where the Friends List scroll bar would sometimes disappear while scrolling 
• Fixed an issue affecting the displayed Lobby elapsed match time
• Fixed various issues affecting Displayed Party Members
• Fixed an issue where Queued Party Members display when they are in a Private party but not in Lobby
• Fixed an issue affecting Queued Party Members in View Party Panel
• Fixed an issue causing Members in Voice count to appear incorrectly
• Fixed an issuing causing “Join Player” option to appear for people that are already in the Player’s Party Queue
• Fixed an issue that sometimes caused the “Invite to Party” option to not appear while in a Lobby
• Fixed an issue causing Party member client search states to not appear correctly on screen when the Party leader initiated a queue
• Fixed various issues with Party Queuing, including Party Members Join/Invite availability 
• Fixed an issue causing Players in a Party that are kicked for inactivity to be removed from the group
• Fixed an issue to improve Social Hub Tile actioning
• Fixed an issue affecting Queued Party Members in Game Chat
• Fixed various issues affecting Game Chat in Parties

Vehicles

• Fixed an issue causing vehicles to sometimes run over enemy combatants after unloading them
• Fixed an exploit where Players could use an ATV to push teammates into the ceiling of some buildings
• Fixed an issue causing neutral vehicles to crush Players resulting in death,  instead of moving them out of the way
• Fixed an issue causing some vehicles to get stuck under the Exfil chopper in DMZ
• Fixed an issue causing the vehicle explosion danger indicator to disappear when a Player was still in range of the vehicle explosion
• Fixed an issue making vehicle explosive damage too high in Battle Royale and DMZ
• Fixed an issue preventing Players from deploying a Claymore on the Heavy Chopper
• Fixed an issue causing the Heavy Chopper to take damage from explosions far away from it
• Fixed an issue preventing windows on vehicles from breaking if the Player enters from the roof through that window
• Fixed an issue causing vehicles parked at extreme angles to become unusable
• Fixed an issue causing the Inflatable Decoy to not stick to the train when it inflates
• Fixed an issue where the Player would be instantly killed when colliding with a vehicle at the top of an ascender

PC SETTINGS

Audio

PC users will have an audio update allowing Players to select stereo or surround outputs. This option will default to stereo if not set. We have been investigating clips which appear to only include the front left and right channels, when the output on some PCs may default to surround – resulting in missing channels of audio.

Gyro Aiming Ratcheting

A “Gyro Ratcheting” setting has been added in the Controller category (Advanced tab) for Season 02 Reloaded. This option improves the Player experience by allowing a Player to disable manually the Gyro function by pressing a specific button, that can be chosen by the Player among several options, to be able to reposition the controller as desired. Players looking for more controls regarding the Gyro Aiming experience should customize this setting.

ACCESSIBILITY

Inverted Flash

An “Inverted Flash” option has been added as an accessibility option in the Interface category for Season 02 Reloaded with two values: Off (default behavior) and On (added behavior). This option allows to change the color of the flash effect of the flashbang tactical grenade from white to black. We recommend adjusting this option for Players who feel discomfort when affected by the full white screen effect of the flashbang tactical grenade. Duration and visual are at parity between the two values of the option, providing no competitive advantage.

Modern Warfare 2 Season Two Reloaded Patch Notes

COOPERATIVE

General

• Added a new fill bar for Last Stand and Dog Tags to match Battle Royale and provide additional clarity for downed teammates
• Added new challenges to the Co-op Pool of Daily Challenges
• Fixed an issue where equipment UI could appear as orange or flicker white

Low Profile

• Fixed an issue allowing Players to use aerial equipment during Infil
• Fixed issue that could cause Player to become temporarily invincible

Defender: Mt. Zaya

• Fixed an issue preventing Players from driving enemy vehicles
• Fixed an issue where enemy pilots could be seen floating in the sky
• Fixed bug that would prevent Players from restarting the mission if the bomb goes off
• Fixed an issue with map borders so Players can no longer exit map while in vehicles

ATOMGRAD RAID EPISODE

• A Weapon XP token is now unlocked for each completion of the Raid
• Added 1 Camo to the regular loot pool
• Added additional clarity in the AAR for all Raid related unlocks, including, Operator unlocks, Veteran completion unlocks and the random rewards
• Added a Kit Select to allow players to modify their kits in-game if needed
• Added clarity to which rewards are unlockable and which rewards are already unlocked via a list in the lobby
• Removed Raid Assignment requirement so Players can easily queue through the Party Finder with no barriers
• Added unique [CLASSIFIED] Reward Type
• Added “Special Ops Kit Boost” to Raid Store Bundles which allows Players to gain 10 stars per Kit and instantly unlock all Kits upon purchase
• Added “Vote to Skip” functionality for in-game intro cutscenes
• Fixed an issue where an extra oxygen tank icon could appear on the screen of the equipped Player

MULTIPLAYER

PLAYLIST

New Map

• Himmelmatt Expo
  • Mix business with pleasure at Himmelmatt Expo, a new Core (6v6) Multiplayer map situated on a European mountainside.

New Modes

• Drop Zone
  • Capture and hold the Drop Zone to earn points in this chaotic team-based mode. For every 15 seconds that the Drop Zone is occupied, a Care Package containing a Killstreak will be dropped in the vicinity.
• One in the Chamber
  • Load into the match with a pistol, one bullet, and three lives. Each player fights for themselves, and a single shot to any part of the body earns the elimination, granting the attacker one more bullet for the next fight.
• All or Nothing
  • Equipped only with Throwing Knives and a pistol with no ammo, each Operator must fight for themselves in a race to earn 20 eliminations. Earn additional Perks by eliminating enemies, starting with the Scavenger Perk to allow for ammo pickups.

BUG FIXES

• Fixed several out of bounds and collision based exploits across 6v6 maps
• Addressed spawn issues on Farm 18
• Fixed an exploit for capturing a point in Control on El Aliso

RANKED PLAY

Restrictions

• The following have been restricted in Ranked Play to match updated Call of Duty League rules:
  • Weapon Tuning (All)
  • Kastov 762 Assault Rifle
• Players should notice that existing Weapon Tuning will revert to default options in-game, but we recommend that you review your classes before your first match.

Quality of Life

• Improved visual feedback when a match is canceled because a player left within the first 30s.
• The Skill Division Rewards screen now displays rewards from all Divisions by default.
• Added Top 250 Profile images for a handful of CDL Pro players who were previously missing them.

Bug Fixes

• Fixed an issue that prevented players from selecting the CDL Operators and equipping an earned Ranked Play Skin.
• Addressed a visual bug that suggested a player’s SR had been reset.
• Fixed an issue that was occasionally causing an unintended Suspension after backing out of searching for a match before the lobby was formed.

Warzone 2 Season Two Reloaded Patch Notes

QUALITY OF LIFE

• Killstreak Availability
  • The existing “Airspace is too crowded” message will now have a trailing “for X seconds” attached to it to add better context for players.
• Cluster Strike & Precision Airstrike Improvements
  • Improved the Airstrike danger notification to be more consistent based on each damage location.
  • Improved directional tracing to prevent the Precision Airstrike targeting from sometimes landing behind the Players.
  • Players will now be notified when calling a Cluster Strike or Precision Airstrike if they are too close to the affected zone.
• Give-Up Timer Consistency
  • The give-up timer while downed is now more consistent across modes and will last at least 3 seconds.
• Navigation Pings
  • Increased the scale of navigation pings on the Tacmap and Mini-Map for improved readability.
• Armor Break
  • The text has been removed from the Armor Break notification (when breaking all of an opponent’s Armor Plates) for improved clarity, whilst the icon has remained.
• Auto-Looting Armor Plates
  • As Armor Plates are a critical part of the gameplay loop, Players will now automatically pick up Armor Plates as long as they have available inventory or Backpack space.
• Spawn Protection
  • Spawn Protection will now disable at 25 meters, up from 19 meters, from the ground or a grounded player in Battle Royale modes.
  • We will continue to refine as we move forwards given the importance of this feature to redeploying players.
• Resurgence Killfeed
  • The killfeed will now display who is about to redeploy when their Resurgence timer reaches 0.

UI/UX

• Spectating
  • Friendly pings and splash screens are now visible to spectators.
• Gas Mask
  • Loot cards for gas mask now more accurately reflect their damage amounts.

BUG FIXES

• Fixed some issues causing rainbow glare to appear on the horizon in Al Mazrah (Xbox only).

Tac Map & Minimap

• Fixed an issue preventing elevation arrows on map icons not accurately indicating their position.
• Fixed an issue causing the Counter UAV to affect Player maps even while outside of the effective range.

BATTLE ROYALE

PLAYLIST

Al Mazrah

• Standard
  • Solos
    • Max Players: 150
    • Assimilation: Off
  • Duos
    • Max Players: 150
    • Assimilation: Refill
  • Trios
    • Max Players: 150
    • Assimilation: Refill
  • Quads
    • Max Players: 152
    • Assimilation: Refill

Ashika Island

• Resurgence 
  • Solos
    • Max Players: 52 
    • Assimilation: Off
  • Duos
    • Max Players: 52 
    • Assimilation: Off
  • Trios
    • Max Players: 52 
    • Assimilation: Off
  • Quads
    • Max Players: 52 
    • Assimilation: Off

All squad sizes for Resurgence will be available through Season 02 Reloaded!

For regular updates about the Playlist and other Scheduled Events, check out the dedicated Warzone Trello Board.

EVENTS

Warzone’s 3rd Anniversary!

To celebrate three years of Warzone, Players will be able to redeem a new free gift each day via the in-game Store that are symbolic of memories made since its surprise launch on March 10, 2020.

Rewards:

• Verdansk Anniversary Calling Card
• Verdansk Emblem
• Caldera Anniversary Calling Card
• Blacksite Completionist Calling Card
• Blacksite Sticker
• Blacksite Emblem (Animated)
• Stronghold Calling Card

GENERAL

• Bomb Drones
  • Bomb Drones have been temporarily removed while we fine tune them.

GAMEPLAY

General

• Pacing Balancing
  • As a team we are focused on two core areas of the pacing of Battle Royale:
    • The combat engagements in the mid-game
    • The regain opportunities in the late game
  • We will be addressing this across Season 02 Reloaded and going into Season 03, with the first change being a guaranteed “Restock” Public Event in the 4th Circle.
  • Future improvements will include:
    • More ground loot Supply Boxes, especially in the North of the map
    • Resurgence Supply Boxes being sprinkled throughout the map
    • Additional Ammo Caches
    • And more…

Gameplay Adjustments

Al Mazrah | Battle Royale

• Light Helo
  • The Light Helo has been disabled in Solos. We are protective of the Solos squad size being a fair and balanced experience, and the Light Helo went against that ethos.
• Contract Availability
  • Increased the number of Contracts revealed over the course of the match to increase their availability in later circles.
• Final Circles
  • We are temporarily disabling final circles in the north-western section of the map while we work on improvements for upcoming seasons.

Ashika Island | Resurgence

• Redeployment Drones
  • Redeployment Drones are currently active across Ashika Island and will remain live as part of the Resurgence experience.
• AI Combatant Departure
  • As the Path of the Ronin event comes to an end, the Shadow Company operatives that have occupied the island will depart in pursuit of their next mission.
  • Players will now be public enemy number one for Search & Seizure Contracts and the Data Heist Public Event.
• Circle Balancing
  • The first circle will be approximately 20% larger, and more likely to be on land, to better enable a successful Infil.
• Pacing Balancing
  • Actions that affect the Resurgence Countdown have been adjusted to allow for more windows of opportunity to Team Wipe the opposing team.
• Buy Station Availability
  • Improvements have been made to better spread the Buy Stations more evenly through the map.

QUALITY OF LIFE

• Spawn Protection
  • Spawn Protection will now disable at 25 meters, up from 19 meters, from the ground or a grounded player in Battle Royale modes.
    • We will continue to refine as we move forwards given the importance of this feature to redeploying players.
• Resurgence Killfeed
  • The killfeed will now display who is about to redeploy when their Resurgence timer reaches 0.

BUG FIXES

• Redeploy Token
  • Fixed an issue allowing Redeploy Tokens to appear in Buy Stations even after the Gulag had closed.

DMZ

GAMEPLAY

• We have updated the usage requirements for Building 21 Access Cards:
  • Players no longer need to bring Building 21 Access Cards into the match by equipping them prior to infiltration
  • At least one Player in a squad must  have a Building 21 Access Card in their Inventory to allow infiltration
  • If a Player does infil to Building 21 with an Access Card in their Backpack, they will lose that card if they do not extract with it
  • This change only impacts Building 21 Access Cards and not the Access/Key  Cards for locked spaces inside Building 21, as those must still be equipped in your Backpack prior to infiltration
• Enemy combatants in DMZ can now operate or arrive in a variety of vehicles, not just the Armored Truck
• We have added some variations to infiltration and exfiltration points
• The Destroy Supplies Contract has been updated to reveal the 4 closest safes, instead of revealing all safes within a distance of the Contract 
• Reduced the total number of vehicles in Modern City for more even distribution of vehicles throughout Al Mazrah
• Enemy combatants now have a small chance to drop upgraded weapons upon death

BUG FIXES

• Fixed several Stronghold access issues across DMZ
• Fixed an issue where the Secure Nuclear Material contract could select a locked toolbox on Ashika Island
• Increased minimum distance between Secure Nuclear Material contracts on Ashika Island so they do not overlap
• Fixed Favor for a Friend Mission having an incorrect location description
• Fixed description for Stronghold Reacquisition Mission incorrectly stating that the Legion Deal Intel must be extracted
• Fixed an issue where taking a weapon directly from an enemy’s Backpack wouldn’t register it as an enemy weapon for some Missions
• Fixed issue where the Overlord voiceover would fade out improperly when extracting
• Fixed issues where certain Missions weren’t sharing progress with squadmates, including missions that have you use field upgrades and killstreaks such as Death From Above
• Fixed issue where Key Elimination wasn’t giving progress for unlocking a cache instead of a locked door
• Fixed an issue where some Players did not get credit for the final exfil due to timer
• Fixed an issue where match search would stop if the party leader left the group
• Fixed an issue that would prevent the Player from using their Armor temporarily, when trying to use Armor and the Radiation Blocker at the same time