Warzone 2 is officially live and servers are struggling

Update - November 16: The Warzone 2 release time has come and gone: the long-awaited battle royale is now live. 

Warzone 2 launched roughly on schedule, and with so many players now rushing to get in, its servers are predictably struggling to keep up. The game doesn't seem to be unplayably bogged down at the time of writing, but actually queueing for a match up can take quite a while in our experience. But with a little luck and patience, you'll be down in Al Mazrah soon enough. 

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The Warzone 2 release time is imminent, which means it won't be long until we can finally make our first drop into the much anticipated battle royale sequel. There are some big changes being introduced for Warzone 2, from a completely rebuilt Battle Pass progression system to entirely new gameplay modes, though for many players the most important question right now will be what time is Warzone 2 playable. If you're eager to visit Al Mazrah and start exploring the new Warzone 2 map then the wait is almost over, so we've got all the details you need to know about the Warzone 2 release time, and why Warzone 2 is locked if you're seeing a padlock icon when trying to access it.

What time is Warzone 2 playable

Warzone 2 releases on November 16, at the same time as the Season 01 Modern Warfare 2 Battle Pass and various other updates. This means Warzone 2 will be playable from the following times:

• West Coast US: 10am PT
• East Coast US: 1pm ET
• United Kingdom: 6pm GMT
• Europe: 7pm CET

If you want to play the new battle royale mode as soon as it goes live at the above times, the good news is that the Warzone 2 preload is already available. Regardless of whether you play on PlayStation, Xbox, or PC, you can line up your download to ensure you’re good to go as soon as the Warzone 2 unlock time hits, though the process can be somewhat confusing so check our separate guide if you're having any issues getting prepared for launch.

Why is Warzone 2 locked

If you're wondering why is Warzone 2 locked, then you're probably trying to access it before the official release time listed above. If your Modern Warfare 2 is up to date or you've downloaded the launcher then you'll see the new battle royale in the main menu, along with the Warzone 2 DMZ mode, however both will be marked as LOCKED with a padlock icon next to them. Those should unlock automatically when the Warzone 2 release time arrives, but if you find they're still locked after that point then try reloading the game and make sure you have the latest update installed to push things forward.