Warzone Launches Free-to-Play on Switch 2 in Surprise Drop

A surprise free-to-play drop on Switch 2

Call of Duty: Warzone is now available on Nintendo Switch 2, landing on the eShop as a surprise launch timed to the start of Season 1 for Modern Warfare 4. The battle royale is free to play, and players do not need to buy Modern Warfare 4 to access it — an Activision account is required.

Nintendo Life measured the download at 122GB on its end. According to Nintendo Life, Season 1 lets players 'drop into Hajin, Zodiac, and all the other maps and playlists as the free-to-play game arrives on the handheld system for the first time.'

A first for Nintendo hardware in a generation

The launch is a notable reversal for a series long absent from Nintendo platforms. Insider Gaming reports that Modern Warfare 4 was the first Call of Duty released on Nintendo hardware since Call of Duty: Ghosts on the Wii U, and Warzone's arrival extends that return.

Warzone runs as a separate mode from Modern Warfare 4's single-player, multiplayer, and DMZ components, so Switch 2 owners get the full battle royale experience without buying the premium title.

PS4 and Xbox One servers shut down

The Switch 2 launch came alongside a hard cutoff for older hardware. According to Insider Gaming, starting with the new season, Warzone no longer supports PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, and on November 6 the servers for those consoles were permanently shut down.

Players who have not upgraded to current-generation consoles lose access, though progress carries over to any supported hardware as long as they use the same Activision account. As a partial consolation, players can try Modern Warfare 4's DMZ mode for free until November 11, per Insider Gaming.

What Season 1 brings next

Nintendo Life reports that the Modern Warfare 4 multiplayer seasonal update adds new maps including Backstab, Canyon, and Shoot House, plus additional modes, events, and rewards spanning both multiplayer and DMZ.

The convergence matters for Switch 2 owners: Warzone arriving free on the handheld while the seasonal content rolls out means new players can drop into the same live-service ecosystem as everyone else at the moment it refreshes.

The question now is how well the 122GB battle royale performs on Nintendo hardware against console and PC lobbies.

Sources

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