When does Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone 2.0 season 5 launch?

Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone 2.0 season 5 is more than just a Nicki Minaj promotional vehicle. Though the global superstar is naturally the season’s headliner, both Call of Duty games are set to receive a ton of new content throughout season 5. Here’s when season 5 will release in your region, and what changes you can expect.

What time does Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone 2.0 season 5 launch?

Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone 2.0 season 5 launches on Wednesday, Aug. 2, at the same time in all regions around the world. Here’s when it will release in your time zone:

• 9 a.m PST for the west coast of North America
• 12 p.m. EST for the east coast of North America
• 6 p.m. CET for western Europe / Paris
• 5 p.m. GMT for the U.K.
• 2 a.m. JST on Feb. 16 for Tokyo

Based on the timing of previous seasons, the season 5 update should roll out roughly 24 hours ahead of the above times, hopefully giving you plenty of time to download.

What’s new in Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone 2.0 season 5?

Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone 2.0 will see a wave of new content, including new maps, modes, operators, and weapons. Activision detailed the full list of changes in a blog post, but here are the biggest additions for Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone 2.0 season 5.

Warzone 2.0 season 5 changes and additions

• Two new vehicles will appear in Warzone: The Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) and the dirt bike.
• Warzone will also play host to the time-limited midseason “Call of Duty 2023 reveal” event. (Call of Duty is typically an annual release, though Bloomberg reporting has raised questions about what this year’s entry would look like.)
• Armored Royale — a game mode that spawns you with a MRAP and tasks you with protecting it — returns.

Modern Warfare 2 season 5 changes and additions

• Four new maps will be available at launch: Punta Mar and Strike are two Core maps, with Lounge and Canal joining the lineup as Gunfight maps. Partway through the season, DRC Zone 1 will be playable as a Core map.
• Havoc and Big Capture the Flag are two new modes available at the launch of season 5. Gunfight Variants, including Gunfight Snipers, will roll out in-season.

Image: Activision

General season 5 changes and additions

• The “Faction Showdown” event will run from Aug. 4-16. You’ll have to choose between two factions (Shadow Company or Task Force 141) and earn 50 cumulative operator kills.
• Season 5 will feature the “50 Years of Hip Hop Celebration” event. In addition to Nicki Minaj’s introduction as a playable operator, the event will include a week of daily login rewards, which you can claim by playing Warzone or Modern Warfare 2 from Aug 7-15.
• Six operators join the fray in season 5, some of whom will be familiar to series fans. Oz, Mila, Velikan, and Arthur are available at launch. Graves is available as a battle pass operator. Mace will become available as a midseason operator.
• Six new weapons will be available across the season: the FR Avancer assault rifle and Carrack .300 sniper rifle are available as launch additions in the battle pass. The M13C assault rifle will become available midseason, though the unlock requirements are still under wraps. Also, new handgun and a new silenced SMG will be available midseason (Activision) alongside a pickaxe melee weapon.