Modern Warfare 2 Season 5 patch notes: New maps and modes, Ranked Play changes, operators, and more

The Season 5 of Modern Warfare 2 is currently live on all platforms, and the developers have released the corresponding patch notes, which list all the changes. The latest seasonal update brings tons of new content and gameplay adjustments to the title, including seven new operators and two new weapons available right from launch.

Alongside that, the Season 5 update also brings several changes to the Ranked Play mode, including new rewards and restrictions. Additionally, it introduces several fixes for some of the annoying bugs which have been plaguing the game.

Modern Warfare 2 Season 5 patch notes

The patch notes of the Season 5 update of Modern Warfare 2 are as follows:

GLOBAL

STABILITY

This update contains several fixes to reduce the number of known crashes. We continue to prioritize increased stability and crash fixes across all platforms.

BATTLE PASS

Shadow Company’s Arthur Joins BlackCell

Arthur operator of Modern Warfare 2 Season 5 (Image via Activision)

One of Shadow Company’s best, Arthur is [[REDACTED]].
All we know is that he is a warrior to the core. No face, only a callsign; he is apparently a legend, but no legible records were found.
And the only companion he associates with his second-in-command, a K9 Unit in Merlin.

New Tactical Pets Companion Feature

Arthus's pet Merlin in Modern Warfare 2 Season 5 (Image via Activision)

New to Modern Warfare® II, Operators will have the option to bring companions alongside them in Multiplayer, Battle Royale, and DMZ modes. This provides the unparalleled benefit of companionship along with a devastating Finishing Move.

Merlin — and other Tactical Pets— cannot be harmed in any way and play a role in Finishing Moves. . . . Just remember to equip the Finishing Move separate from the companion when editing your chosen Operator.

New: Battle Buddy

New gunscreen battle buddy of Modern Warfare 2 Season 5 (Image via Activision)

Another new addition to Modern Warfare II is a Battle Buddy – virtual “assistants” who act as a mini-announcer with some additional personality.
“Gwen” is the first, as her Gun Screen – what she prefers as opposed to “Battle Buddy” – is packaged with Arthur and his K9 unit Merlin. Just perform well with her equipped, because she has no time to assist with anything but a successful mission.
She will callout Killstreak activations, kills – including with specific weapons or equipment – and other in-game personal events, especially when you win or perform well in a match.

OPERATORS

New Operators

Operator Oz of Modern Warfare 2 Season 5 (Image via Activision)

When General Shepherd asked him to take the lead in a cyber defense division of a new PMC group, Oz was ready to join Shadow Company… As their “de facto leader,” Oz uses both his elite special operations toolset on the ground as well as his skills in cyberwarfare.

Graves

He’s back. You probably have questions. Graves does not have time for answers. He says he was never in that tank that exploded at the hands of the 141, and now it’s back to business.

Mila

Biographical intel for this Operator has been [[REDACTED]].

Velikan

The Shadow Company warden of Building 21 just got ousted by Konni Group, so now this “giant” is ready for new operations.

EVENTS

Faction Showdown

Choose Task Force 141 or Shadow Company. The Faction with the most eliminations at the end of the event wins. Players can switch Factions at any time during the event. Complete all 5 challenges for each Faction to unlock a Mastery Reward for that Faction. Completing all challenges for the winning Faction earns additional rewards.

Choose a side, fight until the last minute, get rewarded, and await further orders as the event concludes, prior to mid-season. This event will kick-off on August 4th.

Call of Duty Celebrates 50 Years of Hip Hop

50 years of Hip-hop celebration event of Modern Warfare 2 Season 5 (Image via Activision)

In celebration of 50 years of hip hop, Modern Warfare II and Call of Duty: Warzone will have free content and special Bundles available throughout Season 05:

Daily Login Rewards:

3 War Tracks
Exclusive Weapon Blueprint

Nicki Minaj operator of Modern Warfare 2 Season 5 (image via Activision)

Operators:

Snoop Dogg
Nicki Minaj (In-Season)
21 Savage (Mid-Season)

GAMEPLAY

Movement

Slide

Decreased slide time and increased slide velocity, so the Player covers the same distance in a shorter amount of time
Allowed the Player to fire slightly sooner after initiating a slide

Jump

Small increase to the lateral velocity boost while jumping
Small reduction to the landing slowdown penalty while landing

WEAPONS

New Weapons

FR Avancer (Assault Rifle)

With a blinding fire rate and exceptional maneuverability, in the right hands, this aggressive bullpup rifle can dominate the battlefield.

Unlocked via Battle Pass

Carrack .300 (Sniper Rifle)

This semi-auto bullpup sniper rifle features an exceptionally high fire rate and a unique design for best-in-class handling and stability when on the move.

Unlocked via Battle Pass

Customizable Throwing Knives

Players can now change the skin of Throwing Knives in Modern Warfare 2 Season 5 (Image via Activision)

Players can now select Lethal Equipment Skins (in-match only)

Weapon Balancing

» Light Machine Guns «

RAPP H

Increased semi-auto Damage
Reduced semi-auto rate of fire

EQUIPMENT

Adjustments

Drill Charge

Reduced damage from drilling when a Player is stuck with a Drill Charge, providing a larger opportunity for death from explosion

Recon Drone

Recon Drone’s health bar now updates every time the drone is accessed

Tactical Camera

Removed audio distortion when failing to use a Tactical Camera

PERKS

Adjustments

Bomb Squad

Bomb Squad will protect against death from explosive Equipment stuck directly to the Player when fully armored | Warzone only

Quick Fix

Added visual cues for attacking someone with active Quick Fix
Entering an objective with Quick Fix equipped will now visually show when the health regeneration effect is active.

AUDIO

Adjustments

Further improved audio balance to favor some sounds over others (i.e. Airplane audio will be mixed down when using voice chat)
Added alert sound from pets when being spotted

Audio Bug Fixes

Fixed an issue where knife pickups could play an incorrect sound
Fixed an issue where the out-of-bounds sound would repeat incorrectly

UI/UX

Adjustments

Updated CODHQ Landing Page

The Landing Page of CODHQ has changed in Modern Warfare 2 Season 5 (Image via Activision)

Adds Game Mode tiles to the Games section of CODHQ, allowing Players to jump to a specific row from the CODHQ menu.

Skin Carousel in the Lobby

The Skin Carousel of Modern Warfare 2 Season 5 (Image via Activision)

Added a carousel that allows Players to change the skin of their selected Operator while searching for a Match.

Combat Detail Widget

Added a new widget that provides info upon Player death:

Who killed you, what weapon, how many shots, etc

Widget will list multiple Players and environmental damage when applicable

GLOBAL BUG FIXES

Fixed an issue where Operator Skins and Finishing Moves could reset after suspending on consoles
Fixed an issue where some Players were not getting awarded BlackCell items correctly (Season 04)
Fixed an issue where the Player was unable to obtain Battle Pass rewards when on the BlackCell exclusive version of the reward (Season 04)
Fixed an issue where tablet screens may cover part of the screen when activated
Fixed an issue where in the progression menu UI, Prestige 6 was swapped with Prestige 10
Fixed an issue that would occasionally prevent the ‘Reap This’ Kastov-74u Blueprint from equipping in-game
Fixed an issue where objects could float in the air if dropped on glass that was then broken by disabling ability to drop objects on glass surfaces
Fixed an issue where a placeholder name is displayed when completing the “Get 30 headshot Operator kills with Battle Rifles” challenge to unlock the Cronen Squall
Fixed an issue where Battle Pass and Weapon 2XP tags could appear incorrectly on the Playlist tile
Fixed an issue where opening, but not using, the SAE Killstreak tablet at the end of a match will show the Heartbeat Sensor UI before/during the final kill
Fixed an exploit where Players were able to transfer Completionist camos to weapons without unlocking them
Fixed an issue that could cause the game to display incorrectly while using snap layouts on PC
Fixed an issue where Xbox Players’ Operator Skins would reset to default after the Xbox times out and turns off
Fixed an issue that could cause the killfeed widget to function incorrectly

PC & CONSOLE SETTINGS

Introducing “Eco Mode”

Found in the Graphics Settings menu, with three options:
Off: Same behavior as all previous updates with no power savings.
Minimal (Default): Frame rate capped at 60hz and slight drop in 3D scene resolution for the Multiplayer and Warzone lobbies only. Yields an average power savings of 20%.
Full: Frame rate capped at 30hz and larger drop in 3D scene resolution for the Multiplayer and Warzone lobbies only. Yields an average power savings of 50%.

SPECIAL OPS

BUG FIXES

Fixed an issue that caused some Players to not receive Raid rewards as expected. Players who were impacted by this bug will receive the rewards correctly upon future completion(s).
Fixed an issue that caused objective icons to not display correctly
Fixed an issue that caused the Intel page to display an incorrect number of intel pieces
Fixed an issue that prevented the 150-intel reward from unlocking correctly. Players are required to complete any one additional mission for it to be rewarded
Fixed an issue where Players would lose their Assault Suit if worn while cutting a door in the Atomgrad Raid Episode 03

MULTIPLAYER

MAPS

New Maps

Punta Mar (6v6)

Punta Mar map of Modern Warfare 2 Season 5 multiplayer (Image via Activision)

Punta Mar is a recently evacuated tourist attraction in Las Almas — once a bustling town on a hill overlooking a beautiful South American beach.

Prepare to fight up and down that hill, maneuvering through shops, across rooftops, and through abandoned residences to take control of an area centered around a cobblestone street.

Strike (6v6)

Strike map of Modern Warfare 2 Season 5 (Image via Activision)

Fan-favorite Strike returns to Call of Duty and will be familiar to many veteran Players with some updates for Modern Warfare II!

Lounge (Gunfight)

Lounge map of Modern Warfare 2 Season 5 (Image via Activision)

This compact map for Gunfight and other small-squad modes takes place in a high-scale, high-octane club. Take the stairs or climb to a balcony for a view across the main chamber, and when the center gets too hot, try your luck in the game room or under the spotlights of the stage behind the grand piano.

Canal (Gunfight)

Canal Map of Modern Warfare 2 Season 5 (Image via Activision)

Situated in the vicinity of Vondel, Canal features cellars below the cobblestone streets above, with the action occurring between the canal bridges where the water or a moored boat are useful in your tactical planning. Be ready for close quarters combat while weaving through the brewery and restaurant.

PLAYLIST

New Modes

Havoc

Players start with one modifier at the beginning of a match. Once a squad is the first to reach a multiple of 12 kills – 12, 24, 36, 48, and 60 – the game adds a new modifier to the match for both teams, from a pool of 14 available modifiers. Here are examples of just five of them:

Ammo Feeder: Auto reloads a weapon (from stock ammo) upon elimination.
Boots Off the Ground: Moon gravity. Affects only player jump heights, not thrown equipment or ballistics
Flameshot: Flame-tipped Crossbows and Molotovs only. All Loadouts change immediately to this upon modifier activation.
Hero Landing: Landing from a big drop causes a frag-grenade-like explosion around you.
Perspective Shift: Everyone swaps to a third-person camera view.

Big Capture the Flag

Want to go bigger? Then the Battle Maps are ready for some classic Capture the Flag matches in Season 05. Whether it is on the streets of Guijarro or in the waterlogged Mawizeh Marshlands, Big Capture the Flag on a 20v20 scale is a recipe for some epic matches.

Gunfight Variants

Step into the 2v2 Gunfight arena with three different variants available throughout Season 05. Look for the following:

Gunfight Custom (Launch): Featuring standard Gunfight rules, but the weaponry you bring is taken from your favorite Loadouts.
Gunfight Snipers (In-Season): Tool up with your favorite sniper or marksman rifle, and leave the Secondary, Tacticals, and Lethals at home.
Armored Gunfight (In-Season): Need more protection during your 2v2 skirmishes? Then welcome to Armored Gunfight, a variation on the fan-favorite mode, featuring standard Gunfight rules with one distinct difference; armor is enabled! Each squadmate comes to the fight with 150 HP of Armor, 100 Health, and no replacement plates or health regeneration. All other Gunfight rules apply (win conditions, overtime, capturing the overtime flag), but your takedown tactics should be adjusted accordingly.

BUG FIXES

Adjustments

Removed weapons dropping too close to players in modes with team revive active.
Updated Gunfight weapon table to include Blueprints up through Season 05
Players will have their sidearms removed if playing Gunfight with specified weapon categories (i.e. Snipers only)
Updated the default score limit for Grind to 75 points in Private Matches
Removed the “Care Package Drop Time” option in Infected Private Matches

Bug Fixes

Fixed an issue preventing Radar Always On from working correctly in Private Matches
Fixed an issue causing overlapping icons on Point A when playing Control on Vondel Waterfront
Fixed an issue on Santa Seña Border Crossing where bots would attempt to path to invalid locations if all other Players in the match are dead
Fixed an issue that could prevent health packs from dropping in Hardcore Private Matches
Fixed an issue where Players would not be able to toggle NVGs after extracting a prisoner in Prisoner Rescue
Fixed an issue in Cyber Attack where Players could lock up their view model animation by spamming melee while planting the EMP
Fixed an issue that allowed Players to pick up the prisoner out of bound in Prisoner Rescue
Fixed an issue in zone capture modes where the zone would flicker between unoccupied and controlled
Fixed an issue in Prisoner Rescue where the prisoner would T-pose with no head if the carrier died while out of bounds
Fixed an issue where explosive bullet kills would not progress the weapon ladder in Gun Game

MWII RANKED PLAY

Modern Warfare 2 Season 5 brings several changes to Ranked Play (Image via Activision)

Season 05 of MWII Ranked Play features NEW Seasonal Rewards to unlock, including the Pro Re-Issue TAQ-56, Division Weapon Camos, and much more.

Below are the Season 05-specific details to keep in mind for new and returning competitors. Need a refresher? The Call of Duty Blog has you covered right here, and the CDL Competitive Settings V 1.4.1 will help inform.

Season 05 Highlight Changes

Competitive Game Settings

New Season 05 Restrictions

Assault Rifles

FR Avancer

Sniper Rifles

Carrack .300

Returning Restrictions in addition to the CDL Competitive Settings

Assault Rifles

Tempus Razorback

SMGs

ISO 45

Shotguns

MX Guardian

Melee

Tonfa

Attachments

Corvus Torch Underbarrel

SR (Skill Rating) & Divisions

End of Season Skill Setback

At the end of each Season, your ending Skill Division will determine where you start the following season:

Bronze through Crimson I Players are set back three Tiers below where they finished in the previous season.
Example: A Player ending Season 04 in Gold III will begin Season 05 in Silver III.
Players Crimson II and above will start Season 05 in Diamond I.

MWII Ranked Play Season 05 Rewards

Season 05 Win Rewards

Throughout the Season 05, Players can earn the following rewards:

5 Wins: ‘Season 05 Competitor’ Weapon Sticker
10 Wins: Pro Re-Issue TAQ-56 Weapon Blueprint
25 Wins: ‘Big Brain Plays’ Weapon Charm
50 Wins: ‘Heating Up’ Large Weapon Decal
75 Wins: ‘MWII Ranked Play Season 05’ Loading Screen
100 Wins: ‘MWII Season 05 Ranked Veteran’ Weapon Camo

End of Season Division Rewards

At the end of each Season, Players will be awarded Skill Division rewards that represent their highest attained Division that Season.

Skill Division Skins:

Earn a Skill Division Skin for use with both CDL Male & Female Operators on both Factions to represent your highest Skill Division. Once the Skins from one Skill Division have been unlocked they can be permanently used in following Seasons and anywhere you play:
Top 250: Unlock the ‘Top 250 Competitor’ Skin by finishing a Season in the Top 250 Skill Division. Players must be in the Division at the end of the Season to qualify for this reward.
Gold - Iridescent: Earn the applicable ‘Gold Competitor’, ‘Platinum Competitor’, ‘Diamond Competitor’, ‘Crimson Competitor’, or ‘Iridescent Competitor’ Skin based on your highest Skill Division reached over the course of the Season.

Seasonal Division Rewards

Each Ranked Play Season features a unique set of Division Rewards awarded at the end of the Season to celebrate the Player’s highest Skill Division reached that Season.

Rewards Update

Starting in Season 05, players will continue to earn Emblems associated with their highest attained Division. Those who climb into Gold and above will obtain a new reward each season where we previously offered a Weapon Charm. For Season 05, we're kicking off this new reward rotation with Season Division Camos.

The Season 05 rewards are as follows:

Top 250: ‘Season 05 Top 250’ Animated Weapon Camo, Emblem, and Calling Card
Players must be in the Top 250 Division at the end of the Season to qualify for these rewards.
Iridescent: ‘Season 05 Iridescent’ Weapon Camo, Emblem, and Calling Card
Crimson: ‘Season 05 Crimson’ Weapon Camo and Emblem
Diamond: ‘Season 05 Diamond’ Weapon Camo and Emblem
Platinum: ‘Season 05 Platinum’ Weapon Camo and Emblem
Gold: ‘Season 05 Gold’ Weapon Camo and Emblem
Silver: Emblem
Bronze: Emblem

Ranked Play First Place: The Player who finishes Season 05 in the #1 position on the Top 250 Leaderboard will receive a unique, one-of-a-kind Calling Card and Emblem for the ultimate bragging rights.

Check out the new Season 05 Top 250 Division Animated Weapon Camo below!