Why Cold War Keeps Locking its Campaign & How to Finally Unlock it
As an avid Call of Duty player, I was super hyped for Cold War‘s gripping single-player campaign. But I soon found the coveted mode locked despite owning the game for months! If you also can‘t access campaign, this expert guide from a fellow player will help unlock it for good.
The core issue is that Cold War‘s campaign isn‘t treated like previous CODs. While past games included all modes in the base install, Cold War‘s packs need to be manually downloaded separate from multiplayer and zombies content. I learned the hard way that unless you actively install campaign packs, the mode stays frustratingly locked.
Why You Can‘t Access Cold War‘s Campaign
Through extensive troubleshooting and forums research when I encountered the locked campaign issue, I discovered several specific causes:
1. The Campaign Packs Aren‘t Actually Installed
This trip me up at first – I just assumed packing in 60GB must include campaign! However, Cold War is the first COD that makes you pick and choose which elements to install:
- Multiplayer Packs: 32.9GB
- Zombies Packs: 15.9 GB
- Campaign Packs: 30-50 GB
So don‘t make my mistake – check Battle.net to ensure campaign content is actively selected or you‘ll stare at a locked mode for eternity.
2. Bug Prevents Campaign from Unlocking
Now this one drove me crazy. Even after I fully installed the right packs, that locked symbol mocked me on the menu for days. But it turns out a pesky bug is to blame.
Other players report and I confirmed that you need to full quit and restart Cold War to force the mode to unlock after installing campaign content. It‘s like the game gets confused when first opened until you reload it.
3. Anti-Piracy Protection Blocks Campaign Access
Modern Call of Duty games incorporate anti-piracy tech that requires an internet connection and linked Activision account to play certain modes like campaign. It‘s frustrating for legitimate owners, but prevents unpaid copies from accessing content.
I discovered first-hand that Cold War for some reason allows zombies or multiplayer offline but classified the campaign as needing persistent online verification. Make sure Battle.net and your account are all properly setup or this DRM will continually block your access.
How to Finally Unlock Cold War‘s Campaign
Follow this comprehensive troubleshooting guide if Cold War still says your campaign is locked even after you installed it:
Verify campaign packs are actively selected in your Battle.net install options for Cold War. You specifically need the 30-50GB campaign packs.
Restart console/PC and reload the game after installing – this forces a refresh to recognize newly added content.
Check internet connection is working and you can successfully sign-into your Activision account through Battle.net. If offline, you‘ll be blocked.
Console players verify Xbox Live/PS Plus subscriptions are active and haven‘t expired. An inactive status can also lock campaign.
Once you ruled out these issues, you should finally get access to the story mode! It‘s ridiculous Activision didn‘t make this process smoother, but hope you‘re back to enjoying the campaign‘s explosive set-pieces and intrigue in no time. Let us fellow gamers know if we can help troubleshoot anything else stopping your campaign progress!
