THE CRUNCH
Call of Duty: Warzone is now a free download on Nintendo Switch 2, with no need to own Modern Warfare 4. The battle royale hit the eShop when Season 1 kicked off on November 6, the same update that folds Modern Warfare 4 into Warzone. Activision says Switch 2 players get parity with other platforms on features and seasonal content, including the new Hajin battle royale map set in South Korea and the Zodiac Resurgence map, with progress tied to your Activision account.
The timing is bittersweet for older consoles: Warzone no longer runs on PlayStation 4 or Xbox One. Players left behind on those machines can carry their progress to any supported platform simply by logging in with the same account.
It is a notable moment for Nintendo, coming roughly a fortnight after Modern Warfare 4's October 23 debut, which made it the first Call of Duty on a Nintendo console since Ghosts hit the Wii U in 2013. Infinity Ward developed that port natively for Switch 2 alongside Digital Legends, and reception has generally been positive, at least on PC.
One caveat: Activision has not disclosed what resolution or frame rate Warzone targets on Switch 2. Modern Warfare 4's multiplayer reportedly targets 60 FPS when docked, using a fairly low base resolution with upscaling, and Warzone's bigger maps and player counts will likely be harder to run, so waiting for proper performance tests before making it a main platform seems wise.