Call of Duty: Warzone is now on Nintendo Switch 2, and it costs nothing to play. The free-to-play battle royale is available in the Nintendo eShop, and you do not need to buy Modern Warfare 4 to jump in. If you already play Warzone elsewhere, signing in with the same Activision account brings your progress with you.
It is a big moment for Nintendo players. Before this year, the last Call of Duty on a Nintendo console was Call of Duty: Ghosts on Wii U, back in 2013.
Switch 2 gets the same Warzone as every other platform
Warzone arrived on Switch 2 alongside Season 1, which ties the battle royale into Modern Warfare 4. According to Activision’s Season 1 overview, the Switch 2 version gets the same features and seasonal content as other platforms, so there is no cut-down “Nintendo edition” to worry about.
Season 1 brings two new maps. Hajin is a full-size Battle Royale map set in South Korea, the first time Warzone has gone there, and it links to the Modern Warfare 4 campaign. Zodiac is a compact Resurgence map built around a drone factory.
| Map | Type | Setting |
|---|---|---|
| Hajin | Battle Royale | South Korea, tied to the MW4 campaign |
| Zodiac | Resurgence | A drone assembly and manufacturing headquarters |
At launch, playlists include Battle Royale, Resurgence and their Casual versions, plus Massive Resurgence and Loaded Resurgence. Extreme Resurgence and Rockets and Snipers are due mid-season.
What Switch 2 players should know before dropping in
The new season also reshuffled the weapon balance. Most guns got stronger rather than weaker, and if you want to know which loadouts to try first, our breakdown of every Season 1 weapon buff and nerf covers the full list.
Activision has not published performance targets for the Switch 2 version, such as resolution or frame rate, and it has not said in detail how crossplay works for Warzone on Nintendo’s console. Modern Warfare 4 itself does support crossplay across all platforms, and on Switch 2 it can be played with Joy-Con 2 mouse controls. We will update this article once Activision confirms how those features carry over to Warzone.
PS4 and Xbox One players have to move on
The Switch 2 launch came as Warzone left older consoles behind. Servers on PS4 and Xbox One shut down on November 6, so players on those systems need a newer device to keep playing. Because progress is tied to your Activision account, switching to a Switch 2, a current console or a PC keeps everything you have earned.
Is Warzone worth downloading on Switch 2?
Since it is free, there is very little reason not to try it. Players who are still deciding on the full game can read our Modern Warfare 4 review roundup first. With Nintendo also ruling out another Switch 2 price rise for now, the console is in a good spot to pick up new Call of Duty players this holiday season.
