Call of Duty's "your data is corrupt" error message is "incorrect" and won't affect your rank and unlocks, Activision says
"Although Loadouts, customization, and certain settings may be reset"
Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
Want to add more newsletters?
Every Friday
GamesRadar+
Your weekly update on everything you could ever want to know about the games you already love, games we know you're going to love in the near future, and tales from the communities that surround them.
Every Thursday
GTA 6 O'clock
Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O'clock experts.
Every Friday
Knowledge
From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what's on the horizon.
Every Thursday
The Setup
Hardware nerds unite, sign up to our free tech newsletter for a weekly digest of the hottest new tech, the latest gadgets on the test bench, and much more.
Every Wednesday
Switch 2 Spotlight
Sign up to our new Switch 2 newsletter, where we bring you the latest talking points on Nintendo's new console each week, bring you up to date on the news, and recommend what games to play.
Every Saturday
The Watchlist
Subscribe for a weekly digest of the movie and TV news that matters, direct to your inbox. From first-look trailers, interviews, reviews and explainers, we've got you covered.
Once a month
SFX
Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month!
Activision says the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and Warzone season 1 error message warning you your "data is corrupt or didn't download properly" and saying "you must rest your rank and unlocks to continue" is in fact an error itself.
Scanning the subreddits for Modern Warfare 3 and Warzone will yield a bunch of posts from players concerned about the error message, but the official Call of Duty support X (formerly Twitter) account says your rank, purchases, and unlocks are safe despite the alarming language. Your "loadouts, customization, and other settings" might have to be reset in order to play the game, however.
📢 #MW3 #WarzonePlayers logging into Season 1 may see an incorrect error message stating their data is corrupt. Rest assured that your rank, unlocks, and purchases are not lost, although Loadouts, customization, and certain settings may be reset.December 6, 2023
"Players logging into Season 1 may see an incorrect error message stating their data is corrupt," reads a tweet from the Call of Duty support account sent Wednesday. "Rest assured that your rank, unlocks, and purchases are not lost, although Loadouts, customization, and certain settings may be reset."
Indeed, if you're getting the "data is corrupt" error message, you'll know that you're presented with two options. One is to hit "yes" and proceed with resetting your rank and unlocks - a startling proposition no doubt - and the other is to decline and wait for a fix to be implemented before playing the game. Activision is now saying not to worry about that and that it's only your customization settings and other that'll be reset, but it's understandable to be hesitant.
I've reached out to Activision for comment and will update this article if I hear back.
Once you've managed to drop into the battle royale, here are some essential Warzone tips you don't want to miss.
Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more

After earning an English degree from ASU, I worked as a corporate copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. I got my big break here in 2019 with a freelance news gig, and I was hired on as GamesRadar's west coast Staff Writer in 2021. That means I'm responsible for managing the site's western regional executive branch, AKA my home office, and writing about whatever horror game I'm too afraid to finish.


