Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 developer warns against changing your region for early access

News
By last updated

If you're thinking about a digital trip to New Zealand, maybe don't

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
(Image credit: Activision Blizzard)

Modern Warfare 2 developer Infinity Ward is warning players not to change their region to bypass local launch times. 

A tweet posted by the Modern Warfare 2 developer warns players trying to sneak into another region to get earlier access that they may be hit with unexpected penalties. That could include but is not limited to connection issues and being locked out of the game until their official launch time. 

Region swapping for location-based launches has often been a tactic by players trying to get into games as early as possible and bypass restrictions. It's why, around the launch of a major game like this, New Zealand will often see an unprecedented upswing in the number of gamers in the country. 

The Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 release time, be it the non-early access campaign or the multiplayer, depends on several factors, including your location and platform. On Xbox and PlayStation consoles, the game opens up at midnight on Friday in your region. 

However, if you're on a PC, you don't have to worry about changing your VPN region at all as there's a universal launch time for the multiplayer. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 opens its multiplayer servers at 5AM BST/12AM EST/ 9PM PST (Thursday).

There's plenty of reason to jump into this year's Call of Duty when you are finally allowed in too, as our review-in-progress states: "Modern Warfare 2 campaign demonstrates that the series is heading in a good direction after a difficult few years".

Assuming you're playing in the right region then take these Modern Warfare 2 safe codes for when you need them. And if you're looking for more shooters to play? Check out our list of the best FPS games. 

Patrick Dane
Freelance writer

Patrick Dane is the former Guides Editor at TechRadar. He is now a freelance games journalist writing for sites and publications such as GamesRadar, Metro, IGN, Eurogamer, PC Gamer, and the International Business Times, among others. He was also once the Managing Editor for Bleeding Cool.