How to reduce the download size of Call of Duty: Warzone update

One of the nagging issues that Call of Duty: Warzone players have been facing since March is the overall download size of updates. Often 20+ gigabytes, if your internet speeds aren't the best, you could be waiting to play hours after the update initially starts downloading. There were even some hilarious memes created over this conundrum that garnered a ton of attention on social media. 

Activision clearly saw this problem and looked at ways of alleviating it. After all, the publishers want players to hop on the game as much as possible. While the solutions for a long time weren't the best, there's now one feature that helps out tenfold. 

Essentially, players can only download the section of an update that pertains to them. So if you only play Warzone and not Modern Warfare multiplayer or Campaign, you can choose to only download the one part you need. This new feature comes just in time for the new Haunting of Verdansk update in Warzone. If you're interested in knowing how to do this, keep reading below. 

Making your Warzone update download smaller 

Unfortunately, this solution only works if you're on PC. As of right now, consoles still require you to download the entire update even if you only play one section of the game. 

(Picture: Activision Blizzard)

For PC players, all you need to do is head into Battle.Net and follow some easy steps. There are two routes you can take, however. The first route is for those who already have Warzone/Modern Warfare installed on their computer. 

1. Ensure the game is not running before continuing this process.
2. Open the Battle.net launcher and select the game on the left panel.
3. While on this screen, do not launch the game. Instead, click the “Options” menu on the upper left portion of the launcher (below the game’s title and above the featured image or video player).
4. Click on “Modify Install” within this submenu.
5. On the Game Content pop-up window that opens, click “Modify Install.” You can also change where the game is installed, change the default language, enable auto-updates, and create a desktop shortcut in this submenu.
6. Uncheck the content you do not want to be installed, such as Campaign, Special Ops, or Multiplayer, then click on the “Confirm” button. Note: Warzone cannot be uninstalled.
7. Click “Start Install.” Note: if all packs are installed, this should only remove content that was unchecked and not reinstall content.

(Picture: Activision Blizzard)

Next up, we have a way for new installations to only download what you want to play, whether that's Warzone or Modern Warfare. 

1. Open the Battle.Net launcher and select the game on the left panel.
2. On the Modern Warfare screen, click the “Install” button, which will prompt an installation pop-up window.
3. In the Game Content section of the installer pop-up window, click “Modify Install.” You can also change where the game is installed, change the default language, enable auto-updates and create a desktop shortcut in this submenu.
4. Uncheck the content you do not want to be installed, such as Campaign, Special Ops, or Multiplayer, then click on the “Confirm” button. Note: Warzone cannot be uninstalled.
5. Click “Start Install.”