Activision is set to separate Modern Warfare 2 and Modern Warfare 3 from the main Call of Duty launcher to alleviate the massive installation size that has frustrated players.
In an announcement via Activision’s CODUpdates account on X, the publisher stated that on July 29 at 9am PT, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 will be moved from the main Call of Duty install and become standalone downloads. This change enables players to launch these titles directly without navigating through the cumbersome Call of Duty HQ app, eliminating confusing menus and interstitial screens. The current Call of Duty app requires an astonishing 381.19GB of space on Xbox for all recommended files, while even the Steam version demands at least 128GB of available space.
Beginning July 30, owners of either Modern Warfare 2 or Modern Warfare 3 will be able to launch directly into their purchased titles once downloaded. The legacy content for these games within the main Call of Duty HQ app will be automatically removed on August 7, potentially freeing up significant storage space for players who wish to access other Call of Duty titles without the burden of these larger game files.
This move marks a reversal of Activision’s 2023 decision to merge all Call of Duty games into a single app, which the company justified as allowing for “easier file management and seamless switching between games.” That previous integration drew significant criticism from the community, with players expressing frustration over being forced to manage massive downloads while navigating store prompts to purchase newer content.
Questions remain about whether Activision will separate other Call of Duty titles from the main app in the future and why Modern Warfare 2 and 3 were specifically targeted first. Speculation suggests these titles might have lower engagement rates or be technically easier to separate from the integrated ecosystem. The announcement also raises curiosity about how this approach might affect the upcoming Call of Duty Black Ops 7, whose multiplayer aspect is expected to debut sometime this summer.
