Warzone 2 crashes are tormenting players, especially in DMZ

(Image credit: Activision Blizzard)

Warzone 2 is fun, especially the new Warzone 2 DMZ extraction mode, but for some players, frequent crashes are causing gutting losses. "This is the sixth time I lost maxed out loot," lamented one DMZ player on Reddit after a crash, and they're far from the only Warzone player who's seen the dreaded "this application has unexpectedly stopped working" message recently.

"Yesterday we played four games and in each game one of us crashed," responded one player.

"Happens to [me] at least three times a night," said another.

This Call of Duty: Warzone 2 crashing issue doesn't appear to be something that's happening only to players with some weird PC configuration or out-of-date driver. I personally experienced a few crashes in regular Modern Warfare 2 multiplayer, and the volume of complaints on Reddit suggests there's genuinely a widespread problem here.

"Are there any PC Warzone/DMZ players who are NOT experiencing daily crashes?" asked one poster.

A Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone 2 update that went out yesterday addresses two specific causes of crashes, according to the patch notes. One crash had to do with parachute deployment, and the other involved Windows Focus Mode. Infinity Ward also says in those patch notes that it "will continue to improve stability," but crashing as a general issue hasn't otherwise been acknowledged outside of a generic Activision support page.

Future Call of Duty: Warzone 2 updates will be detailed by Raven Software, according to Infinity Ward, which says it will focus on communicating about Modern Warfare 2. I've asked for comment from either on the crashing issue, which seems to affect both games, and I'll update this post if I hear back.

In the meantime, players are sharing the tweaks they've made to try to prevent crashes. The general format of the advice is: 'I tried this and I have no idea if it did anything, but I haven't crashed since, so maybe?' Here are the most common suggestions I've seen, which may or may not do anything desirable, but won't hurt anything, either:

Try the "Verify the integrity of game files" button in the game properties (for Steam users)
Update your graphics drivers (I know, I know, they say this every time)
Turn off overlays, such as from Steam, GeForce Experience, or Discord (I've seen a few players report that this worked for them)
Try using the windowed borderless display mode instead of fullscreen

Win more Warzone 2

warzone 2 battle pass explained — (Image credit: Activision Blizzard)

Warzone 2 loadouts: Best guns
Warzone 2 DMZ: New mode guide
Warzone 2 unhinged: Hectic BRs
Warzone 2 perks: Perk packages
Warzone 2 contracts: Turn it in
Warzone 2 cash: Make bank

Call of Duty: Warzone 2 currently has a "Mostly Negative" user review average on Steam, and technical issues are mentioned frequently in the negative reviews (at least, the ones that are more than just some variation on "CoD trash"). The discontent over Warzone 2's technical state shouldn't necessarily discourage interested parties from trying it, though. I haven't had any crashes since the first few days after launch, and it runs basically fine on my Core i5-9600K and Nvidia RTX 2070 Super. It's free, so the worst case scenario is that you encounter problems and put it aside pending patches.

Infinity Ward and Raven Software will likely say more about crashing in the coming days or weeks—I wouldn't expect such a common complaint to go unacknowledged forever. We'll keep tabs on the situation, but if you don't hear it from us, look for updates on the Call of Duty blog, the official Warzone 2 Trello board, or the Steam updates section for Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone 2.

Tyler grew up in Silicon Valley during the '80s and '90s, playing games like Zork and Arkanoid on early PCs. He was later captivated by Myst, SimCity, Civilization, Command & Conquer, all the shooters they call "boomer shooters" now, and PS1 classic Bushido Blade (that's right: he had Bleem!). Tyler joined PC Gamer in 2011, and today he's focused on the site's news coverage. His hobbies include amateur boxing and adding to his 1,200-plus hours in Rocket League.