Sat Aug 02 08:20:00 UTC 2025: ## Call of Duty Breaks Free: Modern Warfare Titles No Longer Shackled to HQ Launcher

**Santa Monica, CA –** In a move celebrated by many Call of Duty fans, Activision announced that *Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2* and *Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3* will soon be accessible as standalone games, unshackling them from the mandatory *Call of Duty HQ* launcher.

The publisher revealed via social media that players will be able to launch directly into either *Modern Warfare* title after re-downloading fresh installs. This change comes after widespread criticism of the *Call of Duty HQ* launcher, which many players found cumbersome and resource-intensive. Previously, *Call of Duty HQ* acted as a central hub, requiring players to navigate a “Netflix-style launcher” to access *Modern Warfare 2*, *Modern Warfare 3*, and *Warzone*.

According to Activision, *Call of Duty HQ* was designed to streamline file management and facilitate seamless switching between titles. However, players frequently reported that the launcher slowed down game access with excessive update prompts and required a significant amount of storage space.

Legacy content related to *Modern Warfare 2* and *Modern Warfare 3* within the *Call of Duty HQ* installation will be automatically removed on August 7th to free up storage. Activision clarified that this change will not affect *Warzone* content, ensuring that *Modern Warfare 2* and *Modern Warfare 3* operators and weapons remain accessible within the battle royale mode.

While Activision has not explicitly stated the reasoning behind the change, it is speculated that this move aims to declutter *Call of Duty HQ* in anticipation of the upcoming release of *Call of Duty: Black Ops 7*.

Developed by Treyarch and Raven Software, *Call of Duty: Black Ops 7* was revealed last month at the Xbox Games Showcase 2025. The game boasts a star-studded cast, including Milo Ventimiglia, Kiernan Shipka, and Michael Rooker. Ventimiglia will portray David Mason, Shipka will play the new character Emma Kagen, and Rooker will reprise his role as Mike Harper from *Black Ops 2*. Leaks from a developer-only playtest have revealed details about the game’s Skirmish and Overload multiplayer modes, as well as a 20v20 wingsuit option.

The news comes after Activision faced criticism for recently pulling controversial in-game advertisements within *Black Ops 6* and *Warzone*. As a premium title, *Black Ops 6* is priced at $70, and *Black Ops 7* is expected to see a price hike to $80, following Microsoft’s announcement of a $79.99 price point for new, first-party titles.

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