Do You Need Call of Duty: Modern Warfare to Play Warzone?

The quick answer: No. As a completely free-to-play experience, Call of Duty: Warzone does not require owning 2019‘s Modern Warfare to download and play. But the relationship between the two titles often causes confusion among new players.

As an experienced Warzone fan with over 100 hours racked up, I‘ll clarify everything you need to know about playing Activision‘s hit battle royale without Modern Warfare. First I‘ll explain how Warzone connects to Modern Warfare, then provide standalone installation instructions. I‘ll wrap up with my personal take on whether purchasing Modern Warfare is worthwhile strictly for Warzone players.

Warzone‘s Deep Integration with Modern Warfare

According to the Call of Duty blog, Warzone was envisioned as an extension of the universe established in Modern Warfare. That‘s why Warzone leverages a lot of technology and gameplay systems originally built for Modern Warfare. For example:

• Shared Content: Many of Warzone‘s weapons, character models, animations, and graphical assets are reused from Modern Warfare. This helps reduce file size and development time.
• Unified Progression: Leveling up battle pass and player rank within either Modern Warfare or Warzone counts across both titles. Your overall progress carries over no matter which mode you play more.
• Combined Experience: Warzone directly utilizes Modern Warfare‘s matchmaking, in-game social systems, weapon mechanics, and general "look and feel." The intent is a seamless transition between multiplayer showdowns in Verdansk and Modern Warfare maps.

This heavy integration can make Warzone seem dependent on Modern Warfare, but I assure you they are separate products. Now I‘ll explain how to install Warzone independently on each platform.

Installing Warzone Without Modern Warfare

The way to install just Warzone differs slightly depending on if you game on PlayStation, Xbox, or PC:

PlayStation

According to the Call of Duty blog:

1. Turn on your PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 5 and login to your console profile
2. Open the PlayStation Store from your home screen
3. Search "Call of Duty: Warzone" and select the listing titled ‘Call of Duty: Warzone | Caldera‘
4. Click ‘Download‘ on the product page

This will trigger the Warzone-only free download. Ignore bundles like the ‘Warzone Combat Pack‘ – those require paid Modern Warfare ownership.

Xbox

The Microsoft Store has a similar Warzone standalone listing:

1. Turn on your Xbox One or Xbox Series X|S and login to your console profile
2. Press the glowing Xbox button on your controller to open the guide
3. Navigate to ‘Store‘, select ‘Search‘, and type in "Call of Duty: Warzone"
4. Choose the listing titled ‘Call of Duty: Warzone‘
5. Click ‘Get‘ on the product page

As before, only "Warzone" itself is needed, no paid bundles.

PC

According to Activision‘s Battle.net support page:

1. Open the Battle.net desktop app
2. Navigate to the ‘Games‘ tab at the top
3. Click on Call of Duty: Warzone (not Modern Warfare)
4. Select ‘Install‘ next to the gigantic orange ‘Play Free Now‘ button

And Warzone will begin downloading!

Warzone System Requirements

Of course, you need sufficient hardware to smoothly run Warzone‘s photorealistic visuals and 100+ player lobbies:

Use this table as a guideline when shopping for a gaming PC or laptop capable of tackling Warzone. Storage is a common limitation, especially for laptops, so expand with an affordable external SSD if needed.

Gameplay Tips for New Warzone Operatives

Now for the good stuff: hot tips from yours truly to dominate Warzone lobbies! Even without Modern Warfare, these tricks will help get your name etched on the Victory screen:

• Ping constantly – Ping enemy locations, gear, Buy Station deals – critical info for your squad. Default keybind is middle mouse button on PC, down d-pad on controller.
• Toggle armor plates – Having 3 plates equipped is a must. Pop them instantly with a dedicated hotkey like ‘5‘.
• Lower sensitivity – Most streamers play between 400-800 eDPI for laser precision.
• Level weapons – Unlock attachments to reduce recoil and improve handling.
• Play recon – Scan for next circle location to strategize endgame positioning.
• Buy UAVs – Knowing enemy locations is beyond useful. Coordinate with teammates to chain UAVs.
• Use suppressors – Avoid broadcasting your shots to the whole server!

Trust me, even these basic Warzone skills will propel newbies to top 10 situations and the occasional surprise win!

Now for some bonus pro gamer insights…

My Take: Is Modern Warfare Worth Buying for Warzone Players?

As someone who has logged endless hours across both Modern Warfare (multiplayer) and Warzone, here is my personal verdict on whether buying the full Modern Warfare game makes sense if you mostly play (or only play) Warzone battle royale:

Verdict: No, Modern Warfare is NOT essential for Warzone players.

Here is my supporting reasoning:

• Overlapping Content – Almost all Modern Warfare guns and attachments are already usable in Warzone, even without buying MW.
• Outdated Multiplayer – Modern Warfare online lobbies are dying off as players move to newer titles like MWII.
• Faster Progression – Leveling weapons is arguably even faster in Warzone modes like Plunder.
• Purely Cosmetic Perks – Operator skins and other cosmetics don‘t impact gameplay. Save your money.

However, there are a few benefits to picking up a copy of Modern Warfare at discount:

• Campaign & Spec Ops – Excellent single player content worth playing.
• Multiplayer Diversity – Occasionally refreshing to take a break from Battle Royale.
• Completing Challenges – Easier to finish camo and attachment challenges against AI bots.

But are those bonuses alone worth $60? For diehard completionists possibly, but most players should save towards Modern Warfare II 2022 instead.

Let‘s Squad Up in Verdansk!

Hopefully this inside look clarifies everything you need to know before diving into Call of Duty‘s take on the global battle royale phenomenon. Remember, Warzone‘s world-class gunplay and InfinityWard polish does not require any paid products – just a capable gaming rig, console, or even cloud streaming on mobile!

As new operators drop in and your mastery grows, feel free to hit me up on Twitter @GamerGuruKen. Building a solid Warzone squad helps immensely, and I welcome new players looking to improve. Perhaps we‘ll be the last duo standing amidst gas clouds and gunfire soon!

Now enjoy your free tour of duty in Verdansk soldier! This is GamerGuruKen signing off.